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.