The Boston Film Festival will get underway next week, running September 12-18, and featuring a number of area premieres.
Here is the press release issued by the Festival.
Boston, MA, AUGUST 25 — A multitude of rising new talents, veteran actors and talented filmmakers will travel to Boston to celebrate an eclectic array of accomplished independent feature films and documentaries at The 2008 Boston Film Festival, it was announced today by Robin Dawson, executive director. The festival runs September 12-17 at the Kendall Square Theaters.
Tickets for the festival’s screenings are available at the theaters’ box office or by calling 617-499-1996 or at www.landmarktheaters.com beginning September 1. This year’s sponsors are: A&E Indie Films, NBC Universal, Bravo, Legal Seafoods, American Airlines, Lindor Truffles, The One Club, and Sundance Channel. Actors confirmed to attend the festival at press time include Greg Kinnear, Tyson Beckford, Robert Knott. Additional announcements about stars attending will be made upon completion of their travel arrangements. Cambridge resident Robert B. Parker, who wrote the novel “Appaloosa,” will attend the premiere of the highly anticipated movie that opens the festival to receive the 2008 Boston Film Festival Award for Excellence in Literature. Maria Menounos (correspondent for “Access Hollywood” and “Today”) will be present for the film she produced “Operation Shock and Awe…Some.” Directed by Ed Harris, “Appaloosa” stars Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Timothy V. Murphy and Daniel T. Parker. Set in the Old West territory of New Mexico, “Appaloosa” revolves around a pair of marshals (Harris and Mortensen) who come to clean up a dangerous town run by a ruthless, powerful rancher (Irons) and his band of outlaws. While boldly bringing new order to the town, the two fearless lawmen meet a provocative outsider (Zellweger) whose unconventional ways threaten to destroy their friendship. “Appaloosa” is co-written and directed by Ed Harris. (Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema) Co-screenwriter and producer Robert Knott will travel to Boston for the premiere and to participate in the celebration for Parker
The 24th Boston Film Festival will close with the premiere of Universal’s “Flash of Genius,” starring Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, and Alan Alda. First time Director Marc Abraham will join Kinnear for the screening and conduct a Q&A at the theater. Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns (Kinnear) and his long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, “Flash of Genius” tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity would come at a heavy price. But this determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win.
The World premiere of “Childless” stars Barbara Hershey and Joe Montegna, and was directed and written by Charlie Levi. The film tells the story of a group of people who come together at a teenager’s funeral. The U.S. premiere of “Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning,” was directed by Kevin Sullivan, and stars Barbara Hershey, Hannah Endicott-Douglas, Rachel Blanchard, and Shirley MacLaine. Kevin Sullivan’s original story explores the unwritten origins of the iconic character, Anne of Green Gables, almost 50 years after she arrived on Prince Edward Island, that reveals her troubled family history. The East Coast premiere of the acclaimed movie “Death in Love,” stars Josh Lucas, Jacqueline Bissett, Lukas Haas, and Adam Brody. The film was directed by Boaz Yakin and premiered at The Sundance Film Festival. Alliance Productions’ “Hotel California,” stars Douglas Spain, Erik Palladino, Frank Sivero, Tyson Beckford and was directed by Geo Santini. One evening at the festival will celebrate Massachusett’s filmmakers as well as locally-shot movies. The U.S. premiere of the comedy “Lonely Street’s,” stars Jay Mohr, Lindsay Price, Joe Montegna, Robert Patrick and Nikki Cox and was produced by Boston native Kevin Chapman. Other films highlighted are the World Premiere of the anticipated documentary “Detained,” about the immigration raid of a factory in New Bedford, MA; and “America’s Lost Band,” that chronicles the story about a little-known Boston band, The Remains, that some critics consider the greatest American rock group of the mid-1960’s even though they never had a Top-40 hit record. The world premieres of “The Soviet Story” and “The Spitting Game: The College Hook Up Culture,” will frontline the BFF’s documentaries in addition to “Neshoba,” “Courting Condi,” “Stars and Their Guitars,” “So You Want Michael Madsen” (all World Premieres). There will be special screenings of “Descendants” stars Whoppi Goldberg and Christy Cashman; “Under Our Skin,” and “Speed and Angels.” Additional films and special events will be announced next week.
There will be grand Opening and Closing Night parties as well as Filmmaker receptions at several of Boston’s best restaurants that will be announced next week. A variety of awards will be presented that honor Hollywood’s preeminent filmmakers and actors along with the new cutting edge directors.
The six-day Boston Film Festival is running its 24th program and has become one of the city’s most popular annual events. Numerous celebrities, filmmakers, athletes and city VIPS attend the festival’s nightly parties catered by renowned chefs and restaurateurs. A complete schedule of films and events will be posted on the BFF website beginning September 2. (bostonfilmfestival.org) Last year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by George Clooney to his friend and colleague Producer Jerry Weintraub “Oceans Thirteen.” The Boston Film Festival has an extensive history of premiering notable films including: “Trade,” “Rails and Ties,” “Lars and The Real Girl,” “American Beauty,” “Requiem For A Dream,” “The Piano,” “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” “Deliver Us From Evil,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “North Country,” “Prime,” and “Matchstick Men.”
For more information on the 24th Boston Film Festival, call 617-523-8388
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We hope to bring you coverage of the Boston Film Festival on our various sites, and on PNR’s weekly film podcast, Subject:CINEMA. Stay tuned to BP, PNR, and IFS for further information.