Film Independent, which runs both the LA Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards, announced the 2018 festival will move from its traditional June time frame to a more awards-friendly September 20-28. This is a dramatic change that puts it squarely after the Venice, Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals and knocking on the door of the New York Film Festival.
In a statement from Film Independent, LA Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis remarked, “The secret to dramatically changing something is to change it. My passion for this Festival is unwavering and the time for an evolution has come. Film Independent is so proud of the work we’ve done in showcasing new American and international cinema that embraces diversity, innovation and unique perspectives, but the fact is that summer is a challenging time for artist driven films, and fall is where we clearly belong. This shift in our dates is an important step in enacting my aim to further develop the LA Film Festival, I sincerely look forward to better serving filmmakers, film lovers, the city and the industry in the fall of 2018 and beyond.”
The release also noted a multi-year partnership with Arclight Cinemas whose Santa Monica and Culver City theaters have been the home to the festival since it moved out of DTLA. The fact neither of those locations were mentioned probably means the festival will attempt to use the more popular Hollywood Arclight Cinemas, which includes the historic Cinerama Dome, as its primary location or as a more prominent hub.
The 2018 LA Film Festival will be held on Sept. 20-28, 2018.
