Highland Park Independent Film Festival to celebrate the cult film UP IN SMOKE

The Highland Park Independent Film Festival invites you to commemorate the legendary cultural monument that has been its home for the past nine years, the Highland Theatre.  

The celebration consists of two screenings:

"The Highland Theatre, A Legacy Uncovered" a short documentary produced by the filmmakers of HPIFF.

Cheech and Chong's "Up In Smoke"

A special video message from Cheech Marin will introduce the film on its 45th Anniversary. "Up in Smoke" was filmed at locations in the neighborhood.

 

As the nearly-century old Highland Theatre prepares to transition to new ownership, the Highland Park Independent Film Festival pays tribute to its home of ten years--to the historic landmark, to the people who have been at the helm under the current lease, and to all of the filmmakers, community members and students who have been impacted by the festival's programming.

 

“In this regard, we will screen our very own documentary, The Highland Theatre: A Legacy Uncovered," said Executive Director and Co-Founder Marita De La Torre. The film, created by the festival's founders and producers, follows the story of the Gore Brothers and their development of movie theatres throughout Los Angeles and across California. It focuses on 97 years of cinema history as the audience is taken on a journey through decades of the theatre's history, beginning with its opening on March 5, 1925 when actress Norma Shearer cracked a bottle of champagne on the theatre’s wall for good luck.

"A central theme of the story is how local activists can and do work together to save cultural-historic monuments," added Ms. De La Torre.

 

Present at the celebration will be representatives from partnering organizations in the community, such as long-time program sponsor, Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance (UGLA).  The activist organization is the official sponsor of the event and the Spring 2023 Film Mentorship Program at Franklin High School. “Our collaboration for this project is part of our 40th Anniversary Inspiration to reach out to neighborhood groups/organizations and celebrate the richness that is the Northeast," said Board Member Joan Potter about their sponsorship of HPIFF.

 

Students from Franklin High School, who have been learning the fundamentals of film through the festival's Film Mentorship Program, will also be present. “One of the most fulfilling parts of our work at HPIFF is seeing some of these students go on to Film Schools and start careers in the industry, all due to finding their voices through our program at Franklin”, said April Ibarra, Artistic Director of HPIFF, herself a graduate of Franklin High School. 

 

The 2022-2023 HPIFF/FHS class will be part of the film crew documenting the event on the 25th, led by their HPIFF instructors. “I love how HPIFF empowers my students, especially the women,” notes Yim Tam, teacher at Franklin High School. “Many of my students are more confident after their mentorship with HPIFF, and in most cases, this is the first time my students are even exposed to careers in the film industry. HPIFF helps my students grow professionally and personally. This mentorship is priceless and I look forward to working with the Highland Park Independent Film Festival for the rest of my teaching career!”

 

The Highland Park Independent Film Festival, founded and produced by industry professionals who reside in Northeast Los Angeles, first debuted in 2014 and has since built community through a shared love for film and authentic story-telling in surrounding neighborhoods. The core mission of the HPIFF is to cultivate independent cinema in Highland Park. On its 10^th year of programming, the festival has developed an international reputation, bringing the talents and inspiration of independent film to a local audience.

 

HPIFF is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture; by the California Arts Council, a state agency; and by the LA Arts Recovery Fund.

 

The Highland Theatre:

Northeast Corner of Pasadena Avenue and Avenue 56

            (Pasadena Avenue is now North Figueroa Street)

Constructed: 1924

Architect: Noted Theatre Architect Lewis A. Smith (“L.A.” Smith)

Nearby Smith-designed theatres: The Vista at Sunset Junction, The Rialto in South Pasadena

Grand Opening: March 5, 1925 Attended by Actress Norma Shearer

Ownership: Built by West Coast Theatres, which soon became Fox West Coast Theatres. Now independently owned

Declared a City of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in 1991

The Sign:

502 Incandescent Light Bulbs, early example of electric signage

One of two remaining large bulb signs on Route 66 in Los Angeles

Spells out HIGHLAND in green and THEATRE in clear bulbs