Athens, Ga. – The films have been selected, special guests have agreed to attend, and anticipation is building for the first annual Robert Osborne’s Classic Film Festival slated for Jan. 27-30, 2005, at the Classic Center in downtown Athens.
Osborne, the host of Turner Classic Movies and columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, has selected eight motion pictures, many his personal favorites, to show during the festival. “I tried to select films that spanned the decades,” he explained. His selections range from 1938 to 2003.
The movie line-up for Athens’ inaugural festival includes “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” “Casablanca,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Hud,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Marlene,” “Cinema Paradiso” and “Triplets of Belleville.”
The selection reflects the broad range of world cinema and Osborne’s expansive interests, noted Nate Kohn, festival director and associate professor of telecommunications in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. “Robert is the world’s foremost authority on the Academy Awards, and his passion for great motion pictures will inspire us all to help build a community of active film-goers here in Athens.”
For the three-and-a half day festival, the 2,000-seat Classic Center theatre will be transformed into a world-class movie palace with the installation of a 54-foot motion picture screen and state-of-the-art 35mm projection and sound systems.
“It’s an exciting adventure to see these films the way they were meant to be seen,” explained Osborne. “The big screen gives a different dimension and vitality to them.” Osborne said that he also plans to include original trailers and cartoons so that festival goers can have the complete movie experience.”
After the screenings, selected directors, writers, producers and actors who worked on the films will appear on stage with Osborne to discuss their work with the audience. Actress Jane Powell from “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” actress Louise Fletcher who played Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Maximilian Schell, director of “Marlene,” and other special guests are scheduled to appear.
In addition, the festival will feature panel discussions hosted by Osborne. Panelists will
include UGA scholars, festival guests, artists, critics and others. The panel topics will relate to the classic festival films and their various influences. These panel discussions will be free and open to the public.
All films, with the exception of the Saturday matinee showing of The Adventures of Robin Hood, will require a ticket for admission. The matinee will be free and open to the public.
Festival tickets can be purchased separately or as a package at the Classic Center box office, online at www.classiccenter.com or by calling (800) 918-6393. Ticket prices will be $10 per individual film or $60 for a pass to all films and panel discussions. Students can purchase either individual film tickets for $8 or a pass to all films and panel discussions for $45 with valid student identification.
Robert Osborne’s Classic Film Festival is an annual nonprofit event of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more information, visit www.grady.uga.edu/osbornefest.
Established in 1915, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication provides seven undergraduate majors: advertising, broadcast news, magazines, newspapers, public relations, publication management and telecommunication arts. In addition, the college offers two graduate degrees, and it is home to the Peabody Awards, the premier program in broadcasting.