Click here to download the press clippings about the 2013 inaugural festival!

INAUGURAL FILM FESTIVAL GETS 'OVERWHELMING SUPPORT'
by John Wirt

and this article on NOLA.com:

INAUGURAL LOUISIANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO ANNOUNCE ITSELF WITH A BANG AT JOY THEATER
by Mike Scott

Screening for our Opening Night Film is 20 Feet From Stardom, which tells the unheard tale of the lives of backup singers from some of Rock and Soul’s greatest artists. Director Morgan Neville and legendary singer Merry Clayton will be in person at the Joy Theater in New Orleans. Live music performance and a classic New Orleans experience.

See you at the inaugural Louisiana International Film Festival this April 18th - 21st.

Check out the film schedule.

Producers’ Expo Runs Through the Day Friday April 19th Alongside Screenings, Workshops, Parties

FREE Festival Screenings of 42 and A PLACE BEYOND THE PINES April 9th

Baton Rouge, LA April 1st, 2013--The Louisiana International Film Festival & Mentorship Program (LIFF) has announced its slate of films for the long-anticipated inaugural weekend: a four-day event from April 18th through 21st that celebrates Louisiana’s emerging importance in the film industry alongside its unique culture. LIFF Programming Director Ian Birnie along with Co-Artistic Directors Dan Ireland and Jeff “The Dude” Dowd have selected over fifty narrative feature films, documentaries and shorts to screen in multiple theater venues throughout Baton Rouge during the Festival.

These films represent a carefully curated cross-section of brand-new films, festival favorites, recent releases and a few cult classics. Birnie explains, “The LIFF line-up spotlights three themes that reflect the cultural and social history of Louisiana: Francophone films – namely films from France, Quebec, and the Middle East; films that deal with environmental issues – both to honor Louisiana Earth Day (April 21st) and to reflect Louisiana's activist interest in its own habitat; and music films that encompass musical styles ranging from doo wop and jazz to Italian opera.”

Co-Artistic Director Ireland states, “For the first year of our festival, we feel we’ve assembled a very strong program consisting of films from every corner of the world, with powerful and provocative themes. Working with our amazing team, we have managed to give a focus to several relevant issues, themes and causes while at the same time find a group of films that never fail to entertain, challenge and provoke.”

LIFF Executive Director Chesley Heymsfield points out, “We are extremely proud to be showcasing several Louisiana-based films, including the World Premiere of By and By: New Orleans At The Crossroads. This section of our program, SPOTLIGHT: LOUISIANA, is designed to showcase the talent from our great state. The success of last year’s Beasts of The Southern Wild has opened eyes throughout the cinematic world that Louisiana is indeed a place to watch.”

LIFF opens Thursday, April 18th at the Joy Theatre in New Orleans with the regional premiere of Morgan Neville’s acclaimed new documentary looking into the lives of backup singers who literally work in the shadows of music’s greatest artists, Twenty Feet from Stardom. Neville and Merry Clayton (Dirty Dancing; Maid to Order; Nine and a Half Weeks) will attend the New Orleans screening of the film, which features interviews with artists such as Patti Austin, Sheryl Crow, Mick Jagger, Darlene Love, Bette Midler and Stevie Wonder.

LIFF continues in Baton Rouge on Friday, April 19th with screenings of narrative features including the U.S. Premiere of Bernard Rose’s powerful new modern day take on Leo Tolstoy’s "Master And Man," Boxing Day, starring Danny Huston and Matthew Jacobs with a special appearance after the screening by director Bernard Rose. Also screening are From Up On Poppy Hill, featuring the acclaimed father Hayao Mayazaki (Spirited Away) as writer and son Goro Mayazaki as director of this animated film about 1960’s Yokohama and local teens who work to save their local clubhouse from being demolished before the approaching Tokyo Olympics; two French Canadian gems: Starbuck, directed by Ken Scott, about a slacker who finds he’s fathered more than 500 children as a sperm donor, and Xavier Dolan’s remarkable transgender drama Lawrence Anyways, starring Melville Popaud, Suzanne Clement, and Nathalie Baye; Adam Leon’s critically acclaimed Gimme the Loot; Norway’s A Hijacking, directed by Tobias Lindholm and starring Johan Philip Asbaek; Black Rock, directed by Katie Aselton and starring Aselton, Lake Bell and Kate Bosworth in a tale of a weekend getaway turned fight for survival; and the true-life thriller The Iceman, directed by Ariel Vromen and starring Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, James Franco, Winona Ryder, David Schwimmer and Ray Liotta.

