Pechanga Resort & Casino to Serve as New Premier Sponsor of 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, Presented by Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by Los Angeles Times and supported by L.A. LIVE, announced its sponsors for the 2011 Festival. The Los Angeles Film Festival will run from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 26 in downtown Los Angeles.  The Premier Sponsor for the Festival is Pechanga Resort & Casino, the Principal Sponsor is Virgin America and Platinum sponsors are Kodak, Stella Artois, Melrose Mac, Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14, Dove® Hair Care, Volkswagen, Jameson Irish Whiskey®, and Deluxe Entertainment Services Group/EFILM.  Special support is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, UCLA Latin American Institute, and the University of Guadalajara Foundation.  The Official Screening Venue is Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14.  Stella Artois is the official beer, Jameson Irish Whiskey® is the official spirit, and World Wine HeadQuarters is the official wine purveyor. The Los Angeles Athletic Club is the Official Host Hotel and Virgin America is the Official Airline Partner.  WireImage is the Official Photography Agency and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.  

Now in its seventeenth year, the Festival is recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and providing the movie-loving public with access to critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent from around the world.  As previously announced, the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries.  

Contact the Coca-Cola Festival Ticketing Center for passes, tickets and event information by calling 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or visit LAFilmFest.com.  Festival Passes and tickets can also be purchased in person beginning today, at the Coca-Cola Ticket Center located at the Festival Village on the West Garage at L.A. LIVE (1005 Chick Hearn Court).

The Los Angeles Times, continuing its commitment to and support of all aspects of entertainment, returns for its fifth year as the Los Angeles Film Festival's title sponsor and will once again produce the official Festival Film Guide, the comprehensive source for all movie info, screenings, locations and related special events. The Guide will be available throughout the Festival Village during the Festival.

Through a wide-ranging partnership with AEG, a majority of the screenings and other Festival activities, presentations and events will be centered around L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, residential and entertainment district.  Encompassing over six city blocks, L.A. LIVE is considered to be the region's most active live content and event campus containing fifteen world-class restaurants along with venues such as STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, the Conga Room, Club Nokia, the GRAMMY Museum, Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge and Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14.  Many of the venues and other hospitality options within L.A. LIVE including The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles and JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE hotels will be activated with festival programming and other events.

Premier Sponsor Pechanga Resort & Casino will be hosting the Gala screening of Green Lantern and presenting an exciting casino experience in the VIP hospitality area, with table games and chances to win resort getaways and free slot play at the largest casino in the Western USA. The Four-Diamond resort, located in the Southern California Wine Country of the Temecula Valley, offers: 517 newly-renovated guest rooms and suites; a world-class golf course rated as one of the best in California; eight award-winning restaurants; five bars and nightclubs, including Silk, the largest club in Southern California; a rejuvenating spa, fitness center and pool; superstar entertainment and much more.

As the only California-based airline and with an unrivalled in-flight entertainment film and content library, Virgin America has become the airline of choice for film lovers across North America - Virgin America will help this year's festival goers arrive entertained and in style as the official airline.  Virgin America offers beautifully designed mood–lit cabins, standard power outlets near every seat and Red™ — the largest and most advanced personal touch–screen entertainment platform in the skies.  The Red platform offers 700+ hours of entertainment content with a special focus on film and music, in keeping with the Virgin brand's roots.  Red offers more than 35 on–demand films (from latest release Hollywood blockbusters to Oscar favorites, to indie and foreign language films), live and premium TV, as well as curated and diverse content from partners like Ted Talks, to Revision3 and BoingBoing, Campus Movie Fest student films, Sundance films and a DocTV channel – with films produced by emerging or established documentary filmmakers are featured.  Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has gained a loyal following of business and leisure flyers and has swept the major reader-based travel awards, including "Best Domestic Airline" in both Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards.  For more on Virgin America, visit: www.virginamerica.com.  

Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 is a state-of-the-art theatre with digital projection in all 14 auditoriums.  The Regal Premiere House at L.A. LIVE is a premium environment which seats 800 guests and features a 70-foot-wide screen.  Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) is the largest motion picture exhibitor in the United States. The Company's theatre circuit, comprising Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres, operates 6,739 screens in 545 locations in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Regal operates theatres in 43 of the top 50 U.S. designated market areas. In the Los Angeles market Regal Entertainment Group operates 50 theatres with 629 screens. 

Platinum Sponsor Kodak returns with their signature program at the Festival, Kodak Focus. This year's Kodak Focus will be an intimate conversation with master cinematographer Amy Vincent and will provide audiences with an opportunity to learn more about the craft of cinematography.

