There's no lack of great film festivals to attend in California in the coming months:

The Palm Springs Film Noir Festival runs from May 29 through June 1, 2008,

the Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 19 through June 29, 2008.

the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and Short Film Market runs from August 21 through 26, 2008,

the DocuWeek Theatrical Documentary Showcase in Los Angeles sponsored by the International Documentary Association runs from August 22 through 28, 2008,

the Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival runs from September 17 through 21, 2008,

the San Diego Film Festival runs from September 25 through 28, 2008,

the San Diego Women Film Festival runs from October 2 through 5, 2008,

the Ojai Film Festival 2008 in beautiful Ojai, CA runs from November 5 through 9, 2008.

and the AFI Fest 2008 in Los Angeles runs from October 30 through 9, 2008.

All of these are great festivals that show independent feature, short, and documentary films. You can meet the filmmakers, attend some educational seminars, and making some great contacts.