Monthly Film Festival

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts and exciting and packed month including an InFocus: Disability presentation of the finalists from this year’s Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, a selection of California-made short films, a collection of work from the City of Los Angeles co-presented by City of Los Angeles Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, as well as Los Angeles-based writer-director Dennis Curlett’s debut feature narrative, Paradox Lost. Each screening will take place virtually and will be followed by a live Q&A via Zoom.

The day begins with a celebration of the finalists of this year’s Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, a collection of films telling unique stories and showcasing disability in its many forms, as part of InFocus: Disability. The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge gives filmmakers—with and without disabilities—the opportunity to collaborate to tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms. The film challenge is a weekend-long filmmaking contest, open to all, that provides a platform for new voices in the entertainment industry. Each year, aspiring storytellers are prompted to creatively write, produce and complete a short film. Challenge winners receive invaluable access to entertainment professionals, opening the door to an industry notoriously difficult to enter.

The afternoon continues with shorts program Made In California, a selection of films shot throughout the versatile state of California, from the city to the forest to the desert, and across genres including music video, drama, comedy and horror.

The day’s line-up next offers Made in Los Angeles, a closer look at the City of Los Angeles through a selection of short form storytelling about community, resilience, connection and mental health, all shot right here in LA featuring a variety of its distinct and adaptive locations. Co-presented by City of Los Angeles Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.

The evening concludes with Paradox Lost, writer-director Dennis Curlett’s feature debut, a time traveling romantic dramedy set in the world of improv.

NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both our general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates diversity, inclusion and region by spotlighting communities of filmmakers within our filmmaking community as part of our monthly program.