Held annually in June, Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival showcases the best of American and international cinema over the course of ten days.

Drawing a diverse audience of over 80,000 people, more than 100 feature films - narrative and documentary - are screened at the Festival, alongside gala premieres, panels and seminars, free outdoor screenings, Family Day, and live musical performances.

The Festival also features unique signature programs including the exclusive Filmmaker Retreat - hosted by the Festival's annual Guest Director - and the Spirit of Independence Award ceremony and gala.

Additionally, the Festival screens short films created by high school students and has a special section devoted to music videos.

Running June 21 through July 1, 2007, Westwood Village will showcase films and events among various venues, all within walking distance of each other, with ample, convenient parking and easy access to shopping and dining, setting the stage for the biggest Festival yet.

Over the course of 10 days and 11 nights, the public is invited to take advantage of world premieres including both independent films and major studio releases, as well as tribute screenings, outdoor screenings, celebrity-filled red carpets, and more.

Screenings and special events will be held in Westwood at the following locations: Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum; the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse; Mann Festival Theatre; Mann Village Theatre; Mann Bruin Theatre; Landmark's Regent Theatre; Italian Cultural Institute; the Majestic Crest Theatre; W Los Angeles - Westwood; the Wadsworth Theatre; and the Festival Promenade on Broxton.

Additional offsite event screenings will take place at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Grand Performances at California Plaza; and the Landmark at its new location at the Westside Pavilion.

Now in its thirteenth year, the Los Angeles Film Festival is widely recognized as a world-class event, providing the movie-loving public with access to some of the most critically-acclaimed filmmakers, scholars, critics, film industry professionals, and emerging talent around the world.

Approximately 110 features, 100 shorts, and 50 music videos representing more than 40 countries make up the main body of the Festival. Films submitted to the Festival are reviewed by Film Independent's programming department, which evaluates each film, looking for the best in new American and International cinema. This year, Festival programmers considered more than 4,500 submissions.

The Los Angeles Film Festival is a qualifying festival in all categories for Film Independent's Spirit Awards. The Festival is also a qualifying festival for the short films categories of the Academy Awards. ®

The Los Angeles Film Festival has grown to more than 80,000 attendees, unveiling such films as "Deliver Us From Evil," "Rock School," "Mayor of the Sunset Strip," "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," "Kissing Jessica Stein," "George Washington," and "The Cruise."

Awards are given out in the following categories at the conclusion of the Festival: Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature (award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000); Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature (award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000); Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature; Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature; Audience Award for Best International Feature; Outstanding Performance in the Narrative Competition; Best Narrative Short Film; Best Documentary Short Film; Best Animated/Experimental Short Film; and the Audience Award for Best Short Film.

Recent films, which were acquired for theatrical distribution out of the 2006 Festival, include Amy Berg's "Deliver Us From Evil" (Lionsgate Films), Stacy Title's "Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror" (Xenon Pictures), Stanley Nelson's "Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple" (Seventh Art Releasing), and Jodie Hill's "The Foot Fist Way" (Paramount Vantage).

Previous acquisitions include "Rock School" (Newmarket Films), "Mayor of the Sunset Strip" (First Look Media/Lakeshore Entertainment), and "Kissing Jessica Stein" (Fox Searchlight).