Shorter days are made for movie nights. Last weekend, Front Porch Cinema debuted free outdoor movies at the Santa Monica Pier. And this weekend, the 11th annual Other Venice Film Festival returns with three days of independent shorts, features and music videos.

"Venice has always been an epicenter for L.A. artists and filmmakers who continue to pave the way toward expanding the language of underground, alternative cinema. The Other Venice Film Festival bridges the community of Venice and that of greater Los Angeles together in a competitive, fun-filled weekend of movies and mayhem." – Other Venice Film Festival

The Other Venice Film Festival is a community event showcasing local filmmakers and artists while celebrating Venice's deep roots within the entertainment industry. Festivities run Friday October 10, to Sunday, October 12, with opening-night appearances by Michelle Rodriguez and Rie Rasmussen of 1%ERS, a short film about a Hollywood starlet whose life takes a turn for the worse after a crisis on set. 

Also premiering opening night is FreeDumb, a documentary directed by independent Venice filmmakers Laura Rudich and Sean VanLoozen that illustrates the creative talents of their artist community.  It's described as a "present-day portrait of a few of the talented and eclectic people who call this haven their home."

FreeDumb features well-known local artists including Ernie Miranda at Venice Glassworks, Tony Fernandez, the Jim Morrison impersonator who performs regularly at Venice Bistro, and Jules Muck, who painted the Freedumb Mural on Main St. Check out the Kickstarter campaign that helped fund the documentary here. 

Screenings will be held at Beyond Baroque, a literary and arts center at Venice Blvd. and Shell Ave. Red carpet opening night tickets are $30 each; per-screening tickets are $10; and an all access pass for the weekend is $100 each.

The Other Venice Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting independent film and theatre artists from Venice and around the world, and introducing audiences everywhere to their new work.

For more information and a preview of screenings, visit Other Venice Film Festival. Purchase tickets here.