Pencil This In: Thursday

FESTIVAL*: The first ever Downtown Film Festival – Los Angeles began yesterday and continues through the weekend with 23 feature and 180 short films at venues throughout Downtown L.A., from the historic movie palaces on Broadway Avenue to Barker Block and SCI-Arc in Downtown’s Arts District. Featured tonight are A Beautiful Life at the Laemmle Grand and Audie & the Wolf at the Los Angeles Theatre.

READING: Photographer Peter Sutherland talks about his book Muddy Treads at Family tonight at 7:30 pm. He'll conduct a slide show and show movie clips about the making of the book, as well as provide commentary and Q&A. Family will be giving away 100 signed limited posters by Sutherland. "His work employs some of the techniques of traditional documentary photography to capture the hidden beauty of ordinary objects and everyday situations."

FILM: The "8th Annual Festival of Sci Fi, Fantasy & Horrors" continues tonight at the Egyptian Theatre. There's a 7:30 pm screening of a new 35mm print of Deep End (1971): "John Moulder-Brown stars as an innocent teenage psychopath working in a public bathhouse who becomes obsessed with doe-eyed Jane Asher, with shocking results." The film's followed by the anthology film The Witches (Le Streghe) from 1967. "Silvana Mangano stars in five metaphorical tales delving into women's sexy sweetness, cold-bloodedness, being put on a pedestal, destructive manipulation and rebellion against domesticity that undoubtedly would have gotten them burned at the stake in medieval times."

ART WALK: It's the second Thursday of the month, and that means it's time for Downtown's Art Walk, a monthly, self-guided tour of the art exhibition venues in Downtown Los Angeles, which includes commercial art galleries, public museums, and nonprofit arts venues. Museum of Contemporary Art on Grand Ave (MOCA), LA Artcore Center, Gallery at REDCAT and the Museum of Neon Art, are just some of the places on the Walk. And there's a free shuttle, so technically those averse to hoofing it don't have to "walk" that much. Don't miss the LA Art Girls Biennial at the Phantom Galleries at PE Lofts tonight (or the Dewars drink specials at Bar 107 during happy hour.)

TALK: ALOUD at Central Library and Los Angeles Institute for Humanities USC present a panel discussion and community forum of importance to readers and newshounds alike: "Los Angeles Without the Los Angeles Times?" The panel brings together George Kieffer, Robin M. Kramer, Geneva Overholser, Kevin Roderick, Joel Sappell and Brady Westwater to talk about the troubles on Spring Street and what can be done--if anything--to keep the local paper alive and well. Moderated by Kit Rachlis, Los Angeles Magazine. The event begins tonight at 7 pm at the Mark Taper Auditorium. The event's full, so get there early for standby seats.

Photo of a Los Angeles Theatre basement light by victoriabernal via LAist's flickr pool.