The Fourth Annual Valley Film Festival will once again take place at the historical El Portal Theatre, in the NoHo Arts District, December 15-19, 2004. Proceeds will benefit the development of (818), a non-profit organization furthering the education, production, and distribution of filmmaking in the San Fernando Valley.
The San Fernando Valley's first film festival made its debut in 2001, alongside the grand opening of Pacific Theatres' Galleria 16 at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. In 2002, The Valley Film Festival found a permanent home for its dedication to progressive, independent cinema at the El Portal Theatre.
The spotlight is on The Valley opening night with a screening of shorts, Made in the (818), as well as the saucier The Valley: After Dark program featuring "Pornographic Apathetic" and "The Halfway House" with Mary Woronov ("Eating Raoul").
Making its Los Angeles debut is the political documentary, "Freedom Highway: Songs of Resistance & Liberation" from Award Winning Producer/Director Philip King with intimate interviews and performances by Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, U2 and more. Other feature film highlights include the thriller "Reeseville" featuring Mark Hamill ("Star Wars") and what promises to become a cult classic, "Graveyard Alive: A Zombie Nurse in Love," from Canadian director Elza Kephart.
The documentary shorts program emphasizes social concerns and the organizations making a difference: "Hummingbird" (Brazilian street children), "In Their Own Words: Aware" (substance abuse), and "My Childlike Mother" (Alzheimer's disease).
All screenings take place at the El Portal Theatre located at 5269 Lankershim Blvd., just North of Magnolia. General Admission is .
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