The heart of Downtown Long Beach is no stranger when it comes to creative and innovative events put on by eclectic movers and shakers of the city.
A new festival, “Wilmore 9 Film, Music and Art,” will commemorate its first annual event this Saturday and Sunday all throughout the downtown area.
While there are other film festivals held in Long Beach, like the increasingly popular Long Beach QFilm Festival, this new event hopes to expand into more than just a weekend celebration.
Planners of this event hope to make the now two-day event into a nine-day festival where it can feature each of the nine districts in Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Post
By expanding the size and duration of the event, the “Wilmore 9” Team wants to incorporate music and art into the festival, as well as a beer garden and a wide array of food trucks, giving it the feel of a grander, bona-fide festival similar to that of South by Southwest, acorrding to the Long Beach Post.
The inclusion of a larger event continues to emphasize the importance of bringing the entire community of Long Beach together.
With the added entertainment and expanded boundaries, the event aims to send a message of togetherness while including outside attendees as well.
This year, the event will play host to 47 different artists, a variety ranging from local indie groups to up-and-coming acts like The Aquadolls and Naïve Thieves.
Aside from these live bands, a small number of disc jockeys will be playing different locations like the beer garden, the Mad Haus and the LB Independent Stage locations throughout downtown.
The film segment of the festival incorporates a mix of documentaries, features, music videos, short films, student films and new media.
Depending on the type of ticket purchased, festival-goers have the chance to view movies created by local filmmakers.
Another main attraction besides film, art and music is the Wilmore Skate team, a group of six local skaters including Derrick Wilson and Boo Johnson, who will be performing trick demonstrations throughout the event. Pioneer Electronics donated a top-of-the-line, Audio Demo Car, which will blast music put on by the skatepark DJs.
Wilmore 9 will also display “The Exhibition,” an art exhibit showcasing local contemporary artists. A live art show will also be put on by Daniel Gilbreath.
Tickets to the event range from $20 to $70, each offering different packages. VIP passes include front-of-the-line entry, meet-and-greets and other exclusive perks. Money raised from VIP sales will go to nonprofit organizations like Music Saves Lives.
For more information and to purchase tickets to the event, visit www.wilmore9.com.