As this edition hits the street, the LA Film Festival is still livening up the streets of Westwood and will keep its marquees glittering through July 2, 2006. For those of you that haven’t yet taken advantage of all the Festival has to offer, like, say, some 256 or so films, it’s not too late to be part of the action. Still on the block is the “red carpet” premier of the destined-to- become- cult- classic BEACH PARTY AT THE THRESHHOLD OF HELL, not to mention films like ISLANDER, CHALK, LAST RITES (another red carpet world premier), GRETCHEN, DELIVER US FROM EVIL, the Centerpiece Selection QUINCEANERA, Closing Night Gala and world premier of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, and Family Day on July 1. And for those of you that might have a missed few things along the way, let me give you an update on one of the most important days to come from the Festival. Not only do films entertain, they often (lately, more often than not) educate and inform. Two of the best examples of this are WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? and AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. Serving as book ends around an environmental fair to what was known as “Green Day”, these two films succinctly and passionately tell the sad tale of the environmental demise of this country and the world, global warming, the energy crisis (and it is a crisis), corporate and political greed and consumer laziness.

Written and directed by Chris Paine, WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?, takes a look at the creation and destruction of the electric car, and more particularly GM’s EV-1. With gas prices at an all time high, fossil fuel consumption adversely affecting global warming, and the “sudden realization” that the vast natural resources of the world are not unlimited, Paine could not have picked a better time to release this film.

By 1990, pollution in California had risen to an all time high (up to that point), and thanks to the legislature’s enactment of the Zero Emission Mandate, car manufacturers had to come up with an alternative to the internal combustion, gas and oil, method of powering a car. The answer was quite a simple. Electricity. As pointed out in commentary by comedienne Phyllis Diller (with an oil portrait of her old friend and ours, Bob Hope, gracing the background) electric cars were nothing new. They had been around for almost 100 years, as were trolleys. Clean, efficient, quiet modes of transportation, both fell by the wayside thanks to. . .well, you can form your own answer to that question once you see the film. We had the technology to build an electric car. We had the law in place to force the car companies to manufacture the cars. And for once, there was a meeting of the minds. GM developed the EV-1 and announced its release in 1996.

In an effort to put a positive spin on this “new” concept, 800 cars were built and leased primarily to celebrities, who chatted up their little EV’s every chance they got. From Mel Gibson to Tom Hanks to J. Karen Thomas and Collette Divine to Peter Horton and Alexandra Paul, not one EV owner had anything bad to say about the car. In fact, they loved their cars and the environment so much, they fought all the way to the wrecking yards in an effort to keep not just the cars, but all of our futures alive.

Somewhere along the line, politics, money and greed came into play and within five years, the EV’s were taken back by GM. Only available by lease, it was at the discretion of GM to terminate the leases at any time. And they did. Peter Horton, who fought tooth and nail to keep his EV, provides one the most poignant and impacting images in the documentary. As the last person to possess an EV, the sight of Horton waiting in his driveway for the two truck and then to see the car towed off, is disheartening, disturbing and demands answers. Even more disturbing is the fact that GM actually crushed the cars. No recycling, no dismantling, just crushed perfectly good cars. Why?

Effectively and eloquently narrated by Martin Sheen, ELECTRIC CAR is written in the form of a mystery theater “who done it” punctuated with some great comedic and sarcastic overtones. Fact filled and enlightening, Paine keeps the film moving thanks to some sharp editing, constant inquisition and compelling interviews with individuals like GM’s Roger Smith (a good guy) and Chelsea Sexton, a woman with more passion in her little finger with her belief in the EV-1 than most of us will ever have about anything in the course of a lifetime. Present at the LAFF screening, it was a pleasure to know that her passion off screen is as intent, if not moreso, than that on screen. One of the most interesting interviews is that with battery manufacturer, Stanford R. Ovshinsky. It is Ovshinsky and his company Ovonics that developed the long lasting nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery so crucial to an electric car.

Opening with a tongue-in-cheek funeral for the electric car, Paine gives us lessons in the environment, history, politics, finance, and let’s face it - stupidity, as we follow the demise of the EV-1. So, who killed the electric car? The oil companies? The government? Hydrogen fuel initiatives? Car manufacturers? Battery manufacturers? The California Air Resources Board? Advertising agencies? In theaters now, WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? You decide.

Moving into evening, the Festival continued with one of its greatest highlights - former Vice-President Al Gore presenting his film AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. In an open air plaza in downtown LA, movie-goers were greeted by Mr. Gore and some rather special guests, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora and director Davis Guggenheim.

A long time activist against global warming, Gore has been travelling across the country presenting a multi-media seminar bringing this burning issue to light. Thanks to director Davis Guggenheim, the seminar has been captured on film and is in theaters now.

Through the use of charts, graphs, photos and archival footage, (obviously the man knows visual aids are key), Mr. Gore succinctly explains with unabashed enthusiasm the global warming crisis and how it is affecting our planet. Breaking everything down to basics, even young children can understand this man’s message.

In plain, simple English, Gore explains how our carbon dioxide levels are at their highest level in 600,000 years and rising. Not satisfied with just throwing out numbers and names, Gore presents documented scientific evidence to back up his statements and provides fascinating and engaging footage demonstrating how the information is obtained. Among others, with cores of ice pulled up from the Antarctic ice shelf, and others, we learn about air bubbles trapped within the ice and the aging techniques and analysis that tells us just how destructive man has become.

More graphs and charts, as well as a cherry-picker raising Gore “off the charts” in illustration, concisely examine the ill-effects this global warming has had on rising temperatures which in turn affect ocean currents, eco-systems, disease and yes, even weather and the “natural” disasters that have been increasingly plaguing the planet in recent years. I have had very few teachers in my life that are as easily understood and communicable as Gore. He is so well-spoken and the subject so thoroughly researched and presented, that it is impossible not to become immersed in the film. By its end, it is impossible to not comprehend his message and the cause and effect relationship of the global event. Allowing his frustration with governments, this Administration and even the public themselves, to shine through, Gore’s commitment and sense of humanity are compelling.

Not just an education on the inconvenient truth we must all face, the film provides just enough snippets of Gore “off duty” to give a sense of his history, who he is, where he comes from, how he got here and from where his passion comes. To have seen the Al Gore in this film during the 2000 presidential campaign, “hanging chads” might never have come into play.

As if Gore’s presentation alone isn’t enticing enough, director Guggenheim captures us with some excellent cinematographic work and completes the picture with razor sharp precision editing. Nothing fancy, just clean, simple and effective.

Disarmingly and alarmingly sincere in both its message and presentation, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH is a truth that has to be seen.