Wrapping LAFF.

In the Los Angeles Times, Rene Lynch reports on the "often-poignant" presentation of the Spirit of Independence filmmaking award to Clint Eastwood as the Los Angeles Film Festival comes to a close today. "Other honors were also given out Thursday. The Target filmmaker award for best narrative feature went to Chris Eska's August Evening [site], a drama about an undocumented worker and his estranged children. The winner of the Target documentary award went to Jennifer Venditti's Billy the Kid [site], a sensitively handled tale of a teen from Maine who has emotional problems and is struggling to fit in, and the likelihood that that might not happen."

Updated through 7/2.

"Programming world premieres at a large festival that runs post-Sundance cannot be easy," writes Michael Lerman at indieWIRE. "That being said, programmers director Oren Jacoby "to write about the experience making his new film, but he's also written about his own faith history and what it means for a nonfiction filmmaker to make something that is personal."

Doug Cummings has another round of reviews: Copacabana, Ad Lib Night and Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation.

At Movie City News, Leonard Klady picks some of this weekend's festival highlights.

"I had fun moderating the blogging panel poolside at the W." A full report from Anne Thompson - plus another on the Transformers premiere. Site.

Updates, 7/2: "Stephane Gauger's Owl and the Sparrow took the audience award for narrative feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival." And Dave McNary has more award-winners at Variety.

Wrapping his LAFF, Doug Cummings reviews Daratt (Dry Season), Fireworks Wednesday, The Tube With a Hat and Sunshine.

Posted by dwhudson at July 1, 2007 6:13 AM