Monthly Film Festival

July 18, 2026 02:30pm PDT - 09:15pm PDT

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts its July Monthly festival, which includes its annual InFocus: Canadian Cinema program, spotlighting independent Canadian storytellers with support from Telefilm Canada and the Québec Government Office in Los Angeles, and community partnership with its longstanding partner, the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles. The day also features a selection of work made in the city of Los Angeles and California.

The day begins with Made in Los Angeles and California a closer look at the city of Los Angeles and the state of California through a selection of short form storytelling that explores recovery, young love, boldly battling discrimination, the rich history of LA’s communities, immigrant family dynamics, loss, grief and the fight for justice and equality. The program showcases filmmaking that spans narrative, documentary and music video.

The afternoon continues with InFocus: Canadian Cinema I, a dynamic collection of work by emerging Canadian filmmakers that includes elements of drama, comedy, horror, fantasy, thriller and satire. This exciting block of films takes us through legends ancient and modern, moments of painful and even horrifying realization, and finding one’s own place in the world.

The night concludes with InFocus: Canadian Cinema II, a thoughtful and confronting selection of films by Canadian talent that push back against the status quo, both directly and through choosing a different path. These stories navigate family dynamics, process grief, and highlight personal and communal resilience.

NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both our general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates representation by spotlighting various communities of filmmakers as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This project is made possible in part by grant support from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The South Park Center is an ADA compliant venue and is wheelchair accessible. We request captioned films from all filmmakers participating at our Festival. For any accessibility needs, please send a request to info@nfmla.org at least 72 hours prior to the event.

Schedule Details

Program #1 – Made in LA and California
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Pre-Reception
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Program
4:30 PM – 4:45 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #2 – InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts I
4:45 PM – 5:15 PM – Pre-Reception
5:15 PM – 6:45 PM – Program
6:45 PM – 7:00 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #3 – InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts II
7:00 PM – 7:30 PM – Pre-Reception
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM – Program
9:00 PM – 9:15 PM – Audience Q&A

Event Location

Event Entrance
1139 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Directions


Paid Parking
1133 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Directions

Made in LA and California
STILL STANDING
Dir. Victor Tadashi Suarez, Livia Albeck-Ripka, Writ. & Prod. Livia Albeck-Ripka, Victor Tadashi Suarez
10 Mins | USA
Is It Like, A Date?!?
Dir. Eliana Pipes, Writ. Eliana Pipes & Prod. Julia Mok, Austin Taylor, Nina Kadjar, Rachel Deutsch
9 Mins | USA
Somewhere To Be Thumbnail
Somewhere To Be
Dir. Christy Chan, Writ. Christy Chan & Prod. Keith Wilson, W. Kamau Bell
9 Mins | USA
Save Flat Top Thumbnail
Save Flat Top
Dir. Bia Jurema, Writ. & Prod. Sydney Wolstein
13 Mins | USA
The Sharp Point of Time
Dir. Andrew Acedo, Writ. Andrew Acedo & Prod. Andrew Acedo
15 Mins | USA
NANI
Dir. Mainak Dhar, Writ. Mainak Dhar & Prod. Shardul Sharma, Grace Presse, Humaira Newaz
10 Mins | USA
Missed Thumbnail
Missed
Dir. Nell Riley, Writ. Nell Riley, Gus Riley & Prod. Roni Geva, Mike McNamara
11 Mins | USA
See You, Soon Thumbnail
See You, Soon
Dir. Jay Pendarvis Jr., Writ. Jay Pendarvis Jr. & Prod. Carlos Lopez Estrada, Valerie Bush, Elle Keseley, Jordan Lindsay, Gaby Mena
10 Mins | USA
Please Don’t Shoot! Thumbnail
Please Don’t Shoot!
Dir. Evelyn Gonzalez, Writ. Evelyn Gonzalez & Prod. Desiree Marisol Carcamo
5 Mins | USA
InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts I
Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawer of Rocks) Thumbnail
Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawer of Rocks)
Dir. Louise Flaherty, Writ. Louise Flaherty, Neil Christopher & Prod. Louise Flaherty
14 Mins | Canada
Fourteen
Dir. Jahnelle Jones, Writ. Jahnelle Jones & Prod. Lola Gafaar, Jahnelle Jones, Kat Khan
10 Mins | Canada
Blister Thumbnail
Blister
Dir. Hrishi Bardhan, Writ. Hrishi Bardhan & Prod. Faoilean Cosgrove
15 Mins | Canada, USA
Nebuchadnezzar
Dir. Samuel Ogunremi, Writ. Samuel Ogunremi & Prod. Vanessa Lavoie, Fiona Brennan
15 Mins | Canada, USA
Jazz Infernal
Dir. Will Niava, Writ. Will Niava, Kristelle Laroche & Prod. Zion Lipstein-Saffer, Samuel Caron
16 Mins | Canada
Last Night Stand Thumbnail
Last Night Stand
Dir. Pierre-Luc Gosselin, Writ. Pierre-Luc Gosselin, Béatrice Blais & Prod. Pierre-Luc Gosselin
10 Mins | Canada
InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts II
Have You Never Seen Birds? Thumbnail
Have You Never Seen Birds?
Dir. Jessica Fecteau, ROB, Writ. & Prod. Jérémy Nolet, Caroline Becker
3 Mins | Canada
Driving Lesson
Dir. Gillian Gordon, Writ. Gillian Gordon & Prod. Gillian Gordon, Jonathan Laflamme
17 Mins | Canada
Clay Life Thumbnail
Clay Life
Dir. Juan Pablo Saa, Writ. Juan Pablo Saa & Prod. Arkin Pal, Juan Pablo Saa
13 Mins | Canada
Tire toi une bûche (Pull up a log) Thumbnail
Tire toi une bûche (Pull up a log)
Dir. Béatrice Richer, Writ. Béatrice Richer & Prod. Béatrice Richer, Josée Massie
21 Mins | Canada
Sukkaillutit Uqaruk – Say It Slowly
Dir. Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, Writ. Ashley Qilavaq-Savard & Prod. Sara Beate Eira, Ashley Qilavaq-Savard
5 Mins | Canada, Norway
Tapeworm Diaries Thumbnail
Tapeworm Diaries
Dir. Kayla Cao, Writ. Kayla Cao & Prod. Mia Hsu, Sebastian Cerani
10 Mins | Canada
I Should be Going Thumbnail
I Should be Going
Dir. Gemma Holdway, Writ. Gemma Holdway & Prod. John Negropontes
12 Mins | Canada