Even though summer is technically over, you can still keep the vibe going with several film and music festivals that are happening online and IRL (via car) this week. Or, if you’ve been spending more time in your car at drive-ins lately and feeling nostalgic for L.A.’s trains and trolleys that once existed, there’s an event for you too.
Arts & Culture
The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival has moved online for its 36th festival, and will be running from September 24th through October 31st. The lineup of productions by Asian American & Pacific Islander artists from across the globe includes premiers of I’ll Meet You There, One Meal, Accept The Call, The Girl Who Left Home, Finding Yingying, and The Celine Archive. Ticket packages range from $60-$200.
On Monday September 28th at 7:30 p.m., there’s another event for the film buffs among you: the American Cinematheque hosts a conversation with filmmakers Miranda July and Spike Jonze to discuss July’s new film, Kajillionaire, a comedy starring Debra Winger, Richard Jenkins, and Evan Rachel Wood. Registration for the event is free.
Mel’s Drive-In Diner on Sunset Boulevard is staying true to its drive-in roots with a series of drive-in movie nights on Sundays through October 11. This Sunday, September 27th at 8:00 p.m., order your burgers from the servers who’ll take your order directly from your car while you watch Grease for $30 per car & driver, then an additional $30 for each adult (kids are free)
Another drive-in event to catch this weekend is a special screening to celebrate the best performances from the past 15 years of the Pitchfork Music Festival, plus a live DJ set by A-Trak, on Saturday, September 26th at 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. at Hotel Figueroa downtown. Tickets are $39 and proceeds go to Movement for Black Lives.
For some live streaming music plus panel discussions and introductions to organizations and artists working to make Los Angeles a more vibrant city for all, check out The Ford’s Solidarity for Sanctuary which”brings together Latinx musicians, poets, and activists to elevate the conversation – and to help promote solidarity between Black and Brown communities.” It takes place on Saturday, September 26th at 4:00 p.m. Performances will include artists’ own renditions of Selena’s hit songs “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Amor Prohibido,” “Como La Flor,” and “Dreaming of You, in addition to Omar Apollo’s new single featuring renowned Regional Mexican collective Yellow Room Music and members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.” Watch for free on Facebook or YouTube.
The Echo Park Rising Music Festival has also gone virtual this year, and you can stream musical performances and discussions from neighborhood organizations and businesses. There are streams for kids, as well as something for everyone. View the full schedule here. The festival is free, but donations as well as direct support of Echo Park businesses through takeout and delivery is appreciated.
Community & History
Another way to support local businesses is by buying books at Larchmont’s own Chevalier’s and attending their excellent events, which this week include a discussion of The Fabric of Civilization by Virginia Postrel on Wednesday, September 30th at 12:30 p.m. about the history of textiles. They’ll show how “from Minoans exporting wool colored with precious purple dye to Egypt, to Romans arrayed in costly Chinese silk, the cloth trade paved the crossroads of the ancient world. Textiles funded the Renaissance and the Mughal Empire; they gave us banks and bookkeeping, Michelangelo’s David and the Taj Mahal. The cloth business spread the alphabet and arithmetic, propelled chemical research, and taught people to think in binary code.” Also on Wednesday, September 30 at 6:00 p.m., author Bill Clegg talks about his new novel The End of The Day, “about the complicated bonds and breaking points of friendship, the corrosive forces of secrets, the heartbeat of longing, and the redemption found in forgiveness.” And on Thursday, October 1st at 7:00 p.m., Chevalier’s has something for the basketball fans in your life: Jeff Pearlman on his book Three Ring Circus which tells the “story of the Lakers dynasty from 1996 through 2004, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal combined–and collided–to help bring the Lakers three straight championships and restore the franchise as a powerhouse.”
On Tuesday, September 29th at 7:00 p.m., learn about a different kind of Los Angeles powerhouse of yore: Hollywood’s Trains and Trolleys. This event, presented by the Los Angeles Public Library – Studio City Branch and the Studio City Neighborhood Council, “relives the Golden Age of Los Angeles’ train and streetcar systems through their appearance in motion pictures and films over the past century” with author and historian Marc Wanamaker. To RSVP, contact [email protected] for the Zoom meeting link.
To explore an L.A. icon that’s still around, join Esotouric, “L.A.’s most eclectic sightseeing tour company,” for a virtual exploration “Inside the Bradbury Building” on Saturday, September 26th at 12:00 p.m. The tour will feature “rare photographs and video, original research and offbeat anecdotes that bring the city’s most fascinating office tower to life.” Tickets are $10.
Also on Saturday, September 26th at 11:15 a.m.,the global pandemic isn’t stopping the Ebell from celebrating the start of a brand new club season with an “Opening Day” program featuring actor/choreographer/executive producer/director Debbie Allen, who will “tell you the inspiring details about breaking barriers as she takes a break, just for us, from her busy schedule serving as Executive Producer, Director and actor for Grey’s Anatomy. ” Tickets are free, but a $10 donation is suggestion to help support the mission of the Ebell during this challenging time.
If you’re looking to stretch your legs and get out of the house, on Saturday, September 26th at 10:00 a.m., join Hang Out Do Good’s Flip the Senate Walk-athon: the “family friendly COVID-safe answer to The Great 8 States Fair of 2018 where we raise funds to flip the Senate.” HODG has selected 8 states where the senate seat is considered flipable – sign up and pick your state team here.
Local Government
Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council has several committee meetings this week including Outreach on Monday, September 28th at 6:30 p.m., Budget & Finance on Tuesday, September 29th at 6:30 p.m., and Economic Development on Thursday, October 1st at 6:30 p.m.
Mid City West Community Council’s Social and Racial Equity Committee Meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 30th at 6:30 p.m., and its Public Safety and Preparedness Committee Meeting will meet on Thursday, October 1st at 7:00 p.m.
