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Los Angeles 2014 Feature Line-Up Announced
We have just announced our feature film line-up for this year’s Los Angeles festival, which will be September 5th – 11th at the Los Feliz 3. Tickets are on sale now and shorts will be announced soon.
Los Angeles 2014 Dates Announced
We are happy to announce that we are returning to the Los Feliz 3 for our LA festival September 5th – September 11th, 2014!
More information and the lineup coming soon.
United Films Digital Channel
United Films recently launched a new digital channel which currently has five movies up with more on the way!
Check back frequently to this new channel and experience both new titles & your favorite titles in a whole new way!
Film Submissions Now Free at the United Film Festival
We are happy to announce that FILM SUBMISSIONS are now FREE at the United Film Festival, so please SUBMIT today!
To submit (and for more information), click here.
Mission and Objective of United Film Festival

On the eve of United Film Fest 2013 – Los Angeles we would like to take a moment share with you why we, United Films, do what we love to do for you, our film peers.
The United Film Festival is a distinct division of United Films, Inc., which aims to unite time-honored wisdom and innovative perspective in order to create, curate, and connect modern independent films with a global audience.
The United Film Festival screens high-quality independent feature films, documentaries, and short films of all genres. And as a celebration of our love for the rich history of filmmaking, we always screen a variety of classic motion pictures that have helped to define this incredible industry.
In addition to our screenings, we frequently bring in legendary filmmakers and actors each year to be a part of the festivities. Our festivals are always exciting events filled with insightful Q&As, and provide many opportunities for networking and interaction between filmmakers and audiences alike.
United Films has always been committed to expanding its relationship with its filmmakers beyond the film festival. To this end, we have infused several key components into the heart of our company, which we believe will help us improve upon those relationships in very significant ways: A few of the components include:
*United Film Festival Screenwriting Contest
*Collaborative Partnerships
*Sales Representation/Distribution
United Films’ Ongoing Commitment to Filmmakers

Now in our eleventh year, the United Film Festival has learned many valuable lessons that have helped us improve the festival experience year after year. Established in 2002 by award-winning Producer Jason Connell in the key heartland city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the United Film Festival quickly gained momentum and expanded into 5 additional major metropolitan cities.
Despite the festival’s history of success, Mr. Connell still experienced first hand a huge distribution gap in the industry for small budget independent movies. Confronting this reality, it became evident to Mr. Connell the United Film Festival could be an essential part of bridging this gap for independent filmmakers worldwide.
United Films aims to form a relationship with the filmmaker from the very moment they submit to our festival. It is our hope this early relationship will lead to the creation of a true partnership beyond our festival.
There are three specific opportunities that can come from forming an early relationship. One, we can partner with the filmmaker to become their SALES REPRESENTATIVE, helping them to garner much needed distribution for their film. Thus far, United Films has successfully represented over 60 independent films. Two, United Films is launching its very own digital distribution platform in 2013, via our UNITED CHANNEL. This means we can GUARANTEE DISTRIBUTION for the key films we acquire. And three, United Films has come to learn that forming early relationships with filmmakers will often lead to creating JOINT PROJECTS with those filmmakers in the future.
By bridging the distribution gap and connecting with our ever-growing network of filmmakers, we hope this festival is an experience that unites creative energy and talent with the celebration of true success!
Los Angeles Film Spotlight

We are very excited to be coming back to Los Angeles to hold the 2013 United Film Festival, April 26- May 2. We have screened several hundreds of different films from different genres and we picked ones that we know you, the Festival Goer, would be delighted by. We are showing a total of 52 films, and we are very excited for you to see them all! View the complete schedule here!
We are honored to be showcasing “Your Friends Close.” An ensemble sci-fi-drama that takes place over the course of one evening at a party thrown by a husband-and-wife video game design team. When a betrayal thrusts the party goers into a competition that puts everyone’s careers on the line, each person must choose who they are willing to lose in order to win. Directed by Jocelyn Kelvin. This will be premiering at the United Film Festival Los Angeles on April 27 at 9:30pm.
Purchase your tickets for “Your Friends Close” here!
We hope to see you at the United Film Festival starting this Friday, April 26!
-United Film Festival
2013 United Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award – John Landis

