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Thursday, September 23, 2021

Movie Hype: Animation Is Film Festival, Beyond Fest, Fantastic Fest, LAAPFF & Of Course, PTIFF

 Jeez, spend one day at the Academy Museum Press Opening and a lot of film news crops up. We'll have a much longer article on that later. But back to current films new, including a lot of film festivals for us here in LA.

The named with resentment, Animation Is Film Festival is happening October 22-24 at the TCL Chinese and the selection is crazy good. Sadly, couldn't warn you about Mamoru Hosoda's Belle, which is already sold out. But, can tell you about possibly the first stateside showing of  Pompo The Cinephile which explains how a movie is made in anime form and looks arduous and painful as it really is. It's not just anime as a special screening of Luca with its director is on board and the artsy work of Ari Folman in Where is Anne Frank is also being shown. But, yeah they also have My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission. This is a crazy collection of films for any otaku or animation buff. There's even more animation in the program check it out.
 
October 22-24
66801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
 
Beyond Fest full schedule is up and also a doozy,  many films are sold out or RSVP's won't be available
until Oct. We're utterly baffled how New York Ninja and VHS94 aren't sold out as of writing this. There's just too many amazing films and special showings and a lot of them are free. It's so crazy, how many films you can see, check out their full list too.

And just announced the much anticipated by friend of the site John B, Antlers is the closing night film.

From the press release: Searchlight Pictures and Beyond Fest announced today the World Premiere of Scott Cooper’s new horror thriller ANTLERS as the October 11th Closing Night selection of the 2021 Beyond Fest, presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque. ANTLERS comes from the visionary world of acclaimed director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart; Hostiles), horror maestro Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth; Mimic; The Devil’s Backbone) and J. Miles Dale (Searchlight’s upcoming Nightmare Alley). In an isolated Oregon town, a middle-school teacher (Keri Russell) and her sheriff brother (Jesse Plemons) become embroiled with her enigmatic student (Jeremy T. Thomas) whose dark secrets lead to terrifying encounters with a legendary ancestral creature who came before them. ANTLERS is written by C. Henry Chaisson (Servant) & Nick Antosca (The Act) and Scott Cooper (Black Mass), based upon the short story The Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca.
 
Sept 29-Oct 11
Aero Theater/ Hollywood Legion Theater/ Loz Feliz 3 
 

Sister to Beyond Fest is Fantastic Fest. Fantastic Fest runs from Sept 23rd to Sept 30th in Austin, Texas. But as we reported has an online section this year. You'll be seeing coverage from us on this fest shortly as it is going on now. A huge selection of crazy genre films that you'll be waiting to hit streaming all year. An extremely similar list of films, but some special ones we don't get at Beyond Fest.
 
And happening this week into October is the 
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
Sep 23 - Oct 2
Multiple Theaters
$
 
The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), presented annually by Visual Communications (VC), has announced the complete lineup for the 37th edition of the Festival. The Festival, which announced dates last week along with the first set of confirmed films, is pleased to present over 139 films during the 10 day Festival. This year’s productions celebrate the creative and nuanced storytelling of Asians & Pacific Islanders in America and around the globe. LAAPFF film presentations will be in-person events at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s Aratani Theatre, the Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum, and Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center.
 
In a sad, but glad it's still happening move Pioneertown International Film Festival's new date is May 27-29 2022 (Memorial Day week-end).
 
 

 
 
Then there's this streaming treat of Afghan, Communist government funded films in the documentary What We Left Unfinsihed. Filmmakers we're given access to real tanks and weapons while making their movies. Jeez, glad we fixed everything over...oh yeah. Finding on Streaming services online


And coming to theaters, and needs to be on streaming soon. Ascension (2021) and because the title is that of multiple films that have come out over the years, I'll say it's another doc. A doc about:

"China’s industrial supply chain that reveals the country’s growing class divide through staggering observations of labor, consumerism and wealth. The film ascends through the levels of the capitalist structure: workers running factory production, the middle class selling to aspirational consumers, and the elites reveling in a new level of hedonistic enjoyment. In traveling up the rungs of China’s social ladder, we see how each level supports and makes possible the next while recognizing the contemporary ‘Chinese Dream’ remains an elusive fantasy for most."

 You know another fell good, happy film.

The film will open in LA October 8th at the Laemmle Monica and Laemmle Playhouse in Pasadena.