IFD Associate Editor Chandler Maness outside the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown LA 

An enthusiastic crowd of several thousand christened the first-ever Los Angeles Downtown Film Festival Wednesday night with a screening of the hit indie film In Search of A Midnight Kiss in the historic Orpheum Theater on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles, followed by toasts at a packed gala party in a beautiful loft space seven floors above the historic core of downtown Los Angeles.

The Orpheum is one of several early 20th Century movie-houses on Los Angeles' Broadway that has been honored by an official historic designation.  One of the mission's of this new festival is to join an existing concerted effort to inject renewed life into LA's historic downtown, which for years has registered only a slight pulse after office workers clear out in the late afternoon - unless you count the alcoholics pushing shopping carts on skid row because there you'll find a lot of activity 24-7.

The fight to resuscitate downtown LA is a noble one, and worthy of all the effort, which is considerable.  Much progress has been made already, and that is something the new film festival celebrates.

The festival programmers couldn't have picked a more perfect film for the fest's maiden cinematic voyage.  First of all, most of Midnight Kiss was filmed on location in downtown Los Angeles.  The plot concerns a couple on a blind New Year's Eve date, and they spend the early evening on this last day of the year wandering downtown LA's streets and getting to know each other amidst the gorgeous backdrops and stunning vistas that dominate this urban landscape.  The couple even pay a visit to the Orpheum Theater - the very place where Wednesday night's screening occurred.

 PHOTO (LTR): Onstage Wednesday at the Orpheum.  Festival programmer Roger Mayer, and representing Midnight Kiss, writer-director Alex Holdridge, actor Scoot McNairy, actor Brian McGuire, actor Kathleen Luong and actor Sara Simmonds

The cast and crew of the film turned out Wednesday night for what was the film's first public screening in its hometown.  And their excitement at watching this neighborhood movie in the neighborhood that inspired it was infectious - the crowd loved the film.  And for good reason.  It's unquestionably one of the finest indie films of 2008.  Midnight Kiss has played to raves at numerous festivals, including Tribeca.  The film, which was made for $12,500 using a Panasonic HVX200 camcorder, already has opened in the UK and Greece and has become a serious box office hit on the Continent.  Last week, it was ranked 7th among all films showing in Greece - take that Dark Knight!  The film opened in New York last week to ecstatic reviews and buffo box office.  The film opens in Los Angeles on August 22, and, considering VOD, DVD and all the exhibition delivery systems making noise out there. all film fans around the world should expect an opportunity to view this lovely, funny, touching and romantic drama.  Please don't miss it.

It's nice to attend a film festival in which the organizers feel a genuine passion about their core mission.  So many festivals have grown long in the tooth, and so many festival organizers have turned jaded and suffer from burn out, it was nice to be amongst the Downtown LA crowd Wednesday night because they clearly are engaged in a labor of love.

I can't wait until the second-ever LA Downtown Film Festival in 2009.  Unfortunately, I have to be out of town the rest of this week and can't attend any more of this festival's 2008 events.  If you're in LA, please support this festival, which continues through Sunday.  For more info on the festival, click here. 

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