SILVERDOCS Festival Opening Night North American Premiere of Midnight Movies: FROM THE MARGINS TO THE MAINSTREAM

SILVERDOCS Festival Opening Night North American Premiere of Midnight Movies: FROM THE MARGINS TO THE MAINSTREAM

Filmmaker to Join Good Morning America's Joel Siegel, Richard Dreyfuss, Other Notable Personalities

Reggae Band CULTURE to Play Gala Reception

SILVER SPRING, Md., June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Third Annual SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival begins Tuesday, June 14 at 7 p.m. with the North American Premiere of MIDNIGHT MOVIES: FROM THE MARGINS TO THE MAINSTREAM a documentary by Stuart Samuels at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.

The film explores the phenomenon of 1970s cult films like PINK FLAMINGOS, ERASERHEAD, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, which broke subject taboos.

Following the film, GOOD MORNING AMERICA film critic Joel Siegel talks with director Stuart Samuels about the lasting impact of cult films on pop culture. Special guests in attendance include: THE HARDER THEY COME Director Perry Henzell, MIDNIGHT MOVIES Producer Ben Barenholz, also the former Elgin Theatre owner, where the genre launched, actor and documentarian Richard Dreyfuss, and THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION Director Penelope Spheeris will be among the evenings special guests.

The evening will conclude with a freedom of expression themed gala reception with music by Culture, a "conscious reggae" band at Discovery Communications World Headquarters at One Discovery Place, across the street from the AFI Silver.

What: Opening Night for MIDNIGHT MOVIES

Who: Stuart Samuels, Director Perry Henzell, Director of THE HARDER THEY COME Ben Barenholz, Producer & Elgin Theatre Owner Joel Siegel, GOOD MORNING AMERICA film critic Richard Dreyfuss, Actor and Documentarian Penelope Spheeris, Director THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION Jean Picker Firstenberg, CEO, American Film Institute Judith McHale, President & CEO, Discovery Communications Donald Baer, Senior Executive Vice President, Discovery Communications Patricia Finneran, Festival Director, SILVERDOCS

When: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 6:00 VIP Reception (Open to the Press) 6:30 Red Carpet Arrival 7:00 film 8:45 Q&A with the Director 9:15 Gala reception

Where: AFI Silver Theatre 8633 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD

Space is extremely limited for the film screening and Q&A. Media wishing to attend this event should RSVP to Jody Arlington at 301.495.6759 or jarlington@afi.com.

Source: SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival

CONTACT: Jody Arlington of SILVERDOCS, +1-301-495-6759, jarlington@AFI.com; or Katie Stack of Discovery, +1-240-662-3705, Katie_Stack@discovery.com

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