Stella Artois is returning as the official beer of the Festival.  Stella Artois is proud to support a variety of film industry programs – from major film festivals to independent cinema – and has a longstanding commitment to those who entertain audiences around the world.

Dove® Hair Care is proud to be a platinum sponsor of the Los Angeles Film Festival, supporting the filmmakers, industry professionals and emerging talent that make a beautiful difference in the entertainment world. Throughout the festival, Dove® Hair Care will be introducing its next generation of nourishment, Dove® Nourishing Oil Care collection, which transforms dry, rough, frizzy hair into beautifully smooth hair (even in Hollywood).  Dove® Hair Care will have a dedicated area in the Filmmaker Lounge with a photo booth to capture "real beauty" moments of film festival attendees and will be providing free samples of the new product while supplies last. Dove® Hair Care will also help honor the winners from the festival, as premiere sponsor at the Awards Brunch on Sunday, June 26.    

As a new sponsor this year, Volkswagen is excited to give guests the Volkswagen Experience. The public will get an up close look at four of the Volkswagen models, including the all-new 2012 Beetle. The new Beetle will start at just $18,995, offering an agile, driver-oriented coupe that respects the Beetle's past yet looks to the future. The 2012 Beetle features sportier, more dynamic, and bolder styling than the previous model. The all-new Passat will also be on display at this year's Festival. Designed in Germany and made in America, the Passat was developed as a larger vehicle with premium features and handling characteristics that will perfectly match it with the tastes and lifestyles of Americans. It will be built in Chattanooga, Tenn., at the world's newest, most advanced and environmentally responsible auto assembly plant. For more information on any of the Volkswagen models, or to find your local dealer, please visit www.vw.com.

Jameson Irish Whiskey® is delighted to be part of the 2011 LA Film Festival by becoming title sponsor of the Filmmaker Lounge. During the Festival, the Jameson VIP Filmmaker Lounge will give filmmakers the opportunity to mingle with other attendees including press and the wider filmmaking community, while enjoying a selection of Jameson drinks in relaxed surroundings.  Located at the Festival Village at 1005 Chick Hearn Court, the Lounge will be the center of activity for Festival events, film parties, panels and will serve as the Festival's official hospitality area. The Jameson Filmmaker Lounge is open to passholders from 3 pm to 1am on weekends and 6pm to 1am on weekdays, with a hosted bar from 6pm nightly. For tasty cocktail recipes and more information, visit www.jamesonwhiskey.com

At Coca-Cola, our mission is to refresh the world and to inspire moments of optimism and happiness. Around the world, we support a variety of cultural programs designed to broaden our minds and our spirits from dance and film, music and theatre, to the literary and visual arts. Our sponsorship of the Los Angeles Film Festival is just another example of our commitment to the community we serve.

World Wine HeadQuarters returns to the Festival as the official wine purveyor with distinctive Wine Estates from both new and old world countries, with a key dimension that will distinguish it from other "worldly" portfolios.  Nightly in the Filmmaker Lounge, WWHQ has curated two distinctive wines so that Festival guests can enjoy a truly balanced "worldly" portfolio. In keeping with the Festival's presentation of the best in cinema from around the globe, WWHQ will provide the following worldly wines for nightly tastings: Friday, June 17 features the 2006 Isabel Pinot Noir and the 2010 Isabel Sauvignon Blanc; Saturday 6/18 2008 Aramis "White Label" Shiraz Cab Sauvignon, 2008 Rocky Gully Dry Riesling; Sunday, June 19, features the 2008 Elderton Estate Shiraz and the 2010 Elderton "E Series" Unoaked Chardonnay; Monday, June 20 features the Monte Vicor Granacha and Monte Vicor Cava Brut NV Sparkling Wine; Tuesday, June 21 features the 2008 Wishing Tree Shiraz and 2009 Wishing Tree Unoaked Chardonnay; Wednesday, June 22 features the 2008 Alexandre Sirech "Le Bordeaux" and 2010 Alexandre Sirech "Le Bordeaux" White; Thursday, June 23 features the 2009 Ichanka Bonarda and 2010 Ichanka Sauvignon Blanc;  Friday, June 24 features the 2007 Hill of Content Grenache Shiraz and 2005 Hill of Content Benjamin's Blend; Saturday, June 25 features the 2007 Altivo Classic Malbec and 2009 Altivo "Vineyard Selection" Torrontes "80 Yr Old Vines".  For tasting notes and to discover more WWHQ wines, visit www.worldwinehq.com.

