the BEAT of the week: 5 Second Films at Mohawk Bend.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and therefore it doesn't take a lot to tell a story. Such is a premise of 5 Second Films, which offers visual vignettes that are strictly 5 seconds long (plus 2 seconds for the title, and 1 second for the credit) and highlight the more comic moments in life.

So prepare for some quick hits of laughs when 5 Second Films take over Echo Park's beer-and-veggie-food-eats haven Mohawk Bend. The film group has curated one-hour segments of 5-second films (so that would be about 11 each minute...so more than 600 films?!) for the next three Tuesdays at the restaurant, and appropriately, a "5-second Filmmaker" drink will be on hand -- Cismontane’s Blacks Dawn coffee stout and Fog’s End Monterey Rye. Just try not to finish each drink with each film.

5 Second Films at Mohawk Bend takes place from 6pm to 9pm on April 10, 17 and 24 at Mohawk Bend, located at 2141 W. Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Mohawk Bend

the BEAT of the week: AFI Fest.

Los Angeles' longest running international film festival returns this week, and the lineup of films is, as usual, quite spectacular. Look out for screenings of highly anticipated movies like The Artist, Shame, Into the Abyss, Melancholia and Butter, alongside acclaimed shorts and foreign films. Tickets may be a bit hard to come by for a lot of the popular films, but ticket packages -- like $100 for access to all Special Screenings -- are still available and can be a good deal.

Stay tuned to the website for more details.

AFI Fest takes place Nov. 3-10 at various locations around the city.

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And speaking of a film screening at AFI Fest this week -- Roman Polanski's Carnage -- the two lead actors, John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz, are set to appear at LACMA this week. The intimate event is sure to bring some new insight into how they work and how they create the amazing performances they've become known for (Waltz is a Oscar winner, Reilly was Oscar-nominated) -- plus, considering Reilly's comedic background and Waltz's deadpan humor, there will probably be some good laughs too. They'll be interviewed by New York Times writer-at-large Charles McGrath.

A Conversation with John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz takes place this Saturday, Nov. 5 at 3pm at LACMA, located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd. in Mid-City. Tickets are $25 and available here.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Wernerfest!

There's no denying that German filmmaker Werner Horzog is a strange, strange man. But his arresting personality has lent itself to intriguing filmmaking that's unlike anyone else's. From documentaries to dramas to action films, Herzog can do it all -- even 3D, as Leslie saw back in April.

Herzog's work is quite extensive, and surely even most fans haven't watched a great majority of his work. But novice or expert fan, Wernerfest is the best excuse to dive right on in. The 12-hour film marathon takes place this Saturday, Oct. 8, from noon to midnight and features 13 of Herzog's early and classic works. There's his 1978 Nosferatu, his debut short Herakles, and even yes, Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe. Stay the whole time or just watch a block -- it's only $10! And Herzog himself might be making an appearance too -- surely don't want to miss out on that.

Wernerfest! A Marathon of Werner Herzog Discoveries takes place this Saturday from noon to midnight at Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 100 in Miracle Mile.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

Advance Notice. Outfest 2011.

It's been a momentous week for gay rights in New York. But while we can't yet celebrate in the same way here in California, Los Angeles is at least home to Outfest, a gay and lesbian film festival now entering its 29th year. The 10-day-long fest is aimed at exploring LGBT themes in film, features both major and indie movies, and this year is boasting some pretty big guest names. Look out for the likes of Margaret Cho, Lance Bass, and Clay Aiken to take part in panels, and even RuPaul to present an award on the opening night of the festival. Notable films like international favorite Weekend, documentary Becoming Chaz featuring Chaz Bono, The Perfect Family starring Emily Deschanel and Jason Ritter, and Dolly Parton classic The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, will all be screened, among many others. Check out the schedule here, and get your tickets now.

Outfest 2011 takes place July 7-17 at various locations around Los Angeles. Check the website for more details.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Cinefamily's 2nd Annual Everything Is Festival.

If you're planning on staying in town for the 4th of July weekend, forget the summer blockbusters at your local crowded movie theater. Celebrate America with Andrew W.K., "Conan" writers, YouTube videos, Food Party's Thu Tran, weird martial arts movies, a live re-scoring of The Pelican Brief, sneak peeks at new animated features, Neil Hamburger and more. Sound random enough? It could only be the Everything Is Festival, going on at The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater.