Opening day in Baton Rouge also features an all-day, FREE Producers’ Conference & Industry Expo at the Celtic Media Centre (10000 Celtic Drive O'Connor Building Baton Rouge, LA 70809) with a sound stage converted to an industry expo open to the public. Festival guests may register to attend a wide variety of workshops on acting, music, development, production incentives and film financing hosted by industry professionals. For information and a full schedule visit http://liff2013.com/expo.

LIFF’s Evening Centerpiece Galas on Saturday, April 20th feature an impressive lineup, including Ramin Bahrani’s powerful family drama At Any Price starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron as father and son at odds with each other; Disconnect, a wonderful new thriller directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and starring Jason Bateman, Alexander Skarsgard, Max Thierot, Hope Davis and Paula Patton; France’s Three Worlds directed by Catherine Corsini and written by the consummate Louisiana-native filmmaker Mark Duplass, and starring Raphael Personnaz, Clotilde Hesme, and Arta Dobroshi; Cannes and BAFTA award-winner The Hunt directed by Sweden’s Thomas Vinterberg and starring Mads Mikkelson, whose performance won Best Actor at Cannes; France’s In the House, directed by François Ozon and starring Fabrice Luchini, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Emmanuelle Seignier; French director Gilles Bourdos’ tale of two Renoirs—father Auguste and war-wounded son Jean—and their encounter with his caretaker Andrée, Renoir with Michel Bouquet, Christa Theret, and Vincent Rottiers; two Australian films, the acclaimed thriller Wish You Were Here, directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith with Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty), Felicity Price, and Teresa Palmer; and the latest comedy from Muriel’s Wedding director P.J. Hogan and star Toni Colette, Mental, co-starring Liev Schreiber and Anthony LaPaglia; The Attack from Lebanese writer/director Ziad Douier; Michel Gondry’s latest, The We and the I, a look at the lives of a group of teenagers who ride the same bus route, and how their relationships change and evolve on the last day of school, starring newcomers Michael Brodie, Teresa Lynn and Raymond Delgado; the U.S. Premiere of Dean Spanley, a comedic gem and a true discovery from New Zealand directed by Toa Fraser, starring Peter O'Toole in one of his finest performances, Sam Neill as a priest who may or may not have been O’Toole’s dog in another life, Jeremy Northam and Bryan Brown; Paul Andrew Williams’ moving love story Unfinished Song starring the amazing Vanessa Redgrave, another of Britain’s most cherished actors, Terence Stamp, and Gemma Arterton; German director Margarethe von Trotta’s story of the Nuremburg war crimes trials reporter Hannah Arendt, starring Barbara Sukowa and Janet McTeer; France’s Thérèse, directed by Claude Miller with Audrey Tatou (Amelie) and Gilles Lellouche; and Sundance and SXSW favorite A Teacher written and directed by Hannah Fidell and starring Lindsay Burdge and Will Brittain. The Closing Night Feature is Zai Batmanglij’s The East, the provocative and powerful hit of this year’s Sundance Film Festival starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, and Louisiana’s own Patricia Clarkson.

Programming is especially strong among documentaries screening at the inaugural Festival. They include: Uprising, the story of the Egyptian revolution, produced and directed by Fredrik Stanton; two films by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix—the progeria story Life According to Sam and the Academy Award-winning short Inocente, a profile of a homeless teenage artist Inocente Izucar (the latter screens following Doug Block’s domestic violence short The Children Next Door). Inocente’s subject Izucar and film editor Jeff Consiglio will appear at the screening.

LIFF features two additional music docs: a biography of the jazz drummer and bandleader, The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America, directed by Jeffrey Kaufman with narration by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Van Alexander, Billy Crystal, Bill Cosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Garcia, Dizzy Gillespie, Janet Jackson, Danny Glover and Tyne Daly; and Becoming Traviata, Philippe Beziat’s “exhilarating account of the creative process and a rousing, uniquely accessible rendition of Verdi’s glorious opera (Gene Siskel)” with Nathalie Dessay and Louis Langree. Savoy director Kaufman and musician Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes will be in person at their screening.

