Athens International Film and Video Festival Starts Friday

Contact: Jess Goode, (740)-593-1043 or goode@ohio.edu

ATHENS, Ohio (April 20, 2001) -- Toronto, Venice ... Athens, Ohio.

Spring has arrived and Athens soon will take its place among the world's notable film-loving communities and welcome its own 28th Annual International Film and Video Festival.

Oscar-nominated actor Ned Beatty, Tim Reid of "WKRP in Cincinnati" fame and an activist/documentary collective all will be on hand to show their work at the festival later this month.

Sponsored by Ohio University and the Ohio Arts Council, the festival will run from April 27th through May 5th.

"I think this year's lineup successfully bridges the line between entertainment and experiment," said Festival Director Ruth Bradley. "Ned Beatty will be here to present a film that many are saying features one of the best performances of his career. And we have a wide selection of international films and cutting-edge documentaries."

Beatty will be in town to screen "Spring Forward," first-time director Tom Gilroy's moving and critically acclaimed year-in-the-life story about two park workers in rural Connecticut.

Reid, most widely known for playing Venus Flytrap on the "WKRP" television series, recently launched his own movie production company, New Millennium Studios. Now a director, he will screen his new movie "Asunder," a suburban thriller that pits a broken-hearted husband against the friends he holds responsible for his wife's death.

And fresh from filming Zapatista revolutionaries in Mexico, documentary collective Big Noise will screen films and lead a workshop on activism and public protest in the digital media age.

The festival will feature more than 12 nationally and internationally recognized films, including "Faat Kine," "Himalaya," "Legend of Rita," "Yi Yi," "Rambling Jack" and "The Source." The festival also will include dozens of films in its competitive category. Tickets will be $4 a show or $20 for a five-movie pass. Screenings will be held at the Athena Cinema and the Ridges Auditorium. The full festival schedule is available at http://www.athensfest.org/