First-ever TCM Classic Film Festival to Present Special Events Inspired by Vanity Fair's Tales of Hollywood and Introduced by Vanity Fair Writers and Special Guests

First-ever TCM Classic Film Festival to Present Special Events Inspired by Vanity Fair's Tales of Hollywood and Introduced by Vanity Fair Writers and Special Guests

Festival Passes for April 2010 Event on Sale Now at www.tcm.com/festival, With Special Fan Appreciation Pricing of $100 Off All Passes Available through Dec. 18

ATLANTA, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The lineup is continuing to grow for the first TCM Classic Film Festival, which is now set to feature special screenings of The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Cleopatra (1963), The Graduate (1967), The Producers (1968) and Midnight Cowboy (1969). The films will be presented as part of special programming inspired by the book Vanity Fair's Tales of Hollywood. The movies will be preceded by panel discussions conducted by Vanity Fair writers who penned essays on the films. The panels will feature special guests associated with each film, such as Tony Curtis, Jon Voight, Martin Landau, Buck Henry and Peter Bogdanovich.

In addition to the titles associated with the Vanity Fair event, the festival will include newly restored films presented in association with the Film Foundation. Founded in 1990 by Martin Scorsese and a distinguished group of fellow filmmakers, the Film Foundation is dedicated to protecting motion pictures and the rights of the artists who create them, educating the public about the importance of film preservation, and raising the necessary funds to save the endangered cinematic treasures. Among the films slated to be showcased as part of the Film Foundation program are Leave Her to Heaven (1945) and Wild River (1960).

The TCM Classic Film Festival will also explore how Hollywood has treated its own history, with a schedule that includes such Hollywood-set films as Sunset Blvd. (1950), In a Lonely Place (1950), Singin' in the Rain (1952), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and The Stunt Man (1980).

Additional screenings during the TCM Classic Film Festival will include a newly restored version of Carmen Jones (1954), the newly restored early Frank Capra film Dirigible (1931), A Man's Castle (1933) and Imitation of Life (1959), the latter to be introduced by two of the film's stars, Susan Kohler Weitz and Juanita Moore, both of whom earned Oscar® nominations for their performances.

TCM previously announced plans for several high-profile screenings at the festival, including restored versions of A Star is Born (1954), Metropolis (1927) and Breathless (1960).

Over the coming weeks, TCM will continue to announce additional programming and guests scheduled to be in attendance at the TCM Classic Film Festival.

Passes for the TCM Classic Film Festival are currently on sale, with prices ranging from $499 to $1,199. As a special fan appreciation holiday treat, passes are available for $100 off through Dec. 18.

The following are the latest highlights announced for the TCM Classic Film Festival:

Vanity Fair's Tales of Hollywood

Inspired by the book Vanity Fair's Tales of Hollywood, which features fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from some of Hollywood's greatest films, the TCM Classic Film Festival is partnering with Vanity Fair to present a special collection of movies and panel discussions featuring writers from the magazine and people associated with the films. The book, published by Penguin Books, was edited by Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. Screenings will include The Graduate (1967), Midnight Cowboy (1969), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Producers (1968), Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and Cleopatra (1963). The screenings will be preceded by panel discussions with such special guests as Tony Curtis, Jon Voight, Martin Landau, Buck Henry and Peter Bogdanovich, as well as Tom Mankiewicz, son of Cleopatra director Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Vanity Fair's Sam Kashner, Peter Biskind and David Kamp, each of whom has essays included in the Vanity Fair book, will conduct the panel discussions.

Hollywood on Hollywood

In keeping with the festival's theme of exploring how Hollywood depicts itself on the silver screen, the TCM Classic Film Festival will feature screenings of such films as Sunset Blvd. (1950), starring Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Erich von Stroheim; In a Lonely Place (1950), with Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame; Singin' in the Rain (1952), starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor; The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), with Kirk Douglas, Lana Turner and Dick Powell; The Stunt Man (1980), with Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback and Barbara Hershey.

Film Foundation Presentations

In association with the Film Foundation, one of the leading organizations dedicated to film preservation, the TCM Classic Film Festival will present special screenings of such newly restored films as Leave Her to Heaven (1945), a romantic melodrama starring Gene Tierney and featuring Leon Shamroy's breathtaking, Oscar-winning cinematography, and Wild River (1960), Elia Kazan's exquisite look at 1930s Tennessee starring Montgomery Clift and Lee Remick.

Additional Special Screenings

The TCM Classic Film Festival will feature screenings of the newly restored Dirigible (1931), an early Frank Capra drama starring Ralph Graves and Fay Wray; Frank Borzage's rarely seen A Man's Castle (1933), an early Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young classic; Imitation of Life (1959), Douglas Sirk's racially charged 1959 melodrama, which will be introduced by the film's Oscar® nominated stars, Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner Weitz; and a newly restored version of Otto Preminger's Carmen Jones (1954), an adaptation of Bizet's opera Carmen starring Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte and Pearl Bailey.

About the TCM Classic Film Festival

The TCM Classic Film Festival, which is set to take place in Hollywood April 22-25, 2010, will be a landmark celebration of the history of Hollywood and its movies, presented in a way that only TCM can, with major events, celebrity appearances, panel discussions and more. The four-day festival will also provide movie fans a rare opportunity to experience some of cinema's greatest works as they were meant to be seen - on the big screen. TCM will announce additional special events, guests and programming in the weeks and months ahead. The central hub for the festival will be Club TCM, located inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The Roosevelt, which served as the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony, will be the official hotel for the festival. Only passholders will be allowed entry into Club TCM, which will include a festival lounge, panel discussions, social events, a boutique and poolside screenings. Event locations include Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Egyptian Theatre.

Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network celebrating 15 years of presenting great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 80 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials at its Web site, www.tcm.com. TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Source: TCM

CONTACT: Sarah Schmitz, Atlanta, +1-404-575-6313,
sarah.schmitz@turner.com, or Samantha Graham, New York, +1-212-275-6821,
samantha.graham@turner.com, or Cassie Bryan, Los Angeles, +1-818-977-4567,
cassie.bryan@turner.com, all of TCM

Web Site: http://www.tcm.com/

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