The Los Angeles Athletic Club is pleased to partner with the Los Angeles Film Festival, for the second year in a row, as the 2011 Official Host Hotel!  When the historic Los Angeles Athletic Club first opened its doors in downtown Los Angeles in 1880, it set the standard for a private membership club and athletic facility.  Today, with a multi-million dollar hotel renovation, the new Hotel at The Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) has unveiled 72 completely renovated urban chic hotel rooms and nine distinctively themed suites spearheaded by design visionary Tracy Beckmann. Each room features custom-made furnishings, luxurious bedding, roman shades, flat screen televisions, wireless Internet and original art from the club's historical vault.  A stay at the historic hotel provides the ultimate amenity; an 80,000 square foot fitness facility including spa, business center and dining in the club's restaurants.  The LAAC now offers a short-term Olive Club Membership—a new rewards program granting guests access to the hotel, banquet facilities and 80,000 square-foot fitness facilities.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., returning as a Festival Supporter, will sponsor the Film Independent Mixer and "Confessions of A Shoot" panel. For over 10 years, Canon has worked with Film Independent's Membership Team on the Canon Seed Program. The program offers members the opportunity to be trained on and to use Canon Professional Cameras for their feature, short and documentary projects! Canon will have some of their newest cameras, including the EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D and EOS 1D Mark IV on display for members to see at the Member Party.

The Montana Film Office, Cinedigm Digital Cinema, WP24, HBO, and Time Warner will co-sponsor the Filmmaker Reception. In addition The Montana Film Office is also proud to sponsor the Festival's approximately 1,000 volunteers and provide the official t-shirt!

This year the Los Angeles Film Festival will hold its ninth annual Filmmaker Retreat at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California. Skywalker Ranch is the home of Skywalker Sound, one of the world's leading audio recording and post-production facilities. This year, George Lucas will welcome Festival filmmakers, Film Independent staff, established artists from our filmmaking community, and Special Guest Director Edgar Wright for two days of off-the-record conversations, relaxation, great food, and good fun.  Unique to the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Filmmaker Retreat gives participants the incredible opportunity to reunite with old friends and develop new relationships with other artists from around the world. The retreat is made possible by Skywalker Sound and sponsored by Deluxe Entertainment Services Group with EFILM®, a Deluxe company.

Festival Coffee Talk sponsors are BMI, Directors Guild of America, SAGIndie/Screen Actors Guild, and Writers Guild of America, West.

Documenting Mexico, sponsored by HOY, is inspired by the efforts of the Ambulante Film Festival created in 2005 by Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Pablo Cruz to promote documentary culture across Mexico.  Ambulante is a traveling film event designed to promote a documentary culture across Mexico. Documenting Mexico highlights two outstanding documentaries from Mexico's vibrant documentary filmmaking culture.

The Poolside Chats, sponsored by the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE bring together some of Los Angeles' most interesting people to discuss their passion for cinema, the city, and everything in between at our spectacular new location at the JW Marriott Los Angeles ION Rooftop Pool Bar overlooking the downtown skyline. Poolside chat topics include: "Writing Movies for Fun and Profit," "Film Rant," and "Your Gun and Your Badge."

CHAYA Downtown is pleased to host the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival Awards Brunch, hosted by John C. Reilly and Allison Janney. Located on Flower Street in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the newest establishment of the CHAYA Restaurant Group family combines urban chic and European sensibility with Japanese hospitality and features a lively bar, lounge, sushi bar, and large garden patio.

Additional Festival support is provided by Best Buy, Melrose Mac, Classic Party Rentals, Action Audio & Visual, CRE - Computer & Audiovisual Solutions, indie DCP, Industrial Light & Magic, Panavision, Persol, Picture Head Post Production, Screen Actors Guild Foundation, The Standard, Downtown LA, Universal Studios and Westside Media Group.

CBS 2 and KCAL 9 are serving as the official broadcast television partners of the Los Angeles Film Festival for the first time this year.   The largest local television duopoly in the country, CBS 2 and KCAL 9 provide Southern California with a combined 11-and-a-half hours of award-winning local news coverage on a daily basis.   In addition, CBS 2 serves as the West Coast flagship of CBS, America's most-watched network; while KCAL 9 is the local broadcast home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Promotional Partner Clear Channel has brought its portfolio of commercial radio stations, including 102.7 KIIS FM, KOST 103.5 FM, 104.3 MYfm, HOT 92.3, and Star 98.7 FM together to promote the sale of tickets and passes on air and online. Other promotional partners include Clear Channel Outdoor, Dwell on Design, EATER.com, Hollywood & Highland, Para Todos Magazines, Telefutura TV, Univision 34, Univision Radio, Withoutabox and WireImage.

