Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Announces Film Roster and Four Gala Events - May 24th - 28th, 2017

The 3rd Annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, taking place in the magnificent mountain setting of Mammoth Lakes, California, has announced its line-up of screenings, which will include premieres, festival favorites and classic films.

The five-day festival will take place May 24-28, 2017, beginning on Wednesday with the Opening Night Screening of Cheech and Chong's much-loved first feature UP IN SMOKE. Tommy Chong, one of its stars as well as its uncredited co-director, will be present for a Q&A after the screening, which is followed by the Gala Opening Night Party at the Sierra Events Center.

Saturday evening will feature the SIERRA SPIRIT AWARD CENTERPIECE GALA & SCREENING: A Night with John Sayles. The evening will begin with a screening of his 1983 film BABY IT'S YOU starring Rosanna Arquette and Vincent Spano, followed by a conversation with Sayles and a presentation of the Sierra Spirit Award. Sayles's credits include THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET, MATEWAN, EIGHT MEN OUT, LONE STAR, and THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH, amongst others.

In addition to the two classic films representing the work of Chong and Sayles, an additional 18 features will be screened over the five days of the festival. Feature documentary films in competition will include EIGHT (US Premiere), FOREVER B, (World Premiere), THE ISLANDS AND THE WHALES, OLANCHO, RAT FILM, STRAD STYLE and WHAT LIES UPSTREAM. Spotlight Screening Documentaries not in competition will include THE CHALLENGE, DINA, and MACHINES.

Feature narrative films in competition will include NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD DRIVE, SPACE DETECTIVE and WITHDRAWN. Foreign films in competition will include COLD BREATH, THE ERLPRINCE, THE FIXER and THE GREAT UNWASHED (U.S. Premiere). The final Narrative Feature, not in competition, will be the rave-reviewed Sundance hit MENASHE, which has been picked up by A24 for distribution.

In addition to the Opening Night Gala and the Sierra Spirit Award Event, there is a Filmmakers Bash on Saturday evening at Rafters featuring the band Jelly Bread and the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 27 at the Sierra Events Center.

Ticket sales and additional festival information:

VIP passes are available now, and they're the only way to guarantee admission to the Wednesday evening Opening Night Screening of UP IN SMOKE. Individual ticket sales as well as individual party/event tickets go on sale May 10. 

www.MammothLakesFilmFestival.com

Taking place high in the Eastern Sierra, five hours north of Los Angeles by car and 30 minutes south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival delivers a unique, intimate experience for festivalgoers, filmmakers, and industry guests-an opportunity to experience stimulating, cutting-edge films and fun events in a beautiful mountain setting.

In addition to the diverse selection of features, from world premieres to film festival favorites, MLFF will present short film screenings and a Saturday morning indie cartoon program for children. Attending filmmakers from across the country and around the world will be on hand for Q&As after their respective films.

Discounted lodging is available from the festival's lodging partner Sierra Nevada Resort & Spa (get a 20% discount on any room by calling in or booking online at http://thesierranevadaresort.com/ CODE - Theater).

All screenings and special events will take place in Mammoth Lakes, at venues including the Edison Theatre, the Forest Service Visitor's Center Theater, the Minaret Cinemas and the Sierra Events Center.

"In a short time, we have established a destination film festival. Positive word of mouth from past participants and audiences from around the world, and the excellent roster of films put together by our team-it's all helping us to make the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival a world class place to indulge and celebrate the best of independent cinema," said Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Founder Shira Dubrovner.

"We strive to bring our audiences a broad and colorful spectrum of films, showcasing work that's more imaginative and more human-that's unafraid to probe at social taboos, to be angry and bold or hopeful or overly truthful or dazzlingly dishonest. We make it a priority to present our films in a fun, friendly and nurturing environment for filmmakers and audiences," added Paul Sbrizzi, Director of Programming. 

Narrative and Documentary feature films will be eligible for Jury awards in separate categories. Prizes include $1,000 in cash and the coveted "Orson" statuette for each winning film. The winning Narrative Feature will receive a $10,000 USD camera rental grant from Panavision for their next project, a $10,000 Post-production package from Light Iron and a $2,500 credit for DCP transfer from Adrian Geyer. The winning Documentary Feature will receive a REDucation Voucher and a 60-day Epic-X Dragon Rental package from RED valued at approximately $22,000. The Audience Award winner for best Narrative Feature will receive a $5,000 camera rental grant from Panavision.

Jury Awards and cash prizes of $500 each will also be presented to short films in four categories. The winning North American short narrative also wins a $5,000 camera package from VER. The jury will be comprised of film industry professionals including Producer Allison Amon (Queen of Versailles); Judy Coppage of The Coppage Company, a literary management company; Devin Digonno, Director of Acquisitions at Lakeshore Entertainment; Zackary Gilyani (Talent Works L.A.); filmmaker Jacques Thelemaque (Filmmakers Alliance); Kelly Leow, Deputy Editor of MovieMaker Magazine; Sandra Seeling Lipski (Mallorca Film Festival); and Bobby Putka (Filmmaker).

CURRENT FILM SLATE BELOW: 

SIERRA SPIRIT AWARD CENTERPIECE GALA & SCREENING

On Saturday evening we present the Sierra Spirit Award to legendary Independent filmmaker John Sayles. The Sierra Spirit Award is a tribute to an iconic and visionary filmmaker who has crossed the divide from cult to mainstream success, broken boundaries, and created visionary work that has touched generations of film lovers. John Sayles exemplifies a passion for cinematic storytelling at its finest, with a deep sense of humanism and compassion for his characters. We are proud to present a screening of Mr. Sayles's classic 1983 film BABY, IT'S YOU, followed by a conversation with Mr. Sayles and the Sierra Spirit Award presentation.   

Haute Tease