The 2nd annual event is being put on by the Everything is Terrible! crew -- the masters of weird, crazy found footage -- and appropriately this festival is just as schizophrenic. You're sure to find something you'll dig, and either way, it's a great way to kick back and enjoy some madness surrounding you. Each screening/event is $10 each (except for Andrew W.K.'s Party Lecture for $15), or you can go for a $90 festival pass that'll get you into everything plus some fun extras. Check out the schedule here.

The 2nd Annual Everything Is Festival takes place from June 30-July 4 at the Silent Movie Theater, located at 611 N. Fairfax Ave. in Mid-City.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. L.A. Film Fest.

It's that time of the year again -- the L.A. Film Fest is back. It's the annual film festival in our city, the entertainment capital in the world, and it never fails to disappoint. Spanning 10 days, from June 16 to 26, and taking place mostly at L.A. Live, this year's event will feature both big summer blockbusters (Green Lantern) to indie Sundance favorites (The Future), and unknown directors and up-and-comers to huge superstars. The only downside is having to choose which ones you can see!

So you better start now. Tickets for individual screenings are now on sale (search by film title or the schedule), and some are sure to sell out far ahead of time. Check out the L.A. Times' guide as a primer, and don't forget about the free community screenings too!

The L.A. Film Fest takes place from June 16 to 26. Check the website for all showtimes and info.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Hero Complex Film Festival.

Ah, summer: the season of the movie blockbuster. But forget your Green Lanterns and Transformers, let's talk about the classics.

Think Superman, Star Trek, Iron Man. Throw in some Dick Tracy, and now you've got a film festival -- as in the second annual Los Angeles Times Hero Complex film festival, happening June 9-12. The paper's own superhero-comic-specialist-columnist Geoff Boucher will be hosting all the events, which will comprise of the above mentioned screenings coupled with Q&As with some greats, including Warren Beatty, Jon Favreau, Richard Donner and more. There's even a reported extra special message coming about the DC Universe with the screenings of the Superman movies.

Get your tickets now (single and festival tickets still available) and enjoy the true classic superhero.

The Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Film Festival takes place June 9-12 at the Grauman's Chinese Theater, located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood.

--Chau Tu

Advance Notice. The Cinefamily's "Made in Austin" film fest.

Everyone's just come back from Austin and SXSW, so now it's time for Austin to come to us. The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater is set to host a whole weekend celebrating Austin's cinematic bests, and it's definitely worth a look.

Although it is known as a cultural jewel in the South, Austin, Texas, doesn't usually come to mind in terms of film. But The Cinefamily's first night of "Made in Austin" reminds us -- with some super-rare short films -- that Austin is the original home to filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Robert Rodriguez and Richard Linklater, among others. The "Texas Legends, Before They Were Legends" program will screen first films from those mentioned, including Bottle Rocket -- the short that the later Anderson film was based on -- and a student film from Rodriguez. Stick around later that night and you'll actually get to meet an Austin filmmaker -- Richard Linklater himself. The filmmaker will be on hand for the screenings of his Slackers and SubUrbia.

Day Two of "Made in Austin" will feature some BBQ (of course) alongside screenings of Last Day at the Alamo and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Time to get your Texas on!

"Made In Austin" will be taking place April 9-10 at the Silent Movie Theater, located at 611 Fairfax Ave. in Mid-City. Tickets are $10 for each program, see more details here.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Owen Wilson in Bottle Rocket; courtesy of The Cinefamily

Do It. Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Need another vacation already? How about a weekender to Palm Springs? The desert haven is usually reserved for trips to see grandparents or the stop before Coachella, but this weekend's got something special: the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

And this isn't just some locals-only, small film festival. It's a pretty big event, including the "largest selection of foreign language Oscar submissions of any film festival in the world." How about that? Beyond that are a plethora of other critically-acclaimed films, including Mike Leigh's Another Year, the Lance Bangs-directed and Spike Jonze-produced documentary The Lazarus Effect (for free!), and a retrospective on filmmaker Monte Hellman. Also look for a number of cool documentaries, films from up-and-coming filmmakers, and selections from past festivals. And even the stars come out -- Variety will be honoring Mark Wahlberg with its Indie Impact Award at the fest this weekend, and Michael Douglas will be receiving an Icon Award from the fest next Thursday.

It's definitely worth the trek if you're a film fan and can't make it to Sundance, and hey, you can't beat the Palm Springs weather, can you?

The Palm Springs International Film Festival begins today until Jan. 17. Check here for more details.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Visit Palm Springs

Advance Notice. Go to the AFI Fest for free.

