LA Under the Stars is an international film festival held at the historic El Cid Theater on West Sunset Boulevard in the heart of the Silver Lake neighborhood. Unpretentious and atmospheric, the iconic theater, restaurant, and bar offers guests a new experience while retaining its original passion and soul.

This is the best showcase for indie films! Network with the top filmmakers, discuss projects during the Filmmaker Q&A, vote for your favorite film, & close the evening with an Award Ceremony.

The international panel of judges will select several films to showcase during our annual event. All selections will be showcased on our website, social media, & given coverage during our highlight reel. As an IMDB-accredited festival, we pride ourselves on being competitive while distinctly worth the price of submission.
Award winners will have the opportunity to win plaques, framed-awards, & cash prizes.

Stick around for a brief Q&A with each of the award winners – a perfect opportunity to talk about upcoming projects & broaden your network!

Awards & Prizes

"Superstar" plaque goes to the best reviewed film of the festival!
"Wonder Woman" plaque goes to the outstanding female filmmaker of the night. (director, cinematographer, editor, actor, etc)
"Audience Choice" goes to the audience-voted best film of the night.

Awards will also be presented to the following categories:
Best Feature
Best Narrative
Best Comedy
Best Horror
Best Music Video
Best Animation
Best Documentary
Best Student Feature
Best Student Short
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Cinematographer
Best Editor
Best Concept

Rules & Terms

No waivers!
All films must be in English or have English subtitles at the time submitted.
Films must be original works.
By submitting the material, the applicant hereby agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the festival & its employees from any liability, claims, and damages in connection with the submission and from any fees and expenses, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees, that any of them may incur in connection therewith.

I/We understand that failure to adhere to the competition rules and regulations will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee.

I/We agree to hold the LA Under the Stars harmless from and defend them against all claims, demands, losses, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not groundless, based on any film submitted to the Festival.
31 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Ashleigh Flynn

    Epic night in a really unique LA venue. The energy in the sold-out restaurant/theater was incredible, the enthusiasm of all the filmmakers and screenwriters palpable, the quality and range of films exceptional, and who can argue with cocktail servers? The Q&A and awards out on the patio was a nice change of scene… engaging, rowdy and really fun. Ali and his crew did a wonderful job putting this event together – you can tell this is very personal and such a labor of love. It was a privilege to have our music video in the mix and our crew that could attend were beyond psyched have been there. Thank you!!!

    March 2020
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  • Nannette Sandy

    The LA Under The Stars festival was amazing!!! Great event and awesome venue. The staff was warm and friendly!!

    March 2020
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  • Demetrio Casile

    E' un grande onore per me aver partecipato al votro festival con la mia sceneggiatura. Un caro saluto dall'Italia.

    March 2020
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  • Al Mertens

    Honored that my feature screenplay, “Transgressions,” was an Official Selection!

    February 2020
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  • Marina Tetarić Prusec

    Thank you that my feature screenplay SUPERINCOGNITO is selected into Official Selection. I followed the festival on line, and got impression that it's very professional, with the ambition to develop into a major film event. I most liked the openness through quality communication with us filmmakers. If any producer will be interested in my project, please contact me. All the best until the next opportunity! Greetings from Croatia, Marina

    February 2020
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