There must have been something about watching Humphrey Bogart slur the line, “Here’s lookin’ at you kid,” on a
64-foot screen that did the trick.
Because when Robert Osborne screened Casablanca in a New York City theater a few years ago, so many people showed up that some had to be
sent home.
“As I realized, there is nothing quite like the impact of seeing films up there on a mammoth screen, sharing the experience
with others,” Osborne said.
As it happened, UGA telecommunications professor Nate Kohn understood the concept.
Shortly after the screening, Kohn spoke with Osborne about bringing classic movies to Athens’ big screens on a regular basis.
The result of their talk brought Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival to the Classic City.
After a successful inauguration in 2005 the festival is back, showing eight movies from March 23-26 at the Classic Center.
Osborne, the prime time host and anchor of the Turner Classic Movies network and columnist-critic for The Hollywood Reporter, was the perfect
candidate for attracting talent to the Classic City and choosing enjoyable movies.
“It’s an exciting adventure to see these films the way they were meant to be seen,” he said.
Osborne hand-selected the films for the festival. Spanning genres, time periods and budgets, Osborne said his picks “represent the
breadth and variety of Hollywood, independent, and international classic cinema from the 1930s to the 2000s.”
This year’s line-up includes North by Northwest, Ed Wood, The Third Man, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Raiders of the Lost Ark, On
the Waterfront, Best in Show and Gone with the Wind.
“Robert is the world’s foremost authority on the Academy Awards, and he worked hard to put together this dynamic program. Robert’s
commitment to the success of our festival is something we’re very proud of,” Kohn said.
The festival will also feature special guests such as actresses Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney, Parker Posey and Ann Rutherford; director of the American Film Institute, Jean Firstenberg and cinema industry veterans Angela Allen, Mickey Cottrell and Mike Fenton.
The guests will join Osborne for discussions of the films after their screening and field questions from the audience.
“Our guests this year span the golden age of Hollywood movie making,” Kohn said.
Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival is an annual nonprofit event sponsored by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Competing
in a Global Economy
The University of Georgia is at the forefront of the globalization
movement in higher education with a wealth of opportunities for
international experiences. Our students are flocking to study-abroad
programs, thriving on the challenges inherent in confronting a
new cultural environment. More and more, students on campus are
also making choices that reflect an understanding of the importance
of global awareness—from living in a residence hall-based
language community to starting a radio program in another language
to minoring in a foreign language. These experiences, whether at
home or abroad, influence how our students perceive the world and
their place in it. We’re producing graduates prepared to
be world citizens—well informed, culturally sensitive and
technologically sophisticated. They’re ready to take on the
challenges of our global society, and they’ll be equally
at home whether in the Peach State or the Republic of Georgia. |
This week, Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival will feature eight old and new motion picture favorites on a 64 foot screen in the Classic Center in downtown Athens. 
