Jordan Carlos And Phoebe Robinson To Host Special 30th Anniversary Screening Of DAZED AND CONFUSED

The 2023 Lower East Side Film Festival ("LESFF") will host a special 30th-anniversary screening of Richard Linklater's, 1993 cult classic, "Dazed and Confused" with live commentary from comedians, Jordan Carlos (The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore) and Phoebe Robinson (HBO's 2 Dope Queens, Everything's Trash) on Friday, May 5 at the Village East Cinema with a 9 pm showtime in Mystery Science Theater 3000 style.

The event will include a virtual introduction by director Richard Linklater and complimentary beer and wine plus additional surprises. [Purchase Tickets]

In excitement and nostalgia, Jordan Carlos said, "This movie is burned in my brain. it's part of being a Texan and growing up in the 90s, and there will always be a party at the moon tower in my heart!"

"I've never seen this movie before so I can't wait to talk loudly over it and have lots of ill-informed options that will be funny and ignorant as I watch with everyone in real time!" added Phoebe Robinson.

The 13th annual film festival includes exclusive feature film premieres, specialty short showcases, industry panels, and parties at the Village East Cinema, and DCTV Firehouse Cinema from May 4-8 plus virtually through May 14. Enjoy the open bar for all screenings. Tickets are on-sale now and virtually.

The downtown indie festival continues its expanded viewership with a hybrid approach (in-person plus streaming) focused on highly curated programming and one-of-a-kind events and talent including Zosia Mamet, (The Decameron (Netflix), Aristotle Athari (SNL, Silicon Valley), Jo Firestone (Shrill), Ana Fabrega (Los Espookys), Phoebe Tyers (Search Party), Erin Darke (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Good Girls Revolt), Sophie Zucker (comedian/writer The Daily Show, Dickinson), Yaron Lotan (FX's FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE), Marquis Rodriguez (When They See Us), Isaac Powell (Dear Evan Hansen, American Horror Story), and many more. LESFF will also showcase a number of notable narrative and documentary feature film premieres.

Judges on the panel are Tina Satter (Writer/Director), Dan Pearlman (Flatbush Misdemeanors), Abhay Sofsky (Editor, The Last Dance, 100 Foot Wave) Halavah Sofksy (Producer, The Other Two, The Chris Gethard Show), among others. View the full jury here.

"We love the movies. That's the simplest way to put it," says Festival Director, Roxy Hunt. "For me, there's nothing like standing in the back of a dark theater, waiting with anticipation to see how the audience will react as the night unfolds, and being filled with so much joy when I hear the laughs, the shock, the appreciation, for each film they see - knowing that they put their trust in us. Any New Yorker has an endless amount of choices on how they'll spend any given night, and I can't describe how honored I feel they choose to spend it with us."

The Lower East Side Film Festival (LESFF) features the innovative work of creative, up-and-coming filmmakers, and showcases their films in the heart of New York City's vibrant and historic Lower East Side. The festival has hosted hundreds of films, panels, and events that focus on diversity, originality, quality, and impact. We are committed to creating an unparalleled experience that combines visionary, independent filmmaking with the counterculture spirit of the Lower East Side.

2023 will mark the 13th Anniversary of the Lower East Side Film Festival. In its inaugural year, the LESFF crew turned a Lower East Side pop-up storefront space into a unique and intimate theater that featured a month-long residency of sold-out screenings of some of the independent film community's most innovative new talent. Since then, the festival has premiered hundreds of short and feature films, hosted thousands of audience members, and has been deemed "one of the most exciting under the radar film events in all of New York City" (Film.com). LESFF was featured in New York Magazine's Approval Matrix (under "Highbrow/ Brilliant"), The New York Times, Interview, Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter, The New York Post, IndieWire, Variety, and many many more.

Over the years, the festival has expanded from that modest storefront into bigger venues (the famous Sunshine Cinema, Anthology Film Archives, Soho House, The Crosby Street Hotel, Village East Cinema) and created special downtown NYC experiences including Rooftop Pool Party Screenings, Drive-In Movie Theater Block Parties, World Premiere screenings, Industry Panels, Concerts, Comedy Shows, and Video Installations. LESFF has also launched a podcast on indie filmmaking, "Below the Line", and secured distribution for its up and coming independent filmmakers. In 2020, the festival was held virtually and reached an audience of film-lovers all over the world, and furthered that reach in 2021 and 2022 with a hybrid festival of both in-person and online screenings.

Past Lower East Side Film Festival judges and talent have included Ethan Hawke, Susan Sarandon, Willem Dafoe, Denis O'Hare, Laverne Cox, Rosario Dawson, Rami Malek, Parker Posey, Ilana Glazer, Dolly Parton, Indya Moore, Oscar Isaac, Samantha Bee, Dana Brunetti, Natasha Lyonne, Marky Ramone, Rebecca Miller, Sasheer Zamata, Judah Friedlander, Lizzy Caplan, Amy Arbus, Justin Bond, Tig Notaro, Nick Kroll, Eliza Dushku, Chloe Fineman and many, many more.

Great films are made with creativity, innovation, and heart. In spite of the awesome and famous talent that has passed through our festival, LESFF will always seek out the undiscovered and underdog filmmakers who know that a huge budget does not equal a great film.