FILMEX TAKING ITS ACT TO MANN SITE IN WESTWOOD

The Los Angeles International Film Exposition will relocate to Westwood for its 1985 edition, which will run from March 14 through March 28.

Executive Director Suzanne McCormick announced Wednesday that Filmex will take place under one roof, at the Mann Triplex in Westwood. Last year, the festival was split between the Four Star in the mid-Wilshire district and the Picwood in West Los Angeles. This will mark the first time that Filmex has been hosted in one location in three years.

“There were a lot of complaints last year, because people had difficulty getting from one theater to another,” McCormick said in a phone interview. “It’s long been a goal to hold the festival in one central location, and since Westwood is the hub of local film-going, it seems especially appropriate to be there.”

Filmex will open at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on March 14 with a premiere of a yet-to-be-announced major studio feature, but will thereafter use the three Mann theaters on Gayley Avenue in Westwood.

Filmex Artistic Director Ken Wlaschin said Wednesday that the flexibility in having three theaters (one with 500 seats and two with 300 seats each) will allow for many films to be shown twice, once in the afternoon and once in the evening. Screenings will take place from noon to midnight daily during the festival.

“We’re reducing the number of films from over 180 last year to around 130 features from more than 50 countries this year,” Wlaschin said.

He added that there will be a special focus on American independent movies, along with the cinema of Latin America and Asia, because of the concentration of people from those areas in Los Angeles. Films from Mexico, Japan and Korea will be highlighted, Wlaschin said.

McCormick acknowledged that the shortage of parking in Westwood may create problems, although she said the shuttle bus system running to and from parking lots south of Wilshire Boulevard should relieve some of the congestion.

McCormick said that the Mann theaters will be refurbished for Filmex, noting: “The Mann people seem eager to have us there, and are bending over backwards to accommodate us. It’s been a great experience.”

Ticket prices are expected to be on a par with some first-run theaters in Westwood, which would mean a top price of $5.50 per screening, McCormick said. Members of the Filmex Society will receive a discount on tickets, she added.

The official schedule of Filmex screenings is expected to be released in early February.