Alt film in L.A.

Steven Rosen writes on Indiewire today about L.A.'s place in the alternative cinema boom.

To most people, a list of the top cities for the American alternative-cinema movement would include New York, Toronto, Park City in January, Austin and San Francisco, maybe. It would not feature Los Angeles. That's the belly of the beast after all -- home to the studios and their culture of worshiping movie-star glamour and box-office grosses. Intellect and artfulness -- cinematic ideas and traditions -- be damned.

And yet an extraordinary thing is occurring here in L.A. -- cinematheques are becoming almost as common as swimming pools.

He talks in some detail about American Cinematheque's plans for the Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica and the new Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood Village.