World Premiere Of Andrew Slater’s Documentary "Echo In The Canyon" To Open The LA Film Festival

Today the LA Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that also produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, announced that the Opening Night Film is Andrew Slater's Echo in the Canyon at the Ford Theatres.

The World Premiere of the documentary, which features some of music's biggest names reflecting on the sustained influence of Laurel Canyon's historic music scene, will be followed by a live performance. 

Also announced today the Premieres section, the Future Filmmakers Showcase, the Music Video program and the Indie Pilot program. 


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"I'm so proud to be opening the Festival with a love song to Los Angeles via Andrew Slater's Echo in the Canyon," said Jennifer Cochis, Festival Director. "We are committed to showcasing documentaries, and premiering this work at the Ford Theatres to be followed by a live musical performance is going to be a once in a lifetime experience."

Opening Night Film 

Thursday, September 20, the Ford Theatres

Echo in the Canyon, dir. Andrew Slater, USA, World Premiere 
Echo in the Canyon is a look at how The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, The Mamas & the Papas birthed the beginnings of the Laurel Canyon music scene and how the echo of these artists' creations reverberated between each other and ultimately across the world with a timelessness that continues today. With appearances by Tom Petty, Brian Wilson, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Michelle Phillips, Jackson Browne, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, Lou Adler, Jakob Dylan, Norah Jones, Beck, Regina Spektor, Cat Power, and others. The film was executive produced by Jakob Dylan.

Premieres (10)

World and US Premieres of fiction and documentary films featuring noteworthy talent. 

American Dreamer, dir. Derrick Borte, USA, World Premiere

Ashes in the Snow, dir. Marius A. Markevicius, Lithuania/USA, World Premiere

Brian Banks, dir. Tom Shadyac, USA, World Premiere

The Chaperone, dir. Michael Engler, USA, World Premiere

The Clovehitch Killer, dir. Duncan Skiles, USA, World Premiere

Good Girls Get High, dir. Laura Terruso, USA, World Premiere

Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl, dir. Amy Goldstein, USA, World Premiere

Ride, dir. Jeremy Ungar, USA, World Premiere

Tea With the Dames, dir. Roger Michell, UK, US Premiere

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, dir. Stacie Passon, USA, US Premiere

Music Videos (21)

Celebrating the marriage of music and visuals in these groundbreaking works.

·         Apartment, dir. Ellis Bahl, USA

·         Art in Motion, dir. Hayk Matevosyan, USA, World Premiere

·         Bones, dir. Hunter Brumfield, USA

·         Camisa Al Reves, dir. Andrew Vasquez, USA

·         Clutch, dir. Christopher Ripley, USA

·         Dis Generation, dir. Hiro Murai, USA

·         Dreams, dir. Elliott Sellers & Erik Ferguson, USA

·         Found, dir. rubber.band, USA

·         Half a Million, dir. Lamar + Nik, USA

·         Hard World, dir. Mike Hollingsworth, USA

·         Heart Attack, dir. Mimi Cave, USA

·         Indie, dir. Angel Kristi Williams, USA

·         I Want You, dir. NORTON, USA

·         Land of the Fairies, dir. Amiel Kestenbaum, Israel

·         Lost Angeles, dir. Evanston Moore, USA

·         Loving is Easy, dir. Chris Ullens, United Kingdom

·         My Way, dir. WATTS., USA

·         Pleader, dir. Isaiah Seret, United Kingdom

·         Side by Side, dir. Bohdan Zajcenko, Czech Republic

·         Terraform, dir. Sil van der Woerd & Jorik Dozy, Spain

·         True Love Waits, dir. Adi Halfin, Israel


2018 LA Film Festival Competition Lineup Revealed


Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts (15):

Made by incredibly accomplished high school filmmakers from across the country and globe, 43% of the short films in this diverse slate are directed by young women and 47% are directed by filmmakers from diverse backgrounds. Program sponsored by Time Warner Foundation. Additional support is provided by Lisa Argyros/Argyros Family Foundation and Employees Community Fund of Boeing, California, Jason Delane Lee and Yvonne Huff Lee | Lagralane Group, and Brenda Robinson.

Indie Pilots

In this section, each pilot stands on its own and navigates the full hour of an episodic show. Storytellers bring an independent sensibility to these original series.

2 Kawaii 4 Comfort, co-dirs., Luke Palmer, John Bickerstaff, USA

40 And Single, dir, Leila Djansi, USA/Ghana

Mulligan, dir, Steve Parys, USA

Passes are on sale now and only Film Independent Members get early access and save up to 25% and gets you in to screenings and conversations (even after they sell out). General admission tickets to individual films go on sale to Film Independent Members beginning today and to the general public beginning Tuesday, August 21. Contact the Festival Box Office for passes, tickets and event information or visit lafilmfestival.com.

Venues for the 2018 Festival include the ArcLight Cinemas in Culver City, Hollywood and Santa Monica, as well as the new LMU Playa Vista Campus (opening this fall), the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, the Writers Guild Theater and the Ford Theatres.

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