About Silver Lake Film Festival

Silver Lake Film Festival (SLFF, Inc.) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization established to provide a showcase for independent film in Los Angeles. In the film capital of the world, and in the shadow of the Hollywood film industry, independently produced films are often neglected and worse, rarely presented.

Silver Lake Film Festival was created to specifically address the lack of opportunity for independent narrative features and documentaries, as well as short films, to be seen by audiences in movie theaters. These are films that reflect a personal vision of the filmmaker, rather than a commercial imperative. In fact, the majority of films screened at the annual SLFF festival would otherwise never been seen by Los Angeles audiences in any context - in theaters, on TV or DVD, etc. In addition to its annual festival, the organization presents a monthly screening of short films that is consistently SRO and a variety of media arts and related arts programming throughout the year

In its recent celebrated Best of L.A. issue, L.A. Weekly noted that Los Angeles can now boast a film festival almost every week. "L.A. is in the midst of a film festival boom. And the competition has made almost everyone step up to the plate." Among the scores of worthy contenders, Silver Lake Film Festival was selected as one of the city's Top Five.

Surprised? We don't blame you. After only eight years, Silver Lake Film Festival has evolved into Los Angeles' leading independent film festival. The only major, non-genre, film festival singularly focused on presenting the best of film in the entertainment capital of the world. The only major film festival in the U.S. showcasing independent films where the majority of independent filmmakers actually live and work.

At our last festival, we screened 270 films; honored indie film luminaries Parker Posey, Hal Hartley, Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, and music icons John Doe, Keith Morris, and Alice Bag; showcased the Los Angeles premiere of Hartley's new film "Faye Grim"; presented an array of special programs, including our eco-flagship Sustainable L.A., Cuban music documentaries, erotica, independent Indian cinema, and Conspiracy Theories; celebrated the indie music scene in a series of live concerts that featured the legendary Circle Jerks; and paid tribute to Silver Lake's silent film heritage with the classic "Beyond the Rocks", starring Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. Not to mention presenting dozens of cutting-edge art and other entertainment events and parties, parties, parties. Where were you?

If you're serious about reaching independent film audiences, we invite you to be a part of Los Angeles' most exciting, exceptional independent film and arts events - the 8th annual Silver Lake Film Festival and the forthcoming, first-ever, Downtown L.A. Film Festival.

Plans for the next Silver Lake Film Festival will be announced in the summer of 2008.  In the meantime, we invite you to participate in the first annual Downtown Film Festival - Los Angeles, scheduled for August 13-17, 2008 (www.downtownfilmfestla.com) 

Silver Lake Film Festival Board of Directors

• David Andrusia
• Charles Belk
• Bianca Bezdek
• Carlos Blumberg De Menezes
• Jenna Didier
• Jason Dollar
• P. David Ebersole
• Ann Friday
• Vinny Gajee
• JoAnn Hanley
• Kelly Hargraves
• Oliver Hess
  
• Linda Huynh
• Bob Johnson
• Howie Klein
• Terry Lawyer
• Mary Ledding

• Kate Marciniak
• Chase Masterson
• Roger M. Mayer
• Kathleen McCafferty
• Maureen Mottley
• Irwing Ornelas
• Henry Priest
• Greg Ptacek
• Rod Ramsey
• Carolyn Schroeder
• Jacques Thelemaque
• Wally Uribe
• Donna Walker
• Saskia Wilson-Brown
• Bill Wynn

Links to Past Festival Websites:

2006 Festival Guidebook (link to PDF- 6 MB)

2004 Festival Website

2003 Festival Website

2002 Festival Website

2001 Festival Website

2000 Festival Website