Los Angeles International Short Film Festival Announces Line –Up for 2013

Get ready to bust out those shorts for the 2013 Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. Now it its 17th year, LA Shorts Fest will showcase 280 short films. The selection of films for screening and competition features award winning directors and filmmakers, star-studded casts, and films from 17 countries worldwide. All sections are arranged into 44 programs, which will screen September 5-12, at the Laemmle Theatre in North Hollywood. The complete schedule is available at www.LAShortsFest.com.    

“I’m incredibly proud to showcase the short films selected this year.  There is a lot of great talent on display here, and I hope this festival serves as a platform for filmmakers to solidify their place in independent film. With a mix of films that include established actors and up-and-coming artists, this year’s festival will prove exciting for everyone involved.” - Domenic Yovina, Director of Operations/Programmer

This year’s shorts features film and television stars: Elijah Wood (Tome of the Unknown), Christopher Lloyd (The Coin), Cate Blanchett (A Cautionary Tail), Sally Kellerman (Joan’s Day Out), Tara Lynne Barr (Joan’s Day Out), Betsy Franco (Joan’s Day Out), Jason Ritter (The Goldfish), Steven Michael Quezada (Red Clay), John Ratzenberger (Local Commercial), Gerard Depardieu (Frank-Etienne), Ian McKellen (The Egg Trick), George Takei (The Missing Scarf), Missi Pyle (Bakersfield, Earth), Michael Richards (Walk the Light), Betsy Brandt (The Professor), Rumer Willis (Six Letter Word), Rufus Sewell (The Brunchers), Natalie Dormer (The Brunchers), the band Grouplove (Ways to Go), Katharine Ross (Wini + George), Rutger Hauer (Turn), Lee Meriwether (Remember to Breathe), and Jim Broadbent (The Phone Call).

The Festival also includes a number of award winning directors such as Louis D'Esposito (Agent Carter), Catherine Dent (Silk) and Ralph Macchio (Across Grace Alley), but will also screen short films from Marvel (Agent Carter), Cartoon Network (Tome of the Unknown), RSA (The Phone Call, Kismet Diner), Partizan (Shunpo, Maniac, The Getaway), The Mill (The Caretaker), and Stink TV (Little Secret).

Throughout the festival, the selected short films are organized into programs covering a variety of genres: adventure, animation, comedy, documentary, drama, horror and sci-fi- and themes such as love, family, friendship, conflict, suspense, religion, and art.

Winners in six categories will automatically become eligible for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for a possible Academy Award nomination. More recently, LA Shorts Fest gained accreditation from AMPSA in Short Subject Documentary. Over the course of 17 years, LA Shorts Fest has presented 44 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award nominations. Winners will be announced at the festival’s closing night on September 12, 2013.  

About LA Shorts Fest:

Los Angeles International Short Film Festival 'LA Shorts Fest' ranks among the most prestigious international short film festivals in the world. The festival is accredited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Those who have been honored at the festival include directors, Paul Haggis, Bryan Singer, Jan de Bont, Shane Black, Jon Favreau and actors Gary Oldman, James Woods and Martin Landau. Many recognized actors and directors have screened films and attended the festival such as Scarlett Johansson, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Courteney Cox, Tim Burton, Jason Reitman, Terry Gilliam, Spike Jonze, Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, Rachel Weisz, Hilary Swank, Josh Brolin, Kirsten Dunst, Rita Wilson and Vin Diesel.  Over the past 17 years, 44 participating filmmakers have earned Academy Award nominations, with 13 filmmakers actually taking home the Oscar. www.LAshortsFest.com