Glendale International Film Festival returns for its fourth year
The Glendale International Film Festival will return for its fourth year on Friday with a schedule of about 200 films and documentaries to showcase the works of many local filmmakers.
Local writer, director and actress Velvet Rhodes has organized the event since 2014 as its chief executive and, this year, it will operate as a nonprofit, with 20% of proceeds from ticket sales going toward an endowment to Glendale schools designed to create filmmaking and screenwriting courses.
“[The festival’s board of directors] thought it would be much more appropriate to operate as a nonprofit. That way we can really support the creators in the community, rather than just focus on obtaining large sums of money,” Rhodes said.
According to Rhodes, the festival was inspired by the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema in Idyllwild, where she met with the organizer and fellow filmmaker who would later help Rhodes establish the Glendale festival.
This year, two cinema classics will be the focal points of the festival: Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” and Frederico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” — both presented in 4K restorations.
Along with the numerous films, the festival will also include several panels and seminars, screenplay-reading contests and an awards ceremony. Awards will recognize female filmmakers as well as those from Glendale and the Los Angeles area.
A special panel on women in film will be led by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), and the California Women’s Law Center will also be part of the festival.
The Glendale International Film Festival will be held at four locations and span nine days, from Friday to Oct. 22.
The locations will be Pacific Theatres in the Americana at Brand, Glendale Central Library, 222 E. Harvard St., the Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., and the UA La Cañada 8, located at 1919 Verdugo Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge.
“I’m extremely thrilled for this year,” Rhodes said. “We started out as a three-day event in 2014 … and to come this far in such a short period of time is an amazing and wonderful dream come true.”
For more information about tickets and a full schedule of films, visit glendaleinternationalfilmfestival.com.
Twitter: @JeffLanda
