The Malibu Film Festival has nominated more than 30 films for the event, which will take place April 14-18. None of the screenings will take place in Malibu, but festival founder David Katz says that will change next year.
By Kevin /Special to The Malibu Times
The official selections for this year’s Malibu Film Festival are in. Finished sifting through roughly 1,000 submissions, festival officials have selected more than 30 films to appear at this year’s event.
The screenings, which will take place at Santa Monica’s Aero Theater April 15-17, include short, animated short, documentary and feature films. Officials said each of the full-length films will be shown individually, while short films will be shown in segments of approximately five.
Malibu Film Festival founder David Katz said he was confident festival screenings would return to Malibu by 2006.
“The festival is seeking private donations from Malibu residents in the film industry to underwrite the Malibu Film Festival’s annual budget,” Katz wrote in an e-mail to The Malibu Times. “Based on a last minute turn of events, the festival will screen films in Santa Monica this year and in Malibu in 2006.”
Several Malibu residents have films that will be screened at the festival. They include J. Lisa Chang’s movie “The Big Empty,” a short film starring Selma Blair. Sean Carter’s “Replaced” will have its world premiere at the festival. The short film deals with a character who has found the girl of his dreams, but has difficulty finding a way out of his current relationship. Ari Sandel’s “West Bank Story” will be screened for the first time on the West Coast. The musical comedy is about an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian girl torn between love and their families’ dueling falafel stands. Also premiering at the Malibu Film Festival is Adam Ross’ documentary, “Between the Bridges,” which deals with New York artists struggling against development and gentrification on the Brooklyn waterfront.