Van Maximilian Carlson's SKID ROW, LOS ANGELES to Make LA Festival Debut At 24th Annual Dances With Films

"Skid Row, Los Angeles", the new documentary from writer-director Van Maximillian Carlson ("Princess of the Row", "Bhopali") will make its Los Angeles debut at the 24th Annual Dances With Films Festival on Tuesday, September 7th, 4:30PM, at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood.

The often heart-wrenching film shows intimate portraits of homelessness in Los Angeles told through the eyes of a charismatic Iraq War Veteran, activists fighting to form a Skid Row neighborhood council, and an Urban Music Choir, all searching for purpose while overcoming the economic disadvantages of life on Skid Row.

While as of 2021, there are upwards of 66,000 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County alone. 64% Male, 34% Female, this documentary is not about statistics. This documentary is about the PEOPLE. Their beauty, humanity, heartbreak, and drive for a better future that is built into all of us. By painting intimate portraits of their subjects and allowing their stories to unfold in real time, the film aims to transcend the misconceptions of people experiencing homelessness. "We don't want to present poverty as a stark and hopeless road. Instead, all our subjects will be actively fighting for their dreams, toward happiness, success, and a better life. In that regard, we hope our audience will be uplifted and inspired by what they witness, and ultimately, motivated to act and help," says Carlson.

Carlson is a Los Angeles-born American-Mexican independent film director and writer. His latest feature film, Princess of the Row, was Executive Produced by Morgan Freeman and was released on HBO MAX. His documentary, Bhopali, took home the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at the 2011 Slamdance Film Festival. Bhopali is now used in various school curriculum as a learning tool on industrial disasters and the ramifications of unregulated globalization. His documentary, Ninth November Night, was shortlisted by the Oscars and considered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to be "One of the outstanding documentaries of 2004." His editorial trailer work encompasses numerous studio blockbuster campaigns with Warner Brothers, Sony, and Universal and has been recognized with multiple Clio Key Art awards.

"Skid Row, Los Angeles" will screen Tuesday, September 7th, 4:30PM. at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

DANCES WITH FILMS (DWF)

Started in 1998, DANCES WITH FILMS has grown from presenting a handful of films to nearly 200 each year. Starting with only narrative features and shorts, DWF now includes the top documentaries, music videos, TV programs and Webseries on the circuit today. With the festival's 2012 return to the TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood, DWF is one of the highest attended film fests in Southern California with more than 20,000 attendees each year.

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