Organizers:

The Downtown Film Festival - Los Angeles will be organized by the creators of Silver Lake Film Festival, Los Angeles’ most successful new film festival. Established in 1999, SLFF, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation registered in California, has emerged as the city’s leading independent and alternative film event.

The 2007 Festival was the most successful, best-attended—and, yes, most rewarding—ever. More than 200 films were screened in venues stretching from Downtown to Hollywood. The festival’s celebrated Spirit Awards went to actress Parker Posey, pioneering filmmaker Hal Hartley, and to the directors of the Oscar-nominated "Little Miss Sunshine," Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Among the other highlights were an ASCAP-sponsored MusicFest, a standing-room-only panel and party for "Sustainable L.A.," and sellouts at our filmmaker symposia and panels.

The principals of SLFF, Inc. and DLAFF are:

• Greg Ptacek – The founder of Silver Lake Film Festival and its Festival Co-Director. Mr. Ptacek is a film marketing and PR expert with executive management experience at major studios, including Warner Bros., Universal and Walt Disney. Previously, he headed communications for the American Film Market, the world’s largest business-to-business film event.
• Kate Marciniak - Festival Co-Director. Ms. Marciniak oversees the festival’s programming and develops its strategic business partnerships. Her background encompasses over 20 years’ experience in programming development as a story analyst for many of the major Hollywood studios and as a TV and radio producer. She is a member of the Motion Pictures Editors Guild.
• Henry K. Priest - Festival Co-Director. Mr. Priest has served the industry as a producer of film, TV and special events and as a casting director. He is the founder of the Nosotros American Latino Film Festival, producer of the Future Estrellas Young Latino Performers Conference presented by the Walt Disney Company, and serves on the Screen Actors Guild's Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Silver Lake Film Festival.
• David Andrusia  - VP Marketing. Mr. Andrusia has served as Managing Director of the Beverly Hills Film Festival.  Presently marketing consultant for the digital distribution of independent films, he was previously VP Marketing for Withoutabox, the world’s largest network of independent filmmakers.  Formerly head of marketing for New Line Cinema Home Entertainment, he has held executive posts at Revlon, Sanrio, and Swatch Watch USA
• Roger M. Mayer – Programming Director. Head of the festival operations. Mr. Mayer is also a film historian and independent producer. For many years he served in a senior management position with the Sundance Film Festival. 

The principals are advised by a board of directors and advisors composed of leaders in business and arts & entertainment. The festival organizers plan to establish a board of advisors specific to the Downtown Film Festival - L.A., composed of Hollywood luminaries and downtown business leaders and philanthropists.