John Landis to be honored at the United Film Festival on May 2nd!
Each year the United Film Festival celebrates legendary filmmakers that have made a difference in this industry. This year John Landis will be honored at the United Film Festival in Los Angeles as the 2013 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Beginning his career as a mailroom attendant for 20th Century Fox, he eventually made his way to Yugoslavia to work as a PA for Kelly’s Heroes. Once production ended, Landis decided to remain in Europe finding employment as an actor, an extra and even a stuntman in numerous Spanish/Italian westerns. Upon returning to the USA, he started production on his debut feature, Schlock, which he also starred in as well. He then directed The Kentucky Fried Movie before rising to international stardom as director of the famous, Animal House. His resume also includes blockbusters such as The Blue Brothers, An American Werewolf in London, Three Amigos!, and Coming to America. Even though he is a renowned movie director, he also directed what was awarded the Greatest Video in the History of the World, Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The video forever changed MTV and the concept of music videos. Landis has also directed various documentaries such as Slasher for IFC, and Mr Warmth for HBO. Mr Warmth went on to win an Emmy in 2008!
Please join us in celebrating John Landis’ legendary career on Thursday, May 2nd at 7:30pm with a handprint ceremony and award presentation in front of the historic Vista Theater. Then prior to the screening of Animal House, Landis will join the audience in a discussion about the film and his illustrious career.
Buy your tickets to participate in this event and see the classic film, Animal House, on the big screen here!
We hope to see you there!
-United Film Festival
Los Angeles Narratives!

The Los Angeles Feature Lineup is back and once again, filled with all new amazing films! We are showcasing films that we know you’ll love, and we cannot wait for you to see them!
The festival includes this new comedic feature, Congratulations. A story about JIM and BRIDGET are on a road trip to visit Jim’s mother on the anniversary of his father’s death. Along the way, Jim proposes and Bridget says no. When they arrive at his mother’s house, she showers them with congratulations. Caught up in the moment, they pretend to be engaged for the weekend, and find that the question of marriage may tear them apart. For more info, www.congratulationsfilm.com and also follow the film on Facebook
For the full schedule and lineup for the Los Angeles Film Festival, click here!!
Year End Wrap Up!

Our team has just returned from Tulsa, OK, where we celebrated our 10th United Film Festival – Tulsa! As we conclude the final festival of our 2012 season, we’re looking back on all the great people we met and memories we’ve made during our six festivals this year. With new branding and a completely redesigned website, we were able to launch an amazing festival season and could not have been prouder.
Just a few of our favorite moments? We were so excited to honor Mark Rydell and Dabney Coleman with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Los Angeles to kick off the season. In New York and London, we were treated to spectacular Q&As (such as the moving and inspiring Tonier Cain during our screening of Healing Neen.)
We had people spilling out of the theatre in San Francisco to see films like Of Two Minds, We’re Getting On, and Crocodile in the Yangtze. We had a scary surprise when we packed the house for a midnight screening of The Craft in Chicago! And finally, returning to where it all began, we received a warm welcome in Tulsa (check out just one of our morning show appearances here!)
This year could not have been possible without the support of our amazing venues: Los Feliz 3 Cinemas in Los Angeles, Cobble Hill Cinemas in New York, Roxy Bar & Screen in London, Roxie Theatre in San Francisco, Music Box Theater in Chicago, and Circle Cinema in Tulsa.
We also owe so much to our amazing programming committees, who work year round to make sure we haven’t overlooked any promising film or filmmakers, as well as the incredible volunteer staff at each event, without which we definitely could not run our festivals.
Thanks to everyone who submitted and came out to support us this season. We can’t wait to see what 2013 holds in store!