The AFI Fest is already known for screening some of the most anticipated films of the year, unofficially kicking off the movie awards season in Hollywood. But this year, the fest is taking it up another notch by introducing the role of the guest artistic director, and giving that spot to none other than esteemed visionary filmmaker David Lynch.

For his role, Lynch designed the artwork for this year's event (above), and has selected six movies for a special sidebar program at the festival. His picks? They happen to be pretty amazing, naturally: Stanley Kubrick's Lolita, Hitchcock's Rear Window, Billy Wilder's Sunset Blvd., Ingmar Bergman's Hour of the Wolf, Tati's Mon Oncle, and his own unforgettable Eraserhead. Lynch will be presenting the double-header of Eraserhead and Sunset Blvd. in person on Nov. 6, and you can send him a question to answer that evening by tweeting @AFIFEST.

And luckily for you, non-AFI members have to chance to see any of Lynch's picks -- as well as any other regular AFI Fest screening -- for free. Yes, free tickets will be available beginning tomorrow at noon on the AFI Fest website. The tickets will be limited, of course, so if you want to guarantee your way into the films, sign up to be an AFI member and get your tickets to the festival today.

The AFI Fest 2010 presented by Audi is taking place Nov. 6-10 at multiple locations in Hollywood. Check the festival website for a full schedule of films and events.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. MOCA's Counter Culture, Avant-Garde film fest.

Los Angeles is never short of entertainment options, much less available films -- both old and new -- to watch. But if you've already gone to popular Rocky Horror or The Room screenings, and all the Tarantino films over at the New Beverly, MOCA's Counter Culture film fest might be for you.

"Counter Culture, Counter Cinema: An Avant-Garde Film Festival" begins this Thursday at the MOCA Pacific Design Center. The two-day event will feature 40 various avant-garde films, by filmmakers like Jonas Mekas and Carolee Schneemann. Expect some really crazy antics, but also some surely creative ideas.

Festival passes are $40 and on sale until Thursday morning. Individual program tickets are $10 each.

The festival runs from Oct. 14-16 at the Pacific Design Center, located at 8687 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. "A Family."

In today's media-drenched society, it can be difficult to be surprised about new releases. But that's where the fun in film festivals lies--amongst all the galas and world premieres and flashy stars (trying to retain their cred in indies), there are those smaller films that are finally getting their chance to shine, and deservedly so. I took in a screening at the L.A. Film Festival sort of on a whim this past Saturday, and ended up seeing one of the best dramas of the year.

Denmark's En Familie (A Family) follows the Rheinwalds, a storied history of whom is told in a charming prologue with cute titles and photographs. They're a baking brood, to understate it; carrying the family's deep responsibilities as official purveyors of bread to Danish royalty, and (in a running gag) as the offspring of the great-grandfather who created the bakery after walking from Germany to Denmark with just a sack of grain over his shoulder.

It's an emotional pressure that comes all too harshly in the present world upon Ditte Rheinwald, the oldest and most adored daughter in the family, the one hand-picked to take over the Rheinwald Bakery. The weakening of her father's health comes all too coincidentally with her big chances in her career and life, and it's not for the better.

With notes of Ingmar Bergman's stark beauty and Noah Baumbach's and Jonathan Demme's familial turmoils, A Family is a gripping and emotional tale. As with any family, there are the highs and lows, the sacrifices and the responsibilities, and this film tunnels you through them all. But with wonderful acting and beautiful cinematography, you can't help but get wrapped up in it. Let this one take you by surprise.

A Family is screening as part of the prestigious Narrative Competition at the LAFF. The next and last showing will be tomorrow, Wed. June 22nd at 4:45pm at the Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live. The LAFF continues until June 27th.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: L.A. Film Festival

Do it. TCM Classic Film Festival.

"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?"

Maybe you've seen this stylish ad campaign around town--there's quite a few of the posters on Highland and Franklin, and some bus side advertising for it as well. The TCM Classic Film Festival starts today in Hollywood (Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Egyptian Theatre, the Roosevelt Hotel Hollywood, and Mann's Chinese 6). It will run April 22 - April 25.

Films at the festival include Breathless, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Sunset Blvd., North by Northwest, The Graduate, Crimes and Misdemeanors, The King of Comedy, and Some Like it Hot, among many others. It sounds like just about the best film festival ever.

Most screenings have a special guest appearance - like Jean-Paul Belmondo at Breathless, Anjelica Houston and Martin Landau at Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Tony Curtis at Some Like it Hot. Awesome.

Check out the full schedule here.

Most individual screening tickets are $20, discounted 50% with a valid student ID.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.awardsdaily.com