Film Independent just released the preliminary gala schedule for this year’s LA Film Festival. Focus Features’ Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Fox Searchlight’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, and AFFRM and Participant’s Middle of Nowhere are the latest films added to roster. Beasts and Middle of Nowhere have already earned acclaim after debuting at Sundance. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World–with Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Rob Corddry, and Patton Oswalt, among others–will be making its world premiere.

Woody Allen‘s To Rome With Love will kick off the festival on June 14. More films should be announced shortly.

One of the great things about Jason Reitman‘s “Live Read” series for Film Independent at LACMA is that the all-star sessions are never filmed or recorded for Internet posterity. It’s all about the audience surrendering to a live-performance moment. To bring that point home last night, curator Elvis Mitchell donned a pair of sunglasses and jokingly warned that anyone caught using a Smartphone in the audience would get a painful, personal visit from Laurence Fishburne.

Fishburne (pictured), seated center stage, was riveting as Mr. White, cranking out the first pair of Reservoir Dogs reading highlights: the injured-partner-in-the-car scene with Mr. Orange (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and the soulful significant-others discussion with jewelry store heist organizer Joe (Chi McBride). Bookending the all-black cast last night was Reitman, stage-left, who reads the script scene set-up info, and his Young Adult co-star Patton Oswalt, stage-right, who donned several comic relief hats as a radio DJ, policeman and more.

Terrence Howard put his own, seductive spin on the role of psychopath Mr. Blonde, played so memorably in the film by Michael Madsen. He also got one of the biggest laughs of the night when he came to page 59 and, in response to Reitman’s stage direction, told the audience, “I wasn’t ready to die yet.” Reitman quickly adjusted, expanding Quentin Tarantino‘s words to indicate a longer, drawn out death scene.

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A couple of years ago, the Recording Academy loosened eligibility rules for the category of Best Comedy Album. It’s OK now for the soundtrack of a TV program to be considered an “album.”

It’s only because of this rule change that Kathy Griffin is in the running again this weekend with 50 & Not Pregnant, a product put out by Universal Network Television. That does not sit well with Dylan P. Gadino, editor of Laughspin.com. He recently told LA Times reporter Deborah Vankin that Griffin does not belong in the category for a fourth straight year:

“You shouldn’t be able to take audio from a television show and call it a comedy album,” says Gadino. “Original intent, editing and production should come into play.”

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Patton Oswalt, Megan Mullally, Marc Maron, Bob Odenkirk, and many more talents in comedy and TV have joined forces to bring an alternative comedy festival to Los Angeles.

Organizers have set up a kickstarter page to raise $20,000 in production costs. They’ve got 30 days to reach their goal, or the festival, called RIOT, won’t happen. So far, things are looking rosy. Just nine days into the fundraising, nearly $12,000 has been pledged. We’re optimistic that, come this fall, LA is going to have its very own comedy fest.

Donors receive some pretty cute swag, which is no doubt helping the fundraising efforts. I wouldn’t mind one of those t-shirts…

Patton Oswalt has gone total fanboy over the popular British period drama Downtown Abbey. The Los Angeles-based comedian declared himself “as besotted as a vicar at a crumpet orgy” over the show, and he enthusiastically live-tweeted his viewing of the 2nd season premiere.

But he took things to a new level this weekend when he posted this dashing photo of himself on Twitter, saying:

Consider this my audition, DOWNTON ABBEY. Season 3. Philbrick, the scone-stealing valet.

C’mon, England. This just has to happen.

Photo property of Patton Oswalt, obviously.

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It’s 826LA’s Fall-Time Yuk-Fest

“Insightful Comedy and Dogs on Tightropes”

Performing are Tim & Eric, Janeane Garofalo, Patton Oswalt, Jimmy Pardo, Bill Burr, Al Madrigal, Bob Moore‘s Amazing Mongrels and special guests.

The show will be at The Avalon Hollywood, Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 9:00 PM (Doors open at 8:00 PM) 1735 Vine Street (between Hollywood and Yucca Streets), Los Angeles, CA

Tickets: $25 VIP tickets: $75, includes gift bag, Premium, table tickets: $250-$5000. Tickets available through Wantickets

Adults only (18 and over)

What exactly does your hard earned cash go towards? They explained it to us:

All proceeds go toward 826LA’s free student programming.

826LA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

THE STRIKE SHOW: A live comedy/variety show produced by Nick Kroll and Kat Foster.
Wednesday December 12th at 10:00 pm at THE STEVE ALLEN THEATER Center for Inquiry-West, 4773 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90027 Two blocks west of Vermont — Plenty of FREE parking in the rear. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. WGA Members get in Free, but donations are encouraged.
All proceeds will benefit members of the industry who are affected by the strike via the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

MIRACLE ON 1ST STREET TOY DRIVE: The Latino Writers Committee is sponsoring a toy drive to benefit east L.A.’s famous Hollenbeck Youth Center on Thursday December 13th.
Please bring a new toy to drop off when you sign in for your Thursday picketing shift – there will be boxes available at all picket sites and in the WGA Lobby. Contact Alan Dybner at dyb@aol.com if you have any questions.

WRITE AID: A benefit concert (organized by Marti Noxon, Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin and the United Showrunner Committee) to provide assistance to industry employees affected by the Strike featuring performances by Edie Izzard, Lewis Black, Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman and Tenacious D (Jack Black and Kyle Gass).
Friday December 14th at Royce Hall, UCLA at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $75.00 per person and can by purchased at www.UCLALive.org or by calling (310) 825-2101 or through Ticketmaster.

Where’s the AMPTP’s holiday spirit? Oh, right.

Nina Bargiel knows.