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Pat Saperstein
Deputy Editor
@Variety_PatS See All
Courtesy Everett Collection How true is the perception that Los Angeles doesn’t have a prominent signature film festival? While the city’s film lovers were debating the question, Beyond Fest at American Cinematheque snuck in and became one of the city’s biggest and most popular cinema events, with some 37,000 people expected by the end of the movie celebration that runs through Oct. 5.
L.A. has sometimes been a tricky town for film festivals. Over the years, several high-profile fests struggled to stay afloat with consistently strong slates, and dozens of niche festivals filled in the gaps to serve the city’s diverse filmgoers. Then 14 years ago, Beyond Fest stepped in, and by partnering with the American Cinematheque, it was able to build up a fan base so rabid that scoring tickets became a blood sport for the city’s cinephiles.
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