The day before this Sunday's Oscar ceremony, while seemingly everyone is preparing for the onslaught of pomposity that the Academy Awards bring to the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, there's actually a cooler awards ceremony going down on the other side of town.  On the beach in Santa Monica, in a giant tent literally yards from the Pacific Ocean, Film Independent puts on the Independent Spirit Awards, celebrating the very best in movies made without studio backing.  Following Joel McHale as last year's host, the 2012 Spirit Awards are hosted by Seth Rogen.

Rogen needs no elaborate introduction, but the Canadian hilarity-factory has gone well beyond just acting in the likes of Freaks & Geeks, Knocked Up, Funny People, Observe and Report, and The Forty Year Old Virgin.  With his creative partner Evan Goldberg, Rogen has written and/or produced films including Superbad, Pineapple Express, and The Green Hornet.

Not only is Rogen hosting this Saturday's ceremony, but 50/50, the comedic drama which he produced and co-stars in, is up for three awards, including Best Feature and Best First Screenplay for Will Reiser, who wrote the film based on his own experience with cancer. 

In an interview with a handful of national outlets, Seth Rogen was gracious enough to talk about a wide range of topics.  Those topics included, amongst other things: hosting the Spirit Awards, his directorial debut The Apocalypse, his awards hopes for 50/50; improvisation, taking Kate Beckinsale off guard at the Golden Globes, his friend and collaborator Jonah Hill's Oscar nomination, his love of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol;.and movies he's enjoyed over the last year.

Unlike the seasons that pass annually in nature thanks to the tilt of Earth's axis and its course through the solar system, awards season culminates in a climactic event that epitomizes nearly everything associated with the yearly handing out of statuettes and accolades.  The 84th annual Academy Awards ceremony takes place this Sunday at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, where Billy Crystal will host the proceedings for the ninth time in a telecast produced by Brian Grazer.

With its famous traffic, ubiquitous smog, and abhorrent city planning, Los Angeles tends be a bit of a punching bag for the rest of the country, from the Midwest to New York City.  While one could argue the cultural and aesthetic value of the city all day, it is without a doubt the premiere city in America for moviegoing.  There are, of course upscale theaters like the Arclight or the Landmark, and there are unparalleled revival houses such as the New Beverly, the Aero, and the the Silent Movie Theater. 

In addition to this embarrassment of riches, there's the cinematic programming at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wilshire Boulevard.  Film Independent, the very same non-profit organization that puts on the annual Independent Spirit Awards celebrating the best in independent film, has a year-round weekly film series curated by critical luminary and KCRW's The Treatment host Elvis Mitchell.

For a dedicated and enthusiastic cinephile, there is no better place on Earth to lay your head than here in sunny Los Angeles, California.  Not because of the Walk of Fame or any number or tourist attractions, but for the plethora of incredible screenings happening every single day at any number of incredible locations such as The New Beverly, the Nuart, the Aero, and, of course, The Silent Movie Theater.  Non-profit Film Independent puts on a year-round weekly film screening series at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wilshire, and the November schedule has just been released.  As curated by luminary film critic and academic Elvis Mitchell (host of KCRW's excellent The Treatment), November contains a pretty remarkable lineup, including films such as The Descendants and Shame, along with appearances from George Clooney, Michael Fassbender, Jason Reitman, Steve McQueen, and Roger Corman, along with a showcase for Studio Ghibli, the legendary Japanese animation studio that is home to Hayao Miyazaki.

Tickets for non-members are $10 per person, unless you're a LACMA member, in which case they're only $7.  If you're a senior or a student with a valid student ID, then that $7 price applies, as well.  If you're a Film Independent, LACMA Film Club, or New York Times Film Club member, tickets are just $5.With the notable exception of Shame, pre-sale tickets for members on all films are now on sale at lacma.org or by calling (323) 857-6010.  For non-members, tickets go on sale Thursday, October 20th at 5 pm.  Tickets to Corman's World, The Descendants, and Jason Reitman's Live Read will be limited to two per purchase.  As for Shame, tickets will be free for Film Independent, LACMA Film Club, or New York Times Film Club members, and can be reserved as of today.

If you were suddenly given the opportunity to have absolutely anyone narrate your life, you'd be remiss if you didn't at least consider writer-director Werner Herzog for the job.  With his deadpan German accent and often befuddling philosophical ruminations, the director behind Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, and Encounters at the End of the World is just plain fun to listen to.  Besides, he's full of fascinating insights that frequently could come from no one else. 

That's why it's good news that he was just announced as the keynote speaker at the Film Independent Forum, a conference taking place this October where filmmakers engage in thoughtful discussion about the nature and intricacies of modern movies.  Also joining Herzog at the shindig thrown by the organization behind both the Independent Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival are panelists such as Karen Kusama, the director of Jennifer's Body, and Doug Jones, the LA Film Festival programmer.

For the last 17 years, the Los Angeles Film Festival has provided a showcase for hundreds of features, shorts, and music videos from the hub of the film industry itself.  Film Independent, which produces the festival, has announced some special treats for this year's shindig, which will run from June 16th-26th and feature more than 200 cinematic works from over 30 countries.  Among the freshly-announced goodies: a gala screening of Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive, an evening with James Franco, a special screening of Green Lantern, Guillermo del Toro as guest director, and the World Premiere of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which he produced.  Read on for all the details.