‘Wild Walls’ Showcases Rare Films

The MAK Center for Arts and Architecture and the USC School of Fine Arts have banded together to organize a unique film program titled “Wild Walls: Berlin/Los Angeles Film Festival of Architecture and Urbanism.” Free screenings of historic and rare films and documentaries will be presented Oct. 12-21 at both the Schindler House in West Hollywood and USC. The dissonant tone of the film festival will be set from the start, with simultaneous screenings of Andy Warhol’s eight-hour-long “Empire” (1964) and Daniel Pflumm’s 31/2-hour “Elektro (1995) at USC’s Harris Hall Courtyard on Oct. 12. In addition to 10 days of film, a symposium dubbed “Wild Walls” will take place Oct. 14, also at Harris Hall.

For additional information, call (323) 651-1510 or (213) 821-2957.

UCLA Extension has opened a new 48,000-square-foot facility for its architecture and design program at 1010 Westwood Center, near Westwood Boulevard and Weyburn Avenue in Westwood Village. Five floors contain computer labs, a design library, drafting and design studios and a student art gallery, as well as classrooms.

A partial fall lineup of design classes at the new center includes “The Art of the Oriental Carpet,” “Wall Glazing Techniques” and “Early American Furniture: A Morning Lecture and Afternoon Tour.” For information on the courses, all of which start in October, call UCLA’s Architecture and Interior Design Program at (310) 825-9061 or go to uclaexten-sion.org.

The public is invited to the Pacific Design Center (8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood) every Saturday throughout October to check out in selected showrooms kitchen and bathroom trends, from whirlpools to wine storage systems to the latest in bath products. (Hint: Consider an Italian wood fiber material for bath linens as an alternative to cotton terry.) A Drop-In Kitchen Clinic is offered on Oct. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. during which anyone can bring in a picture of his or her own home and receive free expert design advice. For details, including seminars and cooking demonstrations, call (310) 657-0800.

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Candace A. Wedlan can be reached at candace.wedlan@latimes.com.