How true is the perception that Los Angeles doesn’t have a prominent signature film festival? While the city’s film lovers were debating the question, Beyond Fest at American Cinematheque snuck in and became one of the city’s biggest and most popular cinema events, with some 37,000 people expected by the end of the movie celebration that runs through Oct. 5. L.A. has sometimes been a tricky town for film festivals.
Over the years, several high-profile fests struggled to stay afloat with consistently strong slates, and dozens of niche festivals filled in the gaps to serve the city’s diverse filmgoers. Then 14 years ago, Beyond Fest stepped in, and by partnering with the American Cinematheque, it was able to build up a fan base so rabid that scoring tickets became a blood sport for the city’s cinephiles. Despite its October berth and a slate that includes titles like the “Carrie” TV series and the original “Friday the 13th,” the aim has always been to go “beyond” obvious genre classics by programming a wide array of films with varied genre influences.
This year’s selection includes buzzy new releases like “Primetime” and “Musk” as well as retrospectives from “Hoffa” to “Pan’s Labyrinth,” plus under-the-radar titles that screen for free at the Los Feliz 3 cinemas, thanks to Mubi’s sponsorship. It’s not enough to see ‘The Witch’ in a theater now; I have to see ‘The Witch’ with Robert Eggers in person, along with ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Northman’ and ‘Nosferatu’ and to be able to say, ‘Yeah, I was there.’” “Things like Beyond Fest are a signal that things are completely changing,” says Juan Devis, president of Film Independent, the L.A.-based filmmaker organization that runs the Spirit Awards. They’re doing it because they love to do it and they do it constantly.” With the film business scrambling to find the next Curry Barker or Kane Parsons, head of programming Evrim Ersoy says the industry is keeping an eye on the shorts blocks that play at the Los Feliz Theater.
Scoring impossible-to-get Beyond Fest tickets is a rite of passage for the city’s young cinephiles, some of whom think nothing of driving an hour from Silver Lake to Santa Monica or vice versa for an in-demand screening. They will travel from one side of town to the other — they will go from the Aero in Santa Monica and then be in Los Feliz. I love those people because it speaks to how much they love cinema,” says Ersoy.
Thanks to Beyond’s relationship with the American Cinematheque (the Cinematheque’s artistic director Grant Moninger is the festival’s co-founder), the event doesn’t have to scramble each year to secure new theaters. Screenings are held at all the Cinematheque’s venues — the Aero, the newly reopened Egyptian in Hollywood, the Los Feliz 3 and the Directors Village in Westwood Village. They’ve matured into this next iteration under Grant Moninger, who’s the artistic and creative director there.
It’s great the way that institution has grown and shifted into something bigger,” says Parkes. Much to the relief of frequent festgoers, the Cinematheque updated its ticketing system this year, making the scramble for seats a little more efficient, though tickets are still challenging to come by. It’s impossible to get tickets for New York Film Festival.
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