7 if --- t I , 1 y rt v f r-zb- 5 th V f T -'S Annual f 'fi3i V J 0 U.S. Film and " -T Video Festival Y Opens Monday to follow. This year's recipient of the John Ford medallian is Verna Fields. She was chosen for her great friendship to the Festival and her many years of award-winning professional achievement. Ms. Fields died in 1982. Clips of her many films will be shown at the awards presentation, and several personal tributes are planned. Tickets to the awards presentation presenta-tion may be purchased separately Not only will the hills be alive with new movies starting Monday, but with documentary films, short subjects and a variety of video products. That is not to mention three major Hollywood premieres. The Fifth Annual United States Film and Video Festival opens its doors Monday morning and for the next seven days will present what they consider to be the best independent films and video art of the year. The Festival will highlight 11 full-length dramatic features, 14 documentary films, 7 short subjects, sub-jects, numerous video documentaries documentar-ies and art films, 15 workshop films, and, as promised, 3 Hollywood films which are premiering here for the intermountain area. As well as presenting the movies, the Festival also provides a forum for workshops, planned in conjunction conjunc-tion with the Sundance Institute, on the inner workings connected with the production of films. There will be experts here from most any area of filmmaking to participate in seminars. The Festival this year is also making available group packages of tickets, either for film alone, or for films and seminars, at discount rates. (See story on tickets available.) The theme of the Festival this year is American Mavericks. This is carried out not only by the current entries in the Festival, but by a special group of films, entitled American New Wave 1858-67. These films will present the basis of workshop discussions. For those more into acting, there 'a ill be acting workshops presented. Martin Sheen and Stanley Kramer, along with as yet unnamed actors will be leading the workshops, scheduled for Friday. Program Director for the Festival, Lawrence Smith, says this is going to be the best festival yet. He commented it has been streamlined and made more efficient than last year. Instead of four locations for activities, as last year, there will only be two this year. All of the films will be shown at either the Village Cinemas or, at the Egyptian Theater. There has also1 been an attempt made to have some lead time on films so viewers can get from one location to another to view films. For the first time this year, the festival will only encompass one weekend. According to Smith, the festival staff felt the shortened format would be better for those attending the entire festival. It still provides, however, a weekend for those who come to Park City from the Salt Lake area for the day. Smith said the majority of those who will attend the Festival will be from out of state, however. Since the event has now reached the point where it is truly a national and international project, it has received a great deal of press throughout the world. Smith said the Festival draws from the same people who attend the New York Film Festival and, to a lesser degree, the festival at Cannes. There will be journalists here from every bastion of filmmaking, as well as reviewers from throughout through-out the world. This broad base of participants will improve the seminars which are to be available also, according to Smith. He pointed out many of the participants wili have their own films in the competition. He said the seminars are more geared to aesthetics this year, rather than business. There will still be Vhow to" discussions, but with more of an emphasis on a pleasing result. The three major premieres scheduled for the Festival are "Sophie's Choice", starring Merle Streep, "Escape Artist", and "Frances". Each has opened to critical acclaim in other parts of the country. Streep won the New York Film Critic's First Prize Award for her work in "Sophie's Choice", and $ f - " ' t t - j - ' " - 1 F v Jessica Lange took second place with her portrayal of Frances Farmer in "Frances". "Escape Artist" stars Griffin O'Neal as a young boy who has learned how to escape. Each film will be premiered on a different night at the Egyptian, with a discussion to follow. Representatives of each of the films will also be here for the presentations. presenta-tions. Movie goers who purchase tickets to either of the two premiere screenings of "Sophie's Choice" at the Egyptian Theater on Monday evening January 17 are also invited to the festival kick-off party at the Black Pearl Club on Main St. later that evening. Ticket stubs must be presented at the door to get into the party which includes cocktails, light buffet, dancing and other entertainment. entertain-ment. The movies premiered will only be shown on the same night. There have been provisions made for each of the premieres to be shown more than once on the one night, but they will not be shown at any other time during the Festival. There will also be several world premieres of films which are entered in the competition. Those scheduled to be premiered are "The Grey Fox", "Smithereens", "Chan Is Missing", "Say Amen, Somebody", Some-body", and "Eating Raoul." Like most of the other films, these will show either three or four times during the Festival, depending on when they are premiered. On the more social side, the Festival staff has decided against a hugh opening party, as they had last year. It was from that party primarily that the Festival's financial finan-cial worries this year arose. Instead, the one big social event of the Festival will be the Medallian Dinner, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 22, 1983 at Deer Valley. The awards ceremony itself will be at the Egyptian Theater at 5:30 p.m., with the dinner and party. Festival Ticket Information You may purchase your tickets to Fantasy Land for this year's United States Film and Video Festival at the new Festival ticket office. It is now open and doing business at 1776 Park Ave.,, which is at the North end of the mall at Holiday Village Mall. Tickets for all screenings and seminars may be purchased in advanced at box offices located in Holiday Village Mall and inside the Egyptian Theater on Main St. The Holiday Village office is located at the north end of the mall near the theaters. Hours are noon to 7 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. Beginning Monday, the office will be open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Egyptian Theater box office will be open now and during the festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Both box offices will have up to date information on last minute schedule changes and additional screenings. It is recommended, according to Lawrence Smith, the program director for the Festival, that tickets be bought ahead of time since the , Festival Cont . Continued from page 11 B shortened Festival makes fewer showings of the films necessary. You should keep in mind, also, said i Smith, that the premieres will only play one night. I The Festival is offering several ways to purchase tickets this year. There is, of course, the single admission ticket, which has gone up this year to $4.50. In order to save money, however, several packages have been instituted. The seminar package includes 10 workshops, and 10 screenings, together with all hosted hospitality events, and the Medallion Awards Presentation. It is offered to groups at $165 per person. The screening package includes 10 screenings and discussions following each film or tape. The package sells for $35, making a saving of $10 on 10 screenings. The single workship package provides you with all 10 morning and afternoon sessions, on a space available basis. This one runs $20 per session. ' Tickets for the Medallion Awards Presentation are $25, and for the Awards Presentation and Dinner at Deer Valley, $75. The premiere Club Membership includes two of the premieres, express line service for quick access to the theatres, a special party during the festival and a chance to be a supporter of this event. The price is $200 for single memberships member-ships and $300 per couple. Tickets for premiere screenings and discussions afterwards are $10 per person per film. Additionally, tickets for films to be shown at the Egyptian may be purchased at the theater. The number for the festival office , . and ticket office is 649-FEST.