125 Movies Featured in 14 Days at Westwood Film Festival

125 Movies Featured in 14 Days at Westwood Film Festival

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting Sept. 30, The Crest Theatre will be hosting the Westwood International Film Festival, running over 120 movies in 14 days and featuring an impressive lineup of stars and guest speakers. Kicking off with a gala event at the W Hotel on Sept. 29, the festival runs through Oct. 13 with a variety of features, shorts and documentaries from over 20 different countries. The range of work on display goes from 35mm film to the 30-second video function on a digital still camera. From one minute shorts to two and a half hour features and from high school students to Hollywood legends and everyone in between. We are also presenting a variety of workshops and seminars with guest artists discussing their work, their art and their futures.

The Westwood International Film Festival is truly independent because Festival Director and Crest Owner Robert Bucksbaum is one of the last independent theater owners in the Los Angeles area. Personally saving the Majestic Crest Theater from being torn down and investing his life savings into its restoration, Robert knows what it means to deal outside of the studio system. "I've spent every week since I took over the festival fighting with the studios to get good movies in my theater and more often than not I've had to compromise. I know what these filmmakers are going through and I want to give them a chance to screen their work in one of the premiere screens in Los Angeles." In that spirit, the festival is showcasing world premiere screenings of films from all over the world and celebrating the art of cinema in its purest form.

The festival's opening night screening will be "The Search for John Gissing" followed by a Q&A with director Mike Binder ("The Upside of Anger"). Other featured events and guests include Danica McKellar, Malcolm McDowell, Sherri Sussman, and Robert M. Young.

Sponsors include the W Hotel, Sony Electronics, Equinox Fitness Clubs, and Freeman Beauty Labs and festival prizes range from $5,000 in the feature film and documentary categories to $2,500 for student films, short films and best screenplay. In addition, select filmmakers will be offered distribution deals to have their product played at the Crest and other theatres across the country.

Source: Westwood International Film Festival

CONTACT: Nikki Hall, +1-310-470-6008, for Westwood International Film Festival

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