Downtown Film Festival starts today featuring the work of Paul Newman, Michael Jackson and Spike Lee

Photo: Twenthieth Century Fox Films Corporation

The Downtown Film Festival will run August 12 - 22. The Downtown Film Festival is a non profit arts organization established to celebrate the current renaissance of downtown Los Angeles through the medium of motion pictures. The festival is dedicated to showcasing the diversity of the downtown L.A. communities by the presentation of independent films and related arts activities. The festival also pays homage to the unique role that downtown L.A. played in the development of American cinema, as evidenced today by the early 20th century movie palaces that continue to grace its avenues and streets.

Along with its features and shorts, this year's festival features a free homage to Paul Newman and a line-up of music documentaries that will culminate with "Jackson 5 in Africa," filmed in Senegal in 1974. The opening night gala on Wednesday will be "Passing Strange" by Spike Lee. This is the Los Angeles premiere of the movie based on the Tony winning Broadway musical, a semi autobiographical story of LA musician Stew who founded the alt band The Negro probelms.
The Friday Night Gala at AT&T Center will screen "Reach For Me" (2009) on Friday, August 14. Directed by LeVar Burton, the story is of a man confined to a hospice who finds love in what may be his last days. It stars Seymour Cassel, Johnny Whitworth, Lacey Chabert, Adrienne Barbeau and Alfre Woodard.
This is the Los Angeles premiere for the Burton-directed film, and Cassel will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Downtown Film Festival.

The 500-seat theater at AT&T Center will be the main venue for the festival's featured films.
Some of the featured films include "The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle", "In The Drink" , "My Suicide" and "Phantom Love" .
Also featured are varied collective screenings of short films, including the themed Environmental Shorts, Latin-American Shorts, Young Filmmakers, and Digital Arts.

The GRAMMY Museum will host a music series, with documentaries including 2000's "My Generation," 2009's "In Search of Beethoven," and 2008's "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" The Downtown Independent Theater, formerly the ImaginAsian Center, will host two nights with "special events."
In addition, arts>Brookfield Properties will host a free double feature Paul Newman tribute with a screening of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) and "HUD" (1963) at 7+Fig on August 13; The Rowan Gallery will host experimental videos August 13 - 16 from Noon to 5pm; August 20th is the day for 'SUSTAINABLE L.A." The All-Day 'Green' event is part product expo, and mini green film festival.

The Closing Night Gala will be held at the Los Angeles Theatre on August 22 and showcases the West Coast premiere of "Jackson 5 in Africa," a 50 minute documentary about the pop group's first tour of Africa. Filmed in Senegal in 1974, it managed to stay stored away until recently. Fascinatingly, in 1982 an unfinished version of the film was exchanged for a rough diamond. "Jackson 5 in Africa" was recently premiered at Harlem’s National Black Theater.

For the complete schedule and ticket information: Downtown Film Festival