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LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The schedule was released today for HDFEST’s Los Angeles event which will be staged at Dolby Laboratories in Burbank. This December event is the final stop on the HDFEST 2006 World Tour, which also included HD Festival events this year in Seoul, New York, Finland, and London. HDFEST Los Angeles will include screenings of high-definition movies, panels on HD moviemaking and digital cinema, festival parties and the HDFEST 2006 Deffie Award Ceremony.

The opening night screenings of HDFEST Los Angeles will take place December 1st in Dolby Laboratories’ Larry Umlang Presentation Theatre II. The screenings will include 2K projection and state-of-the-art sound. A complete calendar of events for the festival, which runs December 1st, 2nd and 3rd, can be found at www.hdfest.com. On Sunday night, December 3rd, HDFEST will present the HDFEST 2006 Deffie Award Ceremony at Dolby Laboratories’ Larry Umlang Presentation Theatre II. The annual HDFEST awards recognize achievement in high definition moviemaking and animation.

HDFEST Screenings and Panel Discussions
HDFEST Festival screenings include projects created exclusively with HD technology. Presentations include HD documentaries, HD experimental films, HD animations, HD music videos, HD features and shorts. Festival content in Los Angeles includes a truly international selection including films from Japan, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Spain, the UK, and the Netherlands. Many films will be making their North American Premiere or Los Angeles Premiere. Almost all the films in the HDFEST Los Angeles line-up will be making their HD Festival Premiere, meaning they have never before been presented in high-definition.

Among the numerous highlights of this year’s tour is the HDFEST Breakthrough Presentation “The Mars Underground,” directed by Scott J Gill. HDFEST is proud to announce the US Premiere of this landmark documentary, which was shot exclusively with HD technology and also includes stunning state-of-the-art computer generated imagery. The film centers around world-renowned Dr. Robert Zubrin, described as “a maverick aerospace-engineer and author,” and his passionate pursuit for manned exploration and colonization of Mars. Zubrin believes that an expedition to Mars could be attained in the next 10 years and eventually colonization could occur via terraforming the red planet. HDFEST is pleased to be assisting to highlight this important and timely documentary.

One of HDFEST’s key goals is to encourage independent high-definition filmmaking and enthusiasm for digital cinema. HDFEST Los Angeles will have a variety of panel discussions focusing in on HD moviemaking. At HDFEST Los Angeles there will be a special focus on education concerning the new HDV format including the panel discussions “Achieving Great Results with HDV: A Inside Look at Mojave Phone Booth” moderated by Director/Editor John Putch, and “Surviving the Low End of HD: Issues and Solutions for HDV” moderated by Apple-Certified Trainer Larry Jordan. Many award winning high-definition filmmakers will also be in attendance at HDFEST Los Angeles to discuss their work and answer audience questions.

Lead Sponsors
HDFEST lead sponsors this year include Dolby Laboratories, Avid and Production Update Magazine. HDFEST 2006 Sponsors also include Baraka Post Production, Santa Monica Video, Entertainment Partners, Final Draft, Footage Firm, Revolution Stock Media, Mammoth HD, Forman Hi Definition Screening Room, SYPHA, and MovieMaker Magazine.

“We at HDFEST are pleased to be returning for our second year at Dolby Laboratories in Burbank,” festival director Issac Alexander said. “Last year the presentation quality during HDFEST Los Angeles was nothing short of spectacular. The upcoming festival is a rare opportunity for film festival attendees to witness firsthand what cinema’s future holds in terms of sight and sound.”

Event Location and Information
Dolby Laboratories’ Larry Umlang Presentation Theatre II is located at 3601 Alameda Avenue in Burbank. Tickets for HDFEST Los Angeles are $12 for screening sequences and $15 for admission to panel discussions. Advance ticket reservation through HDFEST’s website is recommended; however, tickets will also be available for sale at the door on the days of the event.

For more information, visit www.hdfest.com

[tags]hdfest 2006, high definition film festival, HD filmmakers, Los Angeles events[/tags]