Fourth Annual Asheville Film Festival Nov. 9 - 12, 2006 More>

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COUNTDOWN TO 3^rd ANNUAL ASHEVILLE FILM FESTIVAL: TICKETS NOW ON SALE

Award-winning director Ken Russell to be honored during Festival, October 27-30, 2005

With 75% of the screenings set to sell out, it's important to reserve your tickets early for the third annual Asheville Film Festival presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa to be held October 27-30.

Tickets are available for sale online at www.ashevillefilmfestival.com or at the Pack Place box office in historic Pack Square or by phone at (828) 257-4500. Individual tickets for film screenings cost $6 in advance and $7 at the door with multi-screening packages available.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The Asheville Film Festival's second year drew considerable attention from both casual film buffs and film industry professionals, noting the event for its acclaimed entries, Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Rance Howard (father of Ron Howard) and sensational galas. Festival organizers estimate that 9,000 people attended last year's event, and they expect this year's film festival to be even bigger and better. Screenings will be held at four venues throughout downtown with a total ticket capacity of 18,000: Diana Wortham Theatre, Fine Arts Theatre (both auditoriums), and Asheville Community Theatre. Educational offerings include technical exhibits at Pack Place and film industry workshops at The Ritz nearby.

ABOUT KEN RUSSELL
British filmmaker Ken Russell–the perpetual enfant terrible of British cinema–will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Asheville Film Festival presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa on Saturday, October 29 at the inn.

Russell’s career has spanned five decades with many crowning achievements. Outrageous, controversial and probably the most wildly known inventive filmmaker ever produced by British cinema, Ken Russell became an overnight worldwide sensation in 1969 with the release of his film based on the D.H. Lawrence novel, Women in Love. It was a huge success, earning Russell an Oscar nomination for Best Director and snagging an Oscar win for the film’s star, Glenda Jackson.

He quickly parlayed this success into another feature–a biographical film on Tchaikovsky, The Music Lovers, starring Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson, a work that cemented his reputation as Britain’s most important filmmaker and garnered him the tag of enfant terrible (at the age of 42). Within a year, Russell added his most controversial film, the X-rated The Devils with Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave, and his least controversial, the G-rated musical The Boy Friend, which made a star out of Twiggy. With these four films, Russell did something no one before or since had ever managed–he had four first-run movies playing simultaneously in London’s West End.

"TOMMY" THE FILM
In 1975, Russell was tapped to write and direct the film version of The Who’s rock opera “Tommy.” Featuring Elton John, Tina Turner, Jack Nicholson, Eric Clapton and Roger Daltry, Tommy introduced an entirely new audience–a younger audience–to Russell’s work and earned Oscar nominations for Ann-Margaret and musical director Pete Townshend.

In commemoration of the 30^th anniversary of Tommy, the film will be shown during the Festival on Friday night, October 28 during “An Evening with Ken Russell” that will include an audience Q&A with the famed director.

OTHER FEATURED FILMS
Other feature film highlights include Good Night, and Good Luck written, directed and starring George Clooney. Recently shown at the Venice Film Festival garnering wins for best screenplay for George Clooney and Best Actor for David Strathairn and the opening night film for the New York Film Festival, the film is receiving critical acclaim. Good Night, and Good Luck will be featured at the closing night film and reception at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 30 at the Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress.

This year's competition is once again filled with provocative and fascinating films shot in North Carolina including the documentary Donor, chronicling the struggles of a 46-year-old man after his diagnosis with bone cancer and short film Hometown Security from this region's recent 48 Hour Film Project.

MORE INFO
For more information about the Asheville Film Festival including tickets and schedule, visit www.ashevillefilmfestival.com, or call (828) 259-5800. A full film guide will be available in the October 19 edition of Mountain Xpress.

The Asheville Film Festival is produced by the Cultural Arts Division of Asheville Parks & Recreation in partnership with the Asheville Film Commission and the Asheville Film Festival Advisory Committee.

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