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L.A.’s indie film programmers are the unsung heroes keeping the city weird, wonderful and wildly cinematic. Here’s what they’re most hyped to put on the big screen this season.
Get your fall on: Whether you’re looking for a spooky movie, something that is kid-friendly or a film that will open your mind — the Academy Museum, Vidiots and Old Town Music Hall have you covered with their fall offerings.
Read on … to see what they picked and learn what makes these movies special!
Even with box office numbers down nationwide, L.A.’s independent film scene thrives — offering a wider and more diverse array of theaters than almost anywhere else in the country. From silent films with live musical accompaniment to '80s action flicks, thrillers and everything in between, there is an opportunity to jump into a different space and time every night across this city.
The people who curate these screenings and series are film programmers — the often unsung heroes who shape the unique cultural offerings we have here. We spoke to three about the upcoming screenings they are most excited to bring to audiences.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Mid-Wilshire is not just a museum. It hosts screenings and talks at its two theaters equipped with multi-format projection (that’s the full range of 16mm, 35mm, 70mm and digital) with Dolby vision and sound. The museum’s director of film programs, K.J. Relth-Miller, said she’s excited about three ongoing series this fall.
Pioneers of the Screen: Gaumont and the Origins of Motion Pictures — Sept. 28
This screening is part of the "Born with Cinema: Gaumont at 130" series, which celebrates Gaumont, the oldest operating film studio in the world. "Pioneers of the Screen" will feature 12 short films from Gaumont’s silent period with live piano accompaniment. Relth-Miller is most excited that some of the films in the program were made by Alice Guy-Blaché, who is considered the first female filmmaker.
The Phantom of Liberty (1974) — Oct. 12
This French satirical comedy was directed by the trailblazing Spanish surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel. The screening is part of the series dedicated to his filmography, "Around the World with Luis Buñuel."
“I think Phantom of the Liberty is truly like a predecessor to some of the really raunchy comedies of the '90s,” Relth-Miller said. “You can think about that film as yes, kind of an arthouse, more highbrow version of even something like There's Something About Mary.”
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) — Nov. 2
This screening is part of the Academy Museum series "The Man Who Made Creatures: Special Effects Wizard Carlo Rambaldi.” Rambaldi was born in Italy and worked with Italian film masters like Federico Fellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini, but it was his collaboration with Dario Argento that caught the attention of Dino De Laurentis, an Italian producer in Hollywood who convinced Rambaldi to come to California. From there, Rambaldi worked on the special effects of iconic films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial — the inspiration for which came from a creature very close to Rambaldi..
“The design of E.T. is based on [Rambadli’s] Himalayan cat,” Relth-Miller said.
Old Town Music Hall was built in 1921 as a silent film theater. It closed, then in the late '60s, two local musicians took it over and installed a massive pipe organ in it to hold concerts. Ever since, it’s been a nonprofit theater that shows classic movies — and some more contemporary ones — every weekend.
“ October is our biggest month,” said James Moll, a documentary filmmaker and president of the nonprofit, volunteer-run theater. “It takes about two days to set up all of the Halloween decorations. [The theater] becomes an incredible Halloween destination for everyone in Southern California, especially people who love classic movies.”
Nosferatu (1922) - Oct. 5
The silent films they show at Old Town Music Hall always feature the accompaniment of their Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ, which is known for being a so-called "one-man orchestra." Nosferatu is the original vampire film.
(And actually every film screening at the theater — silent film or not — is preceded by a short pre-show organ performance and a vintage cartoon that connects with the theme of the feature presentation.)
Dracula (1931) - Oct. 11
This screening of the Bela Lugosi classic will be presented by comedian Samantha Hale, who hosts a horror-themed show at the Hollywood Improv called “Horror Nerd.”
Various Frankenstein films from 1930s-'70s
Old Town Music Hall will screen multiple early 1930s Boris Karloff Frankenstein films, including Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein, along with comedic Frankenstein movies like Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein and the Mel Brooks satire Young Frankenstein, so you can experience the wide variety of Frankenstein iterations.
Vidiots is a theater and nonprofit video store that originally was located in Santa Monica but closed in 2017, only to be re-opened in 2023 in Eagle Rock. At the new location, the theater already has amassed a cult following — screenings regularly sell out and even sometimes lead to ecstatic dance parties — all curated by director of programming Amanda Salazar.
Video Store Day — Oct. 18
International video store day — a day that celebrates video stores — happens every third Saturday in October. Vidiots is showing three films that feature video stores: Watermelon Woman, Ghost World and Scream. Plus, it will be selling VHS tapes, DVDs, Blu-rays and LaserDiscs at bargain prices all day.
Blade (1998) + A Blood Rave — Oct. 21
The comic book adaptation starring Wesley Snipes from the '90s will be accompanied by "a blood rave.” When asked to clarify what that means, programmer Salazar referred to the scene at the beginning of the film set in a rave where blood starts to fall from the ceiling.
