About this Event
Celebrate Film. Discover Stories. Meet Filmmakers.
Join us for a celebration of cinema featuring feature films, documentaries, shorts, and TV pilots from filmmakers around the world.
Experience these stories the way they were meant to be seen — on the big screen, alongside fellow film lovers and the filmmakers behind the work.
Our festival brings together diverse voices, bold ideas, and unique perspectives through a curated program of screenings designed to celebrate the art of filmmaking and create meaningful connections between audiences and creators.
Whether you are a filmmaker, a passionate cinephile, or simply looking for your next great story, we invite you to discover new films, support independent voices, and be part of a vibrant cinematic community.
Explore the official film lineup and screening schedule, choose your screenings, and join us at the festival.
Agenda
🕑: 11:00 AM - 07:00 PM
DAY 1 - NOVEMBER 14
🕑: 11:00 AM
OPENING FILM / STEP & REPEAT RED CARPET ENTRY
Info: Opening Film / Step & Repeat Red Carpet Entry
🕑: 11:00 AM - 07:00 PM
AMC LOBBY ACTIVATION – NETWORKING (ALL DAY)
🕑: 11:30 AM - 02:30 PM
SCREENING PROGRAM WAVE #1
Info: PROGRAMMING
6 variety of curated programming: Festival Opening Feature, Independent Prestige Features, International Features, Narrative Documentary, Curated Shorts, Curated Pilot programs—scripted and non scripted.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
CONFERENCE / PANELS
Info: HOLLYWOOD UNFILTERED: The Decisions. The Dealmakers. The Business Behind The Screen!
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
KEYNOTE PANEL: Film Finance — Part I: From Development to Capital
Info: FOCUS
Industry financiers and producers examine what makes a project investment-ready, how financing structures are developed, and what investors evaluate before committing capital.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - The Rejection Room: Why Hollywood Passes on Projects It Actually Likes
Info: FOCUS
A candid examination of why creatively promising projects get rejected, delayed, or abandoned. Explore internal studio politics, competing priorities, talent availability, rights complications, budget limitations, and the difference between creative enthusiasm and an actual commitment to produce.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - The Hollywood Visibility Machine: Who Gets Press, Recognition & Indust
Info: FOCUS
Uncover how publicists, entertainment journalists, festival programmers, talent representatives, and marketing executives determine which films and filmmakers receive attention.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - Filming in California: Hollywood’s Competitive Advantage
Info: FOCUS
Examine California’s evolving film and television production incentives, studio infrastructure, skilled workforce, and efforts to retain and attract productions. Independent filmmakers and established producers can navigate the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - Filming in Africa: The Continent’s Emerging Production Powerhouse
Info: FOCUS
Examine key markets including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Morocco, while discussing infrastructure, distribution, local partnerships, and the growing opportunities for collaboration between African and international filmmakers.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - Women in Vertical Media: Redefining the Future of Short-Form Storytell
Info: FOCUS
Spotlight the women leading the rapid evolution of vertical storytelling, mobile-first entertainment, and short-form scripted content.
🕑: 04:30 PM - 07:00 PM
SCREENING PROGRAM WAVE #3
Info: PROGRAMMING
Variety of curated programming: Festival Closing Feature, Independent Prestige Features, International Features, Narrative Documentary, and curated shorts programming.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 07:00 PM
DAY 2 - NOVEMBER 15
🕑: 11:00 AM
OPENING FILM / STEP & REPEAT RED CARPET ENTRY
🕑: 11:00 AM - 07:00 PM
AMC LOBBY ACTIVATION – NETWORKING (ALL DAY)
🕑: 11:00 AM - 02:30 PM
SCREENING PROGRAM WAVE #1
Info: PROGRAMMING
6 total waves of programming: 3 Programming waves each day of a mixed collection Feature, Documentary, Short, and TV Pilot Screening + Industry Panels / Conferences.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
CONFERENCE / PANELS
Info: HOLLYWOOD UNFILTERED: The Decisions. The Dealmakers. The Business Behind The Screen!
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
KEYNOTE PANEL - Film Finance — Part II: Structuring Deals, Protecting Capital
Info: FOCUS
Explore how producers and financiers mitigate risk, protect stakeholder interests, and develop commercially sustainable financing strategies.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
FIRESIDE CHAT - Filming in the UAE: Incentives, Infrastructure & the National
Info: FOCUS
Discover the United Arab Emirates’ evolving film and television production landscape, including production incentives, government-supported initiatives, infrastructure, international partnerships, and opportunities for foreign filmmakers.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - Hollywood’s Unwritten Rules: The Decisions That Make or Break a Career
Info: FOCUS
What really happens behind closed doors when Hollywood decides whom to hire, represent, finance, or promote? Agents, studio executives, and established producers reveal the unspoken rules of access, credibility, reputation, and professional relationships.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - The Producer Nobody Sees: The People Who Actually Save a Movie
Info: FOCUS
Line producers, production managers, assistant directors, post-production supervisors, and completion specialists. Examine production crises, contingency planning, scheduling failures, and the operational leadership behind successful filmmaking.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - Hollywood’s Next Power Players: Building Your Own Seat at the Table
Info: FOCUS
Explore the transition from seeking permission to building companies, retaining intellectual property, developing project pipelines, and creating long-term negotiating power within the industry.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
PANEL - Alternative Distribution: Beyond Theatrical & Traditional Streaming
Info: FOCUS
Examine direct-to-consumer platforms, transactional VOD, AVOD, FAST channels, community-driven screenings, event cinema, niche distribution, and digital-first strategies that give independent filmmakers greater flexibility and audience ownership.
🕑: 04:30 PM - 07:00 PM
SCREENING PROGRAM WAVE #3
Info: PROGRAMMING
Variety of curated programming: Festival Closing Feature, Independent Prestige Features, International Features, Narrative Documentary, and curated shorts programming.
Event venue & nearby stays
Fox Studios, 10201 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.