The documentary roster also includes Love, Marilyn, Liz Garbus’ film in which contemporary celebrities including Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Adrian Brody, Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, Ellen Burstyn and Viola Davis talk about the impact that Marilyn Monroe continues to have on their lives; Andy Berg’s acclaimed West of Memphis with Jesse Miskelley, Jason Baldwin, Damien Wayne Echols, Patti Smith and Henry Rollins; Venus and Serena, about two sisters who are driven by their father into competitive sports, directed by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major and featuring Bill Clinton, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Arnon Milchan, Gay Telese and Anna Wintour; Bound By Flesh about conjoined (and exploited) twins Daisy and Violet Hilton featuring Lea Thompson, Nancy Allen, Timothy Stack and Blake Boyd with a special in person appearance by Director Leslie Zemeckis; Ben Lewis’ Sundance hit Google and the World Brain; Lord Montagu, directed by Luke Korem and narrated by Oliver Tobias, about the British aristocrat who owns one of the most beloved estates in all of England and who at one point served prison time as punishment for his suspected homosexuality; John Waters muse biography I Am Divine, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz with John Waters, Ricki Lake, Tab Hunter, Mink Stole, Edith Massey and Holly Woodlawn including an in person appearance by Director Jeffrey Schwarz; and the US premiere of Good People Go To Hell, Saved People Go to Heaven, Louisiana filmmaker Holly Hardman’s penetrating investigation of the complex world of evangelical Christianity along America’s Gulf Coast, with a personal appearance by the director at the screening.

Environmental documentaries include auteur Werner Herzog’s Happy People: A Year in the Taiga, about the 300 indigenous people living in Bakhtia, the heart of the Siberian Taiga, as they have for centuries; The Fruit Hunters—a look at food and fruit from the dawn of humanity through modern agriculture, directed by Yung Chang and featuring Bill Pullman; A Fierce Green Fire writer/director Mark Kitchell’s look at the evolution of the environmental movement narrated by Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Ashley Judd and Isabel Allende; and More Than Honey, Austrian director Markus Imhoof’s global examination of endangered honeybees.

Co-artistic director Ireland’s own film, Jolene: Director’s Cut which launched the career of its incredible star, the amazing Jessica Chastain makes its world debut in version he originally intended it to be in this years Festival. Chastain, who made her feature film debut in Ireland’s adaptation of the powerful E.L. Doctorow short story of a young girl’s life from ages 15 to 25, went on to win the Seattle International Film Festival’s Best Actress Award for her performance in the film.

Festivalgoers can find a full schedule of films, theaters and screening times on the Festival website schedule page at liff2013.com/screenings. The Home of the Louisiana International Film Festival, Cinemark Perkins Rowe (10000 Perkins Rowe, Baton Rouge, LA 70810), serves as the main theatrical venue with additional screenings at the Joy Theatre (1200 Canal St New Orleans, LA 70112), Manship Theater at the Shaw Center for the Arts (100 Lafayette St, Baton Rouge, LA 70801), the historic Louisiana Old State Capitol (100 North Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70801) and the midnight madness screening at LSU Union Theater (LSU Campus, Tower Drive at Raphael Semmes Rd., La. 70803, on the west end of the LSU Student Union).

On Tuesday, April 9th, LIFF is hosting a free screening of 42, directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford, and a pre-release screening of The Place Beyond the Pines, Derek Cianfrance’s film starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, and Ray Liotta. 42 will screen at 6:30 and The Place Beyond the Pines will screen at 7:15. Visit www.lifilmfest.org for details.

Canadian-born Ian Birnie, who has had a hand in a number of prestigious international film festivals, including Toronto, Bangkok, Palm Springs and Perugia Film Festivals and has served on juries at the Berlin, Hamptons, Abu Dhabi and Geneva Film Festivals, is currently the US Representative for the Mumbai International Film Festival in India. He concludes, “This new festival is an opportunity, among other things, to offer a wide range of films which has allowed me, as a programmer, to explore, test and hopefully expand the interests of the local audience. I promise that the program at the initial LIFF will open eyes, stimulate minds and do what all good film festivals do: entertain.”

To become a supporter of LIFF or for more information please visit http://www.lifilmfest.org. Red carpet, meet bayou.

RSVP Now!

The Louisiana International Film Festival (LIFF) will host a special screening of this year’s Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man at the LSU Union Theatre on Wednesday, March 13th at 7:00 p.m. The event is free to the public. RSVP is required through www.liff2013.com/sugarman.

The film, which has never before been screened in Baton Rouge and won Best Documentary at last month’s Academy Awards, follows the 1970’s career of the charismatic Detroit folk musician, Sixto Rodriguez. The Mexican-American singer/songwriter whose career didn’t succeed in the U.S. unknowingly became a legend “bigger than Elvis” in South Africa where his lyrics were inspiration during the apartheid era.

Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Momentarily hailed as the finest recording artist of his generation, he disappeared into oblivion – rising again like Lazarus in a completely different context a continent away. Unbeknownst to Rodriguez, he enjoyed a parallel life, full of acclaim and success, a world away. SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN is a film about hope, inspiration and the resonating power of music.

