Morgan Freeman to Host 'AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies-10th Anniversary Edition' June 20, 2007 on the CBS Television Network

Morgan Freeman to Host 'AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies-10th Anniversary Edition' June 20, 2007 on the CBS Television Network

Tenth Annual Celebration of Classic American Film Will Reveal Confidential List of the 100 Greatest Movies with Special Appearances by Halle Berry, Harrison Ford, Spike Lee, Shirley MacLaine, Eva Mendes, Martin Scorsese, Martin Sheen and More

CITIZEN KANE, CASABLANCA, THE GODFATHER, TITANIC and LORD OF THE RINGS Among Films to Vie For the Title of Greatest Movie of All Time

LOS ANGELES, May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- American Film Institute (AFI) today announced that Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman (MILLION DOLLAR BABY, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, DRIVING MISS DAISY) will host AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies-10th Anniversary Edition, a three-hour landmark television event airing on the CBS television network Wednesday, June 20, 2007 (8:00 - 11:00 p.m., ET/PT). During the broadcast, some of Hollywood's biggest stars will help reveal the confidential list of the 100 greatest American films of all time.

Those scheduled to appear in the special include Tim Allen, Halle Berry, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Bridges, Laurence Fishburne, Peter Fonda, Harrison Ford, William Friedkin, Dennis Hopper, Norman Jewison, Spike Lee, Shirley MacLaine, Malcolm McDowell, Eva Mendes, Liza Minnelli, Sydney Pollock, Debbie Reynolds, Martin Scorsese, Martin Sheen and M. Night Shyamalan. AFI will also include interviews from its extensive archive, looking back at favorite clips from Billy Crystal, Jane Fonda, Jodie Foster, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and more.

In this 10th annual installment of the Emmy Award-winning series, both classic favorites and newly eligible films released from 1996 to 2006 will be considered. New entries to the ballot include titles such as AMERICAN BEAUTY, THE AVIATOR, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, LORD OF THE RINGS, THE MATRIX, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, SIDEWAYS, TRAFFIC and TITANIC. The final outcome will reveal which films have stood the test of time from today's perspective.

"AFI's critically-acclaimed series has sparked national debate on what makes a great movie and why, ultimately driving people to discover-and re- discover-the classics of American film," said host Morgan Freeman. "I am honored to be a part of this national celebration of film."

Morgan Freeman's feature film credits include Academy Award-nominated performances in THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, DRIVING MISS DAISY and STREET SMART, as well as an Oscar win for MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Other memorable films include BATMAN BEGINS, BRUCE ALMIGHTY, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS, ALONG CAME A SPIDER, AMISTAD, SE7EN, UNFORGIVEN and GLORY. Freeman will appear later this year in EVAN ALMIGHTY; GONE, BABY, GONE; THE BUCKET LIST and THE FEAST OF LOVE.

This year's broadcast will break new ground by expanding the national debate on film online. Movie fans can visit http://www.afi.com/ to debate the list and make their case for what is the greatest movie of all time and why. Additionally, they can visit http://www.youtube.com/AFI to not only view clips of Hollywood's hottest stars talking about their favorite movies, but also to post their own video replies. Major studios are also partnering with AOL and Best Buy to promote AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies-10th Anniversary Edition with a special Web site on Moviefone, http://www.afi.aol.com/. The site will launch June 1, 2007 and feature a "Guess the AFI Top Ten" sweepstakes, movie trivia and much more.

Past network specials have included AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies (1998), 100 Stars (1999), 100 Laughs (2000), 100 Thrills (2001), 100 Passions (2002), 100 Heroes & Villains (2003), 100 Songs (2004), 100 Movie Quotes (2005) and 100 Cheers (2006).

To compile the final list, AFI distributed a ballot with 400 nominated movies to a jury of over 1,500 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, and cinematographers), critics and historians.

AFI asks jurors to consider the following criteria in their selection process:

   -- Feature-Length Fiction Film: Narrative format, typically over 60      minutes in length.    -- American Film: Motion picture with significant creative and/or      production elements from the United States.    -- Critical Recognition: Formal commendation in print, television and      digital media.    -- Major Award Winner: Recognition from competitive events including      awards from peer groups, critics, guilds and major film festivals.    -- Popularity Over Time: Including success at the box office, television      and cable airings, and DVD/VHS sales and rentals.    -- Historical Significance: A film's mark on the history of the moving      image through visionary narrative devices, technical innovation or      other groundbreaking achievements.    -- Cultural Impact: A film's mark on American society in matters of style      and substance.    -- AFI also allowed five write-in votes per ballot.   

For the 10th consecutive year, the primetime special will be executive produced and directed by Gary Smith; executive produced for AFI by former AFI Board Chair Emeritus Frederick S. Pierce; and produced by Dann Netter and Bob Gazzale. SFM Entertainment LLC is the distributor of the program. Major sponsors include Best Buy, Colgate Total, GM, The Home Depot, Paramount, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Sony, Warner Bros. and all major motion picture companies.

   About the American Film Institute   AFI celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2007.  

AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers at its world- renowned Conservatory, maintains America's film heritage through the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and explores new digital technologies in entertainment and education through the AFI Digital Content Lab and K-12 Screen Education Center. As the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the US, AFI ON SCREEN encompasses the annual AFI FEST presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival-as well as year-round programming at ArcLight Hollywood and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, including SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival. AFI AWARDS, the annual almanac for the 21st century, honors the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year, while AFI's 100 Years ... series has ignited extraordinary public interest in classic American movies. And, during the past 34 years, AFI's Life Achievement Award

has become the highest honor for a career in film. Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: American Film Institute

CONTACT: Alison Deknatel of American Film Institute, +1-323-856-7896,
adeknatel@AFI.com; or Jennifer Almer of Edelman, +1-323-202-1411,
jennifer.almer@edelman.com, for American Film Institute; or Diane Ekeblad of
CBS, +1-323-575-2029, diane.ekeblad@tvc.cbs.com, or Kelli Raftery of CBS,
+1-212-975-3163, kraftery@cbs.com

Web site: http://www.afi.com/
http://www.youtube.com/AFI
http://www.afi.aol.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: A copy of the ballot is available to the media at: http://www.AFI.com/drop/ballot.pdf Password: AFIpress

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Profile: International Entertainment