Monthly Film Festival

July 13, 2024 03:00pm PDT - 10:00pm PDT
Industry Delegates
Sola Fasehun
The Distribution Collective
Elissa Friedman
Zero Gravity Management
Ina Petersen
Inner Voice Artists
Alvie Hurtado
Will Packer Productions
Sahhara Assafiri
Amazon MGM Studios
Kara Petit
CAA
Dan Fisher
VMI WorldWide
Kristen Konvitz
UTA
Nicolas Wright
Writer, Actor, Director
James Woods
Writer, Actor, Director
Raquelle David
Lit Entertainment Group
Carlo Rizzo
Focus Features
Fior Fabian
MACRO

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts its annual InFocus: Canadian Cinema program, 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 InFocus: Canadian Cinema program spotlights independent Canadian storytellers in a program that spans a collection of thirteen short films across two shorts programs, including alumni of SXSW, Tribeca and Slamdance. The day also features the North American premiere of Cambria Matlow’s feature narrative, Why Dig When You Can Pluck.

The day’s programming begins with InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts I, a selection of shorts by  independent Canadian filmmakers, explores family dynamics, diasporic communities, the bonds between women and the pursuit of goals both grand and petty.

The afternoon continues with InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts II, a collection that gives us an incisive and playful meta-film, digs into cultural beauty standards and self acceptance, holds space for grief and loss, and includes stories of intergenerational connection and coming of age experiences. 

The evening concludes with the North American premiere of writer-director Cambria Matlow’s debut feature film, Why Dig When You Can Pluck,  preceded by the world premiere of Maureen Payne-Hahner’s short film, Belinda. Why Dig When You Can Pluck is a nuanced, atmospheric and unconformable portrait of motherhood that is sure to start a conversation. “Society is not kind to female hyphenates, and we’re told we can’t possibly be good at both mothering and artmaking. We’re told that being a mother means other people get to decide what is and isn’t true about you. I wanted to tell a story that speaks the truth and opens the doors of permission for the next mother to speak hers,” says Matlow.

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 diversity, inclusion and region by spotlighting  communities of filmmakers within our filmmaking community as part of our monthly program. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

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 – InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts Program I
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM – Pre-Reception
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM – Program
5:00 PM – 5:15 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #2 – InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts Program II
5:15 PM – 5:45 PM – Pre-Reception
5:45 PM – 7:45 PM – Program
7:45 PM – 8:00 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #3 – Feature Narrative | Why Dig When You Can Pluck [plays with short Belinda]
8:00 PM – 8:30 PM – Pre-Reception
8:30 PM – 9:45 PM – Program
9:45 PM – 10:00 PM – Audience Q&A

Event Location

Event Entrance
1139 S. Hill Street, Los Angeles 90015
Directions


Parking (fee)
1133 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Directions

InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts Program
A Toi Les Oreilles
Dir. Alexandre Isabelle , Writ. Alexandre Isabelle & Prod. Alexandre Isabelle
13 Mins | Canada
Leveled
Dir. Sara Rangooni, Writ. Sara Rangooni & Prod. Sara Rangooni
15 Mins | Canada
Move In Thumbnail
Move In
Dir. Mel Mah, Writ. Mel Mah & Prod. Frances Rubio
19 Mins | Canada
Cleaving East Pender Thumbnail
Cleaving East Pender
Dir. Kayla Cao, Writ. & Prod. Kayla Cao
30 Mins | USA
Lumen Thumbnail
Lumen
Dir. Stéphanie Bélanger , Writ. Stéphanie Bélanger & Prod. Rocio B. Fuentes, Giacomo Nudi
13 Mins | Canada
We Are Not Alone
Dir. Adebukola Bodunrin, Writ. Ezra C. Daniels & Prod. Mariel Neto
11 Mins | Canada
InFocus: Canadian Cinema Shorts Program II
[INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE] Thumbnail
[INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE]
Dir. Kory Orban, Writ. Kory Orban & Prod. Vincent Stander, Alecia Maslechko, Kory Orban, Jon Brinn
12 Mins | Canada
Unibrow
Dir. Nedda Sarshar, Writ. Nedda Sarshar & Prod. Rabiya Mansoor, Shreya Patel
14 Mins | Canada
Buddy Love Thumbnail
Buddy Love
Dir. Kiefer O'Reilly, Writ. Kiefer O'Reilly & Prod. Sean Patrick O'Reilly, Kiefer O'Reilly
13 Mins | Canada
ick Thumbnail
ick
Dir. India Opzoomer, Writ. India Opzoomer, Lindsay Howard & Prod. Sinead Keirans, Joie Parma, James Opzoomer
11 Mins | Canada
Thereby Hangs a Tale Thumbnail
Thereby Hangs a Tale
Dir. Aaron Yeger, Writ. Brynn Byrne & Prod. Sarah Jackson, Aaron Yeger
13 Mins | Canada
I Remember (Je Me Souviens)
Dir. Raphaël Benoit Pettigrew, Writ. Raphaël Benoit Pettigrew & Prod. Nathalie Benoit, Alyssa DiMartino, Daniel Pettigrew, Henry Rosenbloom
17 Mins | Canada
Hair or No Hair
Dir. Janessa St. Pierre, Writ. Janessa St. Pierre & Prod. Janessa St. Pierre, Geoff Manton, Graysen Sangster
15 Mins | Canada
Feature Narrative | Why Dig When You Can Pluck [plays with short Belinda]
Belinda
Dir. Maureen Payne-Hahner, Writ. Fergal O'Byrne & Prod. William Pennell, Christoph Hahner, Anders Woldike-Schmidt, Annemette Andersen, Maureen Payne-Hahner
23 Mins | Denmark
Why Dig When You Can Pluck Thumbnail
Why Dig When You Can Pluck
Dir. Cambria Matlow, Writ. Cambria Matlow & Prod. Fran Bittakis
51 Mins | USA