“Um … we're not gonna be doing that … but we'll be encouraging dress-ups, having DJs that are definitely gonna pump up the mood, encouraging a lot of dancing,” Salazar said.
There also will be a costume contest and specialty drinks served at the Vidiots bar.
Annual ‘Unscary’ Halloween Open House — Oct. 25
This is a Halloween event for families with little ones. It’s free, and there will be a special performance from Bob Baker Marionette Theater, pumpkin carving and a string of short Halloween-themed films.
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Some 10 million Southern California residents will travel out of the region through Jan. 1, according to AAA. This Saturday and Sunday are expected to be the busiest for driving for this year-end travel season.
How are people travelling? “The vast majority are gonna go by automobile, about 8.9 million Southern Californians taking road trips,” said Doug Shupe of the Automobile Club of Southern California.
About 945,000 people are travelling by air with another 332,000 people taking alternative forms of transportation like buses, trains, and cruises.
Where are people going? SoCal residents are mostly driving to places like San Diego, Las Vegas, the Central Coast and local national parks.
Meanwhile, Anaheim and the Los Angeles area are No. 4 in the top five domestic travel destinations for year-end holidays.
“Disneyland plays a huge role in that, but a lot of people nationwide will come to Southern California to celebrate,” Shupe said.
Is travel up? Holiday travel has seen continued growth all year. Compared to last year, auto travel has increased 2.7%, air travel is up 1.7% and alternative methods like trains, buses and cruises are up a whopping 7.4%.
Overall, travel this year is 10.3% higher compared to just before the pandemic began in 2019.
Any travel advice? Leave early! And that goes for those traveling by car and plane, Shupe said.
If you’re driving, inspect your vehicle before hitting the road. “Check your tire tread and inflation, inspect your battery, your headlights and turn signals,” said Shupe.
A winter storm is expected to hit Southern California beginning Tuesday, so make sure your windshield wipers are in good shape or get them replaced.
Flying? Get to the airport two hours early for domestic flights and at least three hours before international ones.
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LACMA’s newly acquired Van Gogh will go on display starting Sunday, making L.A. a rising place to see his work.
Why it matters: Van Gogh was part of the Impressionist movement that revolutionized Western art and continues to influence art and artists.
Why now: LACMA’s exhibit includes 100 other Impressionist works, giving the audience a chance to see Van Gogh in context with his contemporaries.
The backstory: In L.A. County, you also can see Van Gogh paintings at the Hammer Museum, the Getty and the Norton Simon Museum.
Read on ... for more on the newly acquired Van Gogh and Monet works.
LACMA’s first Van Gogh isn’t a painting of blue flowers, golden wheat fields or aged faces. It’s of a parked stagecoach, and it’s considered a good example of what made the Dutch painter, and the Impressionist movement he was a part of, so revolutionary.
The painting is called “Tarascon Stagecoach.” It was painted in 1888 and was donated to LACMA earlier this year by the Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation.
It’s LACMA’s first Van Gogh painting, and the encyclopedic museum will be showing it off starting Sunday in a show called “Collecting Impressionism at LACMA” that focuses on 100 works from LACMA’s collection. The works are arranged chronologically to show the evolving tastes that have shaped the museum's collection of Impressionist art.
The museum’s acquisition isn’t just a win for the museum. The museum-going public and the region’s teenage and college-age students also will benefit.
“I very much remember seeing Van Gogh in a rotunda space in the [Philadelphia Museum of Art] and finding it to be just so striking because of these luscious, bright colors,” said Summer Sloane-Britt, who saw her first Van Goh during a middle school visit to the museum.
Sloane-Britt now is a professor of art and art history at Occidental College.
“Visual analysis and seeing objects in person is always so core to historical learning and for studio artists as well,” Sloane-Britt said.
I very much remember seeing Van Gogh in a rotunda space in the [Philadelphia Museum of Art] and finding it to be just so striking because of these luscious, bright colors.
And seeing a Van Gogh in person, Sloane-Britt said, and saying you don’t like it is also OK because that signals the work has led you to identify and assert your own aesthetic tastes in art.
The LACMA exhibit presents a good opportunity to get on the road for a four-stop Van Gogh road trip without leaving L.A. County.
You can start at LACMA and see “Tarascon Stagecoach,” benefiting from the context of seeing other impressionist works by Van Gogh’s contemporaries.
Hop over to the Hammer Museum in Westwood, where you’ll see “Hospital at Saint-Rémy,” one of three paintings by Van Gogh in the collection.
Then head west on Wilshire Boulevard to the Getty to see “Irises,” one of the paintings that’s made Van Gogh an art star.
End your Van Gogh road trip by heading east to Pasadena to the Norton Simon Museum. The museum’s smaller, more intimate setting is a good place to see the museum’s six, yes six, Van Gogh paintings.
