Readymade Film Fest is a collective of individuals seeking to promote social consciousness through an array of artistic mediums. The festival aims to showcase underrepresented artists in the community by providing them with an open art space.

Originally dubbed the Lost Angeles Film Festival, co-founders David Aguilar and George Gomez have used the traveling festival formula to showcase over 150 films all over southern California through a wide range of venues that include U.C. Santa Barbara, San Diego City College, several art galleries and a beach drive-in.

“The idea has always been to try to bring the most diverse line up of films to an audience that otherwise would not be expose to. At the same time, we want to be able to showcase films that challenge our view of traditional film making from an independent point of view. The result has been a wide range of films that include documentaries about teachers in South Central L.A. and the protests at the Cancun WTO submit, a horror film about man-eating girls, animation and experimental pieces, a feature-film about a fictional teenagers living on the streets of Hollywood, and the list goes on,” explains George.

“We started doing screenings in 2001 that involved not only filmmakers, but also the collaborations of musicians and other artists. Each event was a combination of music, art and environment that evoked a great alternate experience to those that attended. With each event we tried to expand on the experience which included rooftop screenings on 4th of July, warehouse galleries in downtown LA,and a drive-in on the beaches of Carpenteria, CA,” explains David. “Collaborating with galleries like Avenue 50 Studio, Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, Rock Rose Gallery, and The Federal Art Project has allow us to build relationships with organizations in Los Angeles that understands the mission of the festival which help us put together a unique event for those individuals seeking for a more viral film viewing experience.”

In 2008, the organizers of the festival expanded to include a second screening in Washington D.C. following the same format as the original LA event.  This has turned into a newly tradition that they plan on continuing in 2009. For more information, email the organizers at readymadefilmfest@gmail.com