San Diego Film Festival lights up the Gaslamp Quarter and La Jolla through September 30.
The annual San Diego Film Festival celebrates quirkier movies that seldom get a shot at the megaplex, but there’s fun to be had outside the theater, too. Like at a block party themed after Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe’s semiautobiographical film about a teenage rock critic growing up in San Diego. On Sept. 28, festival organizers will carpet a downtown street with red shag and show the film on a giant outdoor screen for party guests dressed up in full 1970s regalia—the original Penny Lane is even slated to attend. Another highlight of the fest: a retrospective of the films of Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk), held at the Sherwood Auditorium in La Jolla with the Oscar-nominated director in attendance. Through Sept. 30, various venues. 619.818.2221. sdfilmfest.com