The exhibit also will feature the newly acquired work "The Artist’s Garden, Vétheuil" by Claude Monet.
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Orange County officials are warning Friday of a scam targeting owners of lost pets that claim their animal was injured and they need payment for their release.
How it works: A pet owner may get a call from a person claiming to be from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department or a similar agency, warning that their animal has been hit by a car or suffered a medical emergency.
The caller claims the animal has been treated by a vet and is recovering, according to officials, but the owner needs to pay the medical costs before the pet can go home. The scam typically pushes for payment through Zelle or Venmo.
What to do: Do not send any money if you get a suspicious call like this.
When in doubt, contact the agency the caller was claiming to be from by using the official website.
You can report scams to the Orange County Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at (949) 770-6011. But the best way to avoid scam calls is by not answering unknown numbers, according to county officials.
What officials say: Lisa Lebron Flores, a Mission Viejo Police Services crime prevention specialist, said this scam, like many others, is designed to stir up people’s emotions and prompt a quick response.
“We want residents to remember that payments not made on an official website that are made with gift cards, via apps or other means, which are not recognized, are red flags,” she said in a statement.
Go deeper: How to perform for adoptable pets at the Mission Viejo animal shelter
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The new year doesn’t just bring new gifts and new resolutions. It also brings new laws. State and local lawmakers have a lot on tap for 2026 when it comes to housing laws that will affect Southern California renters and landlords.
New crop of laws: From refrigerators to fire damage, from development streamlining to rent control caps, LAist has rounded up the legal changes coming next year that you need to know.
Read on… to learn how lawmakers are tightening limits on annual rent hikes, allowing taller apartment buildings next to transit and protecting Social Security recipients during future government shutdowns.
The new year doesn’t just bring new gifts and new resolutions. It also brings new laws.
State and local lawmakers have a lot on tap for 2026 when it comes to housing laws that will affect Southern California renters and landlords.
From refrigerators to fire damage, from development streamlining to rent control caps, LAist has rounded up the legal changes coming next year that you need to know.
Starting Jan. 1, landlords must provide tenants with a working refrigerator and stove. Many landlords already offer these appliances, but the L.A. area stands out nationwide for having an unusually high proportion of fridge-less apartments.
Next year, L.A. newcomers will no longer be taking to social media to express incredulity at all the city’s bring-your-own-fridge apartments. If landlords fail to provide refrigerators or stoves in good working condition, apartments will be considered uninhabitable under the new law.
In the weeks and months after the January fires, many renters struggled to get their landlords to address toxic ash that blew into apartments and rental homes that remained standing. Some landlords said cleaning up the smoke damage was not their responsibility. Initial communication from local public officials was confusing on what tenants were supposed to do.
This new law, which partially was driven by LAist’s reporting, clarifies that in the wake of a natural disaster, “it shall be the duty of a landlord” to remove “hazards arising from the disaster, including, but not limited to, the presence of mold, smoke, smoke residue, smoke odor, ash, asbestos or water damage.”
L.A.’s City Council voted to oppose it. Mayor Karen Bass asked the governor to veto it. But California’s big new upzoning law passed anyway. Its changes are set to take effect July 1, 2026.
Under the law, new apartment buildings up to nine stories tall will be allowed next to rail stations, and buildings up to five stories tall will be allowed within a half-mile of rapid bus stops. This upzoning applies to neighborhoods within those transit zones, even if they’re currently zoned only for single-family homes.
Next comes the implementation. The law could give renters more options once new housing is constructed. But L.A. could choose to delay the law’s effects in some areas for years. Ahead of the law’s passage, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto sent legislators a letter opposing the bill, signaling what could turn into a legal showdown over the bill.
Tenants can face eviction three days after missing their rent. During this year’s federal government shutdown — the longest on record — that swift timeline was a cause for anxiety among tenants who count on federal benefits to cover their rent.
Though this year’s shutdown did not affect regular Social Security payments, this law will give Social Security recipients a defense in eviction court if they ever stop receiving benefits because of any future shutdowns. Under the law, renters will be required to repay their missed rent, or enter a repayment plan, within two weeks of their Social Security payments being restored.
After years of debate, the L.A. City Council passed a new cap on annual rent hikes in the roughly three-quarters of city apartments covered by local rent control rules.
The City Council enacted a new 4% limit, replacing a 40-year-old formula that allowed increases as high as 10% in some units during periods of high inflation. Councilmembers also ended a 2% additional increase for landlords who cover tenants’ gas and electricity costs.
The city had a nearly four-year rent freeze in place during the COVID-19 pandemic that ended in February 2024. That means many L.A. tenants are scheduled to receive their next rent hike Feb. 1, 2026. They should be getting a 30-day notice soon. Each year’s limit is determined by recent inflation data. The current cap of 3% is set to last until June 30.
