All Road Fest Makes L.A. Stop


National Geographic will showcase the works of indigenous and uner-represented minority-culture filmmakers, photographers and music performers at its third annual All Roads Film Festival. The event will be held Sep. 28 - Oct. 1 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and Oct. 5-8 at the National Geographic Society in Washington.

The film lineup will include "Zero Degrees of Seperation," a documentary focusing on gay and lesbian Arab-Israeli couples in Israel; "The Journey of Vaan Ngueyn," the story of a young, Israeli-born Vietnamese woman; and the Mexican short "Suenos Biacionales" (Binational Dreams), a look at the Indian communities of Oaxaca in the U.S.

The event, which will open with a performance by Tibetan artist Yungchen Liamo, will also feature an eclectic mix of short -and -long features, documentaries and animated works, a walk-through photography exhibit and live music performances. A live concert by Sudanese rapper Emmauel Jal will be featured during the fest.

This year's music program is presented in part by worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com, which celebrates traditional and nontraditional music from around the globe. The Washington event will also feature an art market with art, crafts and handiwork from global artisans.

A new, family-friendly animation program has been added to this year's schedule.

In Washington, All Roads will also offer two panels on culture and art: "The Geography of Art: Weaving Culture and Tradition" and "Culture Through the Digital Medium."

The All Roads Film Project, a National Geographic initiative to provide a global platform for indigenous and under-represented minority-culture storytellers around the world to showcase their talents and teach a broader audience about their cultures.