This special screening is a sweet prelude of what’s to come at LIFF’s inaugural film festival held April 18th – 21st, 2013 in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

LIFF will kick off in New Orleans on Thursday, April 18th with an Opening Night Screening and Party. On Friday, the festival will host a Producer’s Conference & Industry Expo at the Celtic Media Centre, featuring a trade expo, workshops, seminars and opportunities for up-and-coming filmmakers and industry veterans to network and learn. Scheduled weekend events include in-competition and out-of-competition film screenings, parties, and more.

“The Louisiana International Film Festival & Mentorship Program enhances and preserves Louisiana’s thriving film industry,” Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne said. “We are thrilled to support this organization that celebrates film production in Louisiana and educates Louisianians, providing them the skills necessary to work in the film industry in their home state.”

Chesley Heymsfield, Executive Director of LIFF, invited the public to get involved with the festival and suggested that, “Anyone can get involved, whether you’re a filmmaker, an industry insider, or a film enthusiast. The film industry presents a lot of opportunities for Louisiana residents, and LIFF can act as a conduit to that opportunity. Working together we can continue to grow the cultural commerce that the film industry contributes to Louisiana.”

All Access Passes for the festival are now available for a limited time only. To purchase, visit http://liff2013.com/passes/all-access-pass.html. Film program to be announced on April 1st, 2013.

The Louisiana International Film Festival & Mentorship Program (LIFF) hosted its official “Mardi Gras at Sundance” launch parade and party complete with hundreds of revelers and police escorts. The Parade was led by the legendary Jazz musician Jon Batiste and his band Stay Human, King of the Parade “Conquistador” Alexander Antebi, Queen of the Parade Shanna Forrestall (Actress) with Park City Mayor Dana Williams, Chesley Heymsfield (Executive Director, LIFF), Jeff "The Dude" Dowd (Producer), and Dan Ireland (Director).

Revelers danced, pranced and swirled up Main Street with kazoos, harmonicas, parasols, Mardi Gras masks and colored handkerchiefs, while Sundance Film Festival attendees and Park City locals alike stopped traffic and leaned out of cars to grab pictures, video and cheer on the revelers. Even a local UPS driver swung out of his van to record the scene.

"As a Louisiana native, I’m thrilled to be on the LIFF team representing the State at Sundance, “said Forrestall.“I was honored to be the Queen of the Mardi Gras at Sundance parade, and to be at the epicenter of this great event celebrating film with a fusion of music, creative energy and Louisiana culture."

King of the Parade, “Conquistador” Alexander Antebi remarked, "We defrosted Main St. with Louisiana hot saucy-ness.”

“The whole city came together to make this happen and we are so excited about the warm reception by locals and festival-goers alike. We will take this same vibe and bring it to our inaugural Festival in Louisiana in April along with world-class programming and mentorship,” said Chesley Heymsfield, Executive Director of LIFF.

Baton Rouge Film Commission’s Liza Kelso remarked, “It is one thing to experience The Sundance Film Festival for the first time, it is another to be a part of something this memorable! The music of Jon Batiste and Stay Human, the incredible food from our hometown chefs at IPO helped make the launch of the Louisiana International Film Festival & Mentorship Program the hottest ticket in town.”

Upon reaching Cicero's Ristorante & Good Times Bar, the paraders enjoyed a full band set by Jon Batiste & Stay Human and world-class Louisiana cuisine provided by Executive Chef Chris Wadsworth from Restaurant IPO along with Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze Radio, Chappapeela Farms, Inland Seafood New Orleans and Community Coffee. Some of the guests that participated in the festivities were Isaiah Washington (Sundance 2013 film BLUE CAPRICE, ABC's Grey’s Anatomy) and Jordan Engle (ABC's Body of Proof).

Photo credit Clinton H. Wallace

Photo credit Miles Mortensen

Event sponsors included: Baton Rouge Film Commission, Chappapeela Farms, Inland Seafood (New Orleans), Restaurant IPO, Bite and Booze Radio and Community Coffee.Sponsors of the Louisiana International Film Festival include: Louisiana Office of Lieutenant Governor, Lamar Advertising, Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge, Pennington Family Foundation, Louisiana Technology Park, Noesis Data, Imogen Brown Memorial Fund. Founding Patrons: Winifred and Kevin Reilly, Jr. andJohn G. Turner and Jerry G. Fischer

The Festival is currently accepting submissions until late deadline on February 7, 2013.Interested filmmakers can submit films at http://www.lifilmfest.org and http://www.withoutabox.com.

For more information about LIFF or to become a Sponsor or Founding Patron please contact Rachel Anspach at RachelAnspach@lifilmfest.org.

