LA Under the Stars is an international film festival held in Los Angeles. Listed as one of the TOP 100 BEST-REVIEWED FESTIVALS on FilmFreeway, LAUTS is home to the best up-and-coming talent in Hollywood. Network with the top filmmakers, discuss films/scripts during the Filmmaker Q&A, vote for your favorite film, take pictures on the red carpet, & close the evening with an Award Ceremony.

Held at the historic El Cid Theater on West Sunset Boulevard, LAUTS offers guests the best venue in Los Angeles. El Cid is located 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.

Each year, an international panel of 12 judges selects several films to showcase during the annual event. All selections are 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. Submit & join us under the stars!

Awards & Prizes

"SUPERSTAR" goes to the best rated film
"WONDER WOMAN" goes to the outstanding female filmmaker
"M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN" goes to the best twist
"AUDIENCE CHOICE" goes to the audience-voted best film of the night

Awards are also presented to:
BEST FEATURE (film & screenplay)
BEST NARRATIVE (film & screenplay)
BEST COMEDY (film & screenplay)
BEST HORROR (film & screenplay)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
BEST SCI-FI
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
BEST ANIMATION
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEST SMARTPHONE SHORT
BEST STUDENT SHORT
& MORE!

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.
69 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kyle Lau

    Ali and the entire festival team at LAUST are ALL-STARS. Truly one of the most efficient communicators, with such a fun brand and social presence, not to mention a single night of energy, excitement, and buzz for all the projects involved, it's hard NOT to love LA Under the Stars. DEFINITELY SUBMIT!

    February 2023
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  • Bryan Huynh

    Thank you, Ali and the festival. A privilege to be part of a great festival, the communication, value, quality, hospitality (not in any particular order) - the festival deserves a great recognition on its own.

    February 2023
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  • James Furlong

    LA Under the Stars has been an absolutely wonderful experience, beginning to end! Great communicators, great venue, and just all around great people. I had a terrific time at the event and couldn't be happier with how well all the participants, myself included, were treated. I'll 100% submit to them again in the future, no doubt about it.

    February 2023
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  • John Cranman

    Excellent festival! Appreciate very much they nominated my music video “Bring it Back”! Great communication! Highly recommend.

    February 2023
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  • Stuart Long

    A true film festival that works hard to get your work noticed. The festival personnel were wonderful & energetic. They conducted Zoom interviews with the Screenplay writers. I live in Kuwait so would not have had an opportunity to discuss my project if it were not for LAUTS. Thank you.

    February 2023
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