FILM BUFF

You’d think a town so heavily dominated by one industry, such as Los Angeles, would support film-related programs. Not so, at least in the case of archive or art house theaters which preserve both the history of the medium and new emerging artists. However, there is new hope for the LACMA film program, which nearly closed its doors two years ago after a 41 year run. LACMA’s financial struggles are no secret, but the announcement Tuesday of a partnership with Film Independent, should help bear the burden. Dawn Hudson, the executive director of Film Independent, which is also responsible for the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, issued the following statement: "Our partnership with LACMA is a wonderful way for Film Independent to further strengthen our commitment to championing film artists and bringing their work to a larger audience." The new partnership is effective immediately, but will not co-produce a program until September 2011.

This new beginning for LACMA also marks the end of Ian Birnie’s 15 year career as the museum’s consultant for the film program. Birnie’s last contribution will be a Tim Burton series to coincide with the director’s retrospective at the museum, starting in May.

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