LIFF Team in Attendance:
Chesley Heymsfield, Executive Director
Dan Ireland, Co-Artistic Director
Jeff Dowd, Co-Artistic Director
Shanna Forrestall, Louisiana Liaison
Clinton H. Wallace, Strategic Relationships Coordinator
Liza Kelso, Baton Rouge Film Commission
Special Thanks: The New York Film Commission and Lounge, Park City Mayor Dana Williams and Special Events Coordinator Max Paap, The Park City Municipal Corporation,ThePark City Police Department, Sommer Wadsworth, Aine Rose Campbell, Steven Beer, Eddie Bernard and Diana Swaner.

LIFF Announces “Movies on the Mississippi” Louisiana Horror! Double Feature Saturday, October 27th @ 7 p.m. at USS Kidd levee

You are invited to our first “Movies on the Mississippi” Louisiana Horror! Come kick off your boots and help us gear up for the inaugural Louisiana International Film Festival (LIFF) slated for April 18-21, 2013 in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The Louisiana International Film Festival presents “Movies on the Mississippi” as part of its Film Series Program for 2012. With the beautiful backdrop of the Mississippi River after Sunset, the outdoor screening is located in front of the USS Kidd. Open to the public free of charge, general admission seating begins at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Bring a blanket and dress for Halloween if you like! LIFF will showcase Louisiana Horror! for a unique movie-going experience with a special screening of the black and white 1964 classic “Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte” and a second screening with newly released “The Last Exorcism,” which will start at 10:30pm.

“Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte” (133 min.): Is a thriller film directed and produced by Robert Aldrich, and starting Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotton and Agnes Morrehead. In 1927, young belle Charlotte Hollis (Bette Davis) and her married lover, John Mayhew (Bruce Dern), plan to elope during a party at the Hollis family's antebellum mansion in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. However, after Charlotte's father intimidates him, John pretends he no longer loves Charlotte and tells her they must part. John is then brutally murdered and Charlotte discovers the body. She returns traumatized to the party in a bloodied dress, leading most to presume that she is the murderer. The film received seven Academy Awards nominations.

“The Last Exorcism” (PG-13, 87 min.): The Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with his wife (Shanna Forestall) and son. Marcus is accustomed to performing fake exorcisms on "possessed" individuals, but when he reads of an autistic child being killed during an exorcism, he comes to realize the potential danger of exorcism. He agrees to take part in a documentary designed to expose exorcism as a fraud, working with a film crew. At random, he chooses an exorcism request sent by farmer Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum), who claims his daughter Nell (Ashley Bell) is slaughtering his animals while she is possessed. The team drives to the rural area of Louisiana where the Sweetzers live. The documentary turns out to be very different than the Reverend intended.

The Louisiana International Film Festival previously hosted the screening of “The Big Lebowski” with special guest Jeff “The Dude” Dowd at Manship Theatre and a pre-release screening of Sundance Grand Jury Prize Award-Winning “Beasts of the Southern Wild” distributed by Fox Searchlight with the Cast and Associate Producer in attendance for question & answer.

Complimentary Pre-Release Screening of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Winner and Cannes Film Festival Camera D'Or "Beasts of the Southern Wild". Come and see why everyone around the world is talking about this film made in Louisiana!

View the Trailer: www.beastsofthesouthernwild.com

Thank you to our amazing visionary sponsors: Louisiana Office of Lieutenant Governor, Louisiana Technology Park and Noesis Data

MUST RSVP to confirm seat to beastsrsvp@gmail.com

Please let us know if you are bringing a guest by saying YOUR NAME PLUS ONE. We don't want to over-book so your name will be on a list. PLUS one if you bring a guest. After Party details coming soon!

Thursday, July 19th @ 7pm
Cinemark Perkins Rowe Theater
10000 Perkins Rowe
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

The Louisiana International Film festival is very excited to announce its inaugural event "The Big Lebowski" screening with special guest Jeff Dowd in attendance for Q&A after the film.

In Joel and Ethan Coen's movie The Big Lebowski, the lead character, "the Dude" aka Jeff Lebowski, played by Jeff Bridges, is inspired by Jeff "the Dude" Dowd. Aside from being a cult film icon, Jeff Dowd is a Los Angeles-based writer/producer, producer's representative, and a nationally recognized authority on marketing, distribution and exhibition.

SAVE BY PURCHASING YOUR FILM SCREENING AND AFTER PARTY TICKETS TOGETHER!

ADULT

Pre-show Entertainment and Film $20
Film & After Party Combo Ticket $50
After Party Only $40

STUDENTS/USBC BOWLERS

Pre-show Entertainment and Film $10
Film & After Party Combo Ticket $40
After Party Only $40