The Los Angeles Film Festival is pleased to be part of the 2011 Ford Amphitheatre Summer Season; a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations.  The Ford Amphitheatre Screenings include Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, and The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman.  Ford Outdoor Screenings are sponsored by Brand X.

Friends of the Festival are venues and businesses located in Downtown Los Angeles that make the Los Angeles Film Festival possible.  Supporters include Arts Brookfield, Downtown Independent, GRAMMY Museum, and REDCAT Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater.  

Film Independent's Industry Circle Members are a prestigious group of entertainment industry companies who are championing the cause of independent film and are committed to presenting the Festival as a major community and cultural event in the city of Los Angeles.  Industry Circle members include Anchor Bay Entertainment, Film Finances, Inc., Focus Features, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Greenberg Glusker, Imagenation, Lionsgate, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Relativity Media, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, Vivendi Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Pictures.

PR Newswire (www.PRNewswire.com), a global leader in innovative communications and marketing services, continues its support of Film Independent by enabling the organization to connect and engage with their target audiences worldwide, and spread the word about the exciting line-up and happenings at this year's Los Angeles Film Festival.  Through its multi-channel distribution network, audience intelligence, targeting, and measurement services, PR Newswire helps corporations and organizations conduct rich, timely and dynamic dialogues with the media, consumers, policymakers, investors and the general public, in support of building brands, generating awareness, impacting public policy, driving sales, and raising capital.

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL

Now in its seventeenth year, the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times, is widely recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and providing the movie-loving public with access to some of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent from around the world.

The Festival features unique signature programs including the Filmmaker Retreat, Ford Amphitheater Outdoor Screenings, Poolside Chats, Coffee Talks and more.  Additionally, the Festival screens short films created by high school students and has a special section devoted to music videos.  

Over 200 features, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries, make up the main body of the Festival.

The Los Angeles Film Festival is presented by the Los Angeles Times and is supported by L.A. LIVE and Premier Sponsor Pechanga Resort & Casino, Principal Sponsor Virgin America and Platinum sponsors Kodak, Stella Artois, Melrose Mac, Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14, Dove® Hair Care, Volkswagen, and Jameson Irish Whiskey®.  Special support is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Department of Cultural Affairs, UCLA Latin American Institute, and the University of Guadalajara Foundation.  The Los Angeles Athletic Club is the Official Host Hotel, Virgin America is the Official Airline Partner, Jameson Irish Whiskey® is the Official Spirit, WireImage is the Official Photography Agency, and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

More information can be found at LAFilmFest.com

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

Film Independent is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent's Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents are comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry leader, or film lover.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent offers free Filmmaker Labs for selected writers, directors, and producers; provides cut-rate services for filmmakers; and presents year-round networking opportunities. Film Independent's mentorship and job placement program, Project:Involve, pairs emerging culturally diverse filmmakers with film industry professionals.

Film Independent produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international cinema, and the Spirit Awards, a celebration honoring films and filmmakers that embody independence and dare to challenge the status quo.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

ABOUT L.A. LIVE

Developed by AEG, L.A. LIVE is a 5.9 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential & entertainment district adjacent to STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center featuring the recently opened Club Nokia, a 2,300 capacity live music venue, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, a 7,100-seat live theatre, a 54-story, 1001-room convention "headquarters" destination (featuring The Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott hotels and 224 luxury condominiums – The Ritz Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE – all in a single tower) , the state-of-the-art Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 theatres, "broadcast" facilities for ESPN, a 100,000 square foot special events deck, the one-of-a-kind GRAMMY Museum®, saluting the history of music and the genre's best know awards show all centered around Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE, a 40,000 square foot outdoor event space, twelve signature restaurants along with entertainment, residential and office space.

Visit L.A. LIVE today at www.lalive.com

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

The Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of 1.9 million and 2.9 million on Sunday, more than 8 million unique latimes.com visitors monthly and a combined print and online local weekly audience of 4.5 million. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Times has been covering Southern California for more than 129 years. The Los Angeles Times Media Group businesses and affiliates also include The Envelope, Times Community Newspapers, LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Brand X, and Hoy Los Angeles which, combined with the flagship Los Angeles Times, reach approximately 5.2 million or 38% of all adults in the Southern California marketplace.  LATMG also owns and operates California Community News as well as Tribune Direct's west coast division and is part of Tribune Company, one of the country's leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information is available at http://latimes.com/aboutus.

SOURCE Film Independent

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