L.A. Film Fest

The Sundance Film Festival held a party for its alumni filmmakers at the Figueroa Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Locals blended with others in town for the Los Angeles Film Festival, which moved to the downtown area last year. From left, "Right at Your Door" director Chris Gorak (Sundance '06), Sundance director of programming Trevor Groth, "We Live in Public" director Ondi Timoner (Sundance '09), and "Ballast" director Lance Hammer (Sundance '08).

L.A. Film Festival programmers huddled together after a flashy opening night. As the rooftop party came to a close, senior programmer Maggie McKay, artistic director David Ansen and associate programmer Doug Jones huddled together to celebrate the start of the ten day event. Guests included Steven Soderbergh, John Lithgow and Richard Linklater, whose new movie "Bernie" served as the opening film. Check out these prior participants in the Los Angles Film Festival, courtesy of SnagFilms [Disclaimer: SnagFilms is indiewire's parent company] Watch more free documentaries

Filmmakers Cathryn Collins (left), Aaron Schock, John Horn of the Los Angeles Times and director Jennifer Arnold speak at Filmmaker Lunch Talks: Documentary Roundtable, during the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of Wire Images for the Los Angeles Film Festival.]

Actor John Lithgow speaks onstage at "Over the Top: An Evening With John Lithgow" during the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of Wire Images for the Los Angeles Film Festival.]

Soldier Russel Baer, actor Josh Brolin and director Amir Bar-Lev arrive at the premiere of "The Tillman Story" at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of Wire Images for the Los Angeles Film Festival.]

Radio personality Garth Trinidad (left) and Quincy Jones speak during "The Color Purple" screening at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of Wire Images for the Los Angeles Film Festival.]

Elvis Mitchell (left) and actor Sylvester Stallone speak during "A Conversation with Sylvester Stallone" during the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of Wire Images for the Los Angeles Film Festival]

Directors Adam Shankman, Eli Roth, Richard Kelly, Jon Chu and moderator Ari Karpel speak onstage during "The Power of the Tweet!" panel discussion at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of Wire Images for the Los Angeles Film Festival.]

Actress Kristin Stewart, James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo arrive at the premiere of Jake Scott's "Welcome to the Rileys" at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of Wire Image for the Los Angeles Film Festival]

Actress Catherine Keener, director Thomas Napper, and producer Agi Orsi attend the "Lost Angels" Q&A at the downtown Regal Cinemas, during the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of Wire Image for the Los Angles Film Festival]