Festival

Organizers of the 11th Shanghai International Film Festival are looking for a new jury chairman after the death of Anthony Minghella. The British filmmaker, who won an Oscar for "The English Patient," died Tuesday in London of a hemorrhage after surgery. He was 54. Spokeswoman Crystal Yu said the festival, scheduled for June 14-22, plans to stage a retrospective of Minghella's works. He also directed "Cold Mountain" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

The Pasadena Freeway will be closed from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. today from Glenarm Street in Pasadena to Avenue 26 in Los Angeles for ArroyoFest. The festival will include a walk and bike ride.

Southern California's premier literary event (and we're not just saying that because, well, it's ours), the L.A. Times Festival of Books will feature two days of panels, readings and discussions on far-flung topics like California noir, water policy, Dave Eggers and the toughest question in fiction (how to write a sex scene without embarrassing yourself). UCLA campus, various times Sat. and Sun. Check events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks for a complete schedule.

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will expand this year to include comic books, graphic novels and manga. There will be three panels featuring authors and artists who work in the field, and others will be making appearances to talk with fans and sign autographs. One of the panel discussions, "Comics: Superheroes of the Page & Screen," will feature Mike Mignola, creator of "Hellboy"; Steve Niles, creator of the "30 Days of Night" graphic novel franchise; and Jeph Loeb, who has written for numerous super-hero comic books and is co-executive producer of NBC's "Heroes."

Veteran opera director Wolfgang Wagner on Friday welcomed guests to his festival in Bayreuth, Germany, walking on the arm of his youngest daughter -- a leading contender to replace him after a 57-year reign and a prolonged struggle over his successor. Wagner, the 88-year-old grandson of composer Richard Wagner, briefly greeted bystanders along with his 30-year-old daughter Katharina outside the Festspielhaus before the opening of the annual celebration. An official decision on who will take over the festival is not expected until after this year's event ends on Aug. 28.

Your editorial "Culture Also Needs Cash" (May 18) contains misinformation and illogical conclusions regarding the lease negotiations between the City of Laguna Beach and the Festival of Arts. The editorial states that the city receives 70% of the "sharable funds." That statement ignores two salient points: First, the definition of "sharable funds" excludes the $393,326 in net revenues retained by the festival in 1985. If that amount were included, the city's share would be 40%. Actually, the ratio of city's receipts compared to direct contributions/scholarships by the festival has steadily declined over the last 20 years from an average of 82% to 67%. The editorial states that increasing operating costs of the festival have been cutting into contributions and scholarships.

I can't let your final dig ("L.A. Festival Ends With a Sparse Turnout," Sept. 17) at the festival go by without a response. Closing weekend events at the Santa Monica Pier may have been less well attended than expected (hindered no doubt by your continual dire predictions of traffic nightmares), but Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge was alive with a large, happy crowd and wonderful performers. Where were your reporters? They could have been enjoying the exquisite Chinese Classical Music Ensemble, following a parade of Korean folk dancers through the park or joining hands to dance to Bolivian folk songs.

Divali, also spelled Dipawali, will be observed Sunday by Hindus. Called the "festival of lights," it culminates a festive period of nearly two weeks. TRADITION: Although Hinduism varies in traditions and celebrations according to regional and language differences, most Hindus consider Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, as the main patroness of the festival. Merchants, for whom the holiday is especially important, begin their new year from this point.

Thomas Keller, Jacques Pepin, Roy Choi and more than 70 other chefs will share cooking techniques, schmooze and even play golf at the fifth Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival in Pebble Beach, Calif. Tickets are expected to sell out for the four-day April event, which has an impressive roster of meals, cooking sessions, wine-tastings and after-hour parties. Organizers offer these tips on navigating what's one of the more exclusive food-and-wine festivals in the state. First-timers might want to watch chef Todd English at an hourlong cooking demonstration to pick up some new techniques and/or enjoy a wine-and-cheese pairing event with cheese expert Laura Werlin ($100 each, unless you buy a pass)

When it comes to describing Duke Ellington, it's easy to run out of superlatives. One of the defining figures of American music? Sure, with a 50-year career that includes standards such as "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" and "In a Sentimental Mood," that's a given. A leading light in our nation's culture who broke down racial barriers as routinely as most musicians break strings, most recently as the first African American to be immortalized on U.S.