ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

DFFLA celebrates the renaissance of downtown L.A. in all its facets – its historic movie palaces, its legendary cultural institutions, its thriving business and residential communities, and its unique ethnic-cultural diversity.

Since 2008 the festival has screened more than a thousand narrative and documentary features and shorts. Highlights included the West Coast premiere of Spike Lee’s “Passing Strange: The Movie,” a music documentary and live performance series at The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, a multi-faceted film/events program celebrating “green urban living,” a showcase of independent films utilizing 3-D technology, an in-depth look at L.A.’s burgeoning micro-cinema community, the L.A. premiere of Michael Jackson’s “lost” film documenting his Jackson 5 tour of Africa in the 1970s, and a tribute to indie icon Seymour Cassell.

This year’s festival will continue DFFLA’s tradition of fearless innovation in programming and exciting after-screening events held in world-class lounges, private downtown artists’ lofts and historic theaters.