Third Annual Palisades Film Fest Begins Tonight The Palisades Film Festival opens tonight, May 11, and continues through Saturday, May 13 with a variety of screenings taking place at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Blvd. The opening night’s film, shown at 7:15 p.m., is the L.A. premiere of “Crossing Arizona,” Joseph Mathew’s gripping documentary about the tensions along the Mexican/American border. Focusing on personal stories of local people on both sides of the border, the film follows a dynamic array of individuals including Minutemen, Latino activists and the emigrants themselves. Also showing will be the short film “Intelligence” by director Allen Martinez. Opening-night festivities culminate at 9:30 p.m. at Chefmakers Cooking Academy, 862 Via de la Paz, where Dom DeLuise will be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by his longtime friend Burt Reynolds. Tickets to the opening-night party, including the screenings, are $50. The film-only price is $10. Another highlight is the screening of “Always Will” at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 13. Earlier this year the movie won the audience-favorite award at the International Family Film Festival. Written and directed by Michael Sammaciccia, “Always Will” centers on the tumultuous years of a high school adolescent who discovers a time capsule that allows him to achieve the kind of popularity that every teenager yearns for. Tickets are $5. For a complete list of screenings, go online to www.FriendsofFilm.com. Credit card reservations for all screening parties and packages can be made by calling the Theatre Palisades box office at 454-1970. Ann Taylor Fleming Explores the Ever-Fascinating Family Ann Taylor Fleming will sign her first novel, “As If Love Were Enough” on Thursday, May 18, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Fleming is a television commentator and writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times and The New Yorker. Her two novellas, “Marriage: A Duet,” were published to critical acclaim, and an earlier nonfiction book, “Motherhood Deferred,” a woman’s journey, is a passionate and personal exploration of the generation of women who came of age during the women’s movement. Fleming, an on-camera essayist for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and a CNN NewsNight contributor, lives in Brentwood with her husband, Karl Fleming. Her novel tells the story of the intricate relationships of a family as its members grapple with love, loyalty and their meaning to one another. When Clare Layton’s actress mother abandons her husband and small daughters for her lover, Clare’s comfortable Hollywood family and lifestyle are shattered forever. But a reunion with her long-estranged sister, Louise, who hopes to enlist her aid to save her ailing teenage son, forces both women to come to terms with their childhood, family, and personal lives. Kehillat Lecture Aims on Fatherhood “Fatherhood” is the subject of a talk to be presented by Edward Dreyfus, Ph.D. at Kehillat Israel, 16019 Sunset Blvd., at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 15. Most fathers think of themselves merely as breadwinners in the family. At best, they become a “mother’s assistant” rather than recognize that their role is unique and as important as the mother’s role. As a result, children often suffer from what might be called “father-hunger.” This workshop will help you understand more fully your psychological role as a dad and how you can become more active in your child’s life. Contact: 459-2328. Author Thomas Perry To Speak at Library Thomas Perry, the author of many popular mysteries, will be speaking at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real Dr., at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. His most current novel,”Nightline,” is the story of a woman who changes identities each time she commits a murder. Perry is a Los Angeles writer who has won an Edgar award from the Mystery Writers of American for his first crime novel. The program is sponsored by the Pacific Palisades Library Association. Contact: 459-2754. Malibu Garden Tour Set for May 20 The Malibu Garden Club will hold its 9th Annual Garden Tour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. Featured this year will be some of Malibu’s most beautiful gardens hosted by docents and renowned landscape architects and designers at each location. Refreshments are included with the $25 tax-deductible donation. For tickets or for more information, go to www.malibugardenclub.com or call 455-1558. The Da Vinci Code Opens Discussion Palisadians Gerald McLaughlin and Sara Taft will discuss the Knights Templar and Mary Magdalene on the eve of the motion picture release of “The Da Vinci Code” on Tuesday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library Community Room, 861 Alma Real. McLaughlin is dean emeritus and a professor of law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and is the author of “The Parchment.” Sara Taft is a local artist whose artwork entitled “A Legendary Biography of Mary Magdalene” is currently circulating. Some of her work will be displayed during the discussion.
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