HOLLYWOOD, CA (October 2, 2000)  The City of the Angels Film Festival announces its seventh annual event, this year focusing on international film classics related to the theme “Roadtrip!  Moving with the Spirit.”  The festival is open to the general public and will be held Friday - Sunday, November 10-12, 2000 at the Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles.

The purpose of the festival is to bring together contemporary filmmakers, theologians of all faiths and the movie-going public to screen and discuss films that raise vital religious and social questions. 

The opening night film is a special screening of John Ford’s “The Searchers” (Fri. 7:00 p.m.), the genre-defining “quest” movie that strikes a blow against hatred and intolerance.  Other films during the weekend festival include the German film “Run Lola Run” (Fri. 10:15 p.m.), the favorite American classic “The Grapes of Wrath” (Sat. 3:00 p.m.), the French thriller “The Wages of Fear” (Sat. 6:00 p.m.), the offbeat comedy “The Gods Must Be Crazy” (Sat. 9:30 p.m.), Terrence Malick’s haunting “Badlands” (Sun. 3:00 p.m.), Wim Wenders’ critically-acclaimed “Paris, Texas” (Sun. 5:45 p.m.) and the closing night film from Brazil, “Central Station” (Sun. 9:00 p.m.).

“The roadtrip films offered in the 2000 Festival transport us to exotic international destinations.  While in transit, we experience the migration of our souls and the presence of the spirit,” said Scott Young, Chair of the Festival.

Festival tickets go on sale October 2.  The cost of admission to each film screening is $10.00 for general admission and $8.00 for seniors and students with ID.  Groups of six or more are charged $7.00 per person.  A limited number of all-festival passes are also available for $50.00.  Admission is free to any and all of the short films and documentaries with the purchase of any ticket to a feature film.  An all-festival pass for the shorts and documentaries only is $5.00.

To order City of the Angels Film Festival tickets with a credit card, call (310) 338-7588 or fax (626) 795-8767.  Tickets can also be purchased at one of the following festival box offices:  Fuller Theological Seminary Bookstore at Los Robles and Union in Pasadena; Central Ticket Agency at Loyola Marymount University, Malone 101, 7900 Loyola Blvd. in Los Angeles; and Pauline Books & Media Center, 3908 Sepulveda Blvd. in Culver City.  Additional festival information is available by telephone (626) 304-3775 or online at www.cityofangelsfilmfest.org.

The City of the Angels Film Festival draws participants and audiences from all over the country.  In addition to having the opportunity to see these films on the big screen for perhaps the first time, audiences can stay after the films to listen to – and participate in – discussions led by expert panels of filmmakers and members of the religious and academic communities in Southern California.  Among the panelists confirmed so far this year are popular television actor Michael Badalucco (“The Practice”), screenwriters Charlie Peters (“Three Men and a Little Lady”), Lee Batchler ("Batman Forever"), David Abramowitz (“Murder She Wrote”), writer/director Scott Derrickson ("Hellraiser 5") Sister Rose Pacatte, Director of Pauline Center for Media Studies, and Father Peter Malone, president of OCIC, the International Catholic Organization for Cinema.

A special panel of theologians and authors will come together on Sunday, November 12 from 1:00 PM – 2:45 PM to discuss the topic “Catholics, Evangelicals and the Entertainment Media.”  Participants in this discussion – free to the public – will include Thomas Rausch, S.J., Chair of the Theology Department at Loyola Marymount University (author of the just-released “Catholics and Evangelicals:  Do they share a common future?”); William Romanowski, professor of Communication Arts & Sciences at Calvin College, Grand Rapids (“Pop Culture Wars:  Religion and the Role of Entertainment in American Life”); Rob Johnston, professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena (“Reel Spirituality”); and Father Peter Malone, film critic and president of OCIC.  The discussion will be moderated by Scott Young, Chair of the City of the Angels Film Festival.  All of the authors plan to stay and sign copies of their books.   A media & film bookstore will be operated by The Daughters of St. Paul in the DGA lobby throughout the weekend.

In addition, this year in conjunction with the festival, a seminar entitled “The Road to Spiritual Values in Film” will be held on Saturday, November 11 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  Speakers and panelists who have confirmed their participation in the seminar include keynote speaker Steve Allen, renowned film critic Charles Champlin, entertainment reporter George Pennachio, Emmy Award-winning director Louis J. Horvitz, producer Ken Wales, theater professor Alan Freeman and Reverend Dr. Steven E. Berry.  More information on this seminar is available at (213) 385-1341, ext. 0.

The coalition of groups responsible for this year’s festival are: Fuller Theological Seminary, USCC Office of Film & Broadcasting, Catholics in Media Associates, Showtime Networks, Water’s Edge Communications, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Open Call, Focolare, Lloyd C. Douglas Committee of First Congregational Church, Cine and Media, Loyola Marymount University: Department of Theological Studies and School of Film and Television, Maryknoll World Productions, ACTRS, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, UNDA-USA, Faith & Values (a service of the National Interfaith Cable Coalition), Frank Tobin Public Relations, South Side Films and Visatel-PortalUno.