3rd Annual Long Beach
International Film Festival
September 13 – September 22, 2002

Star Cast Movie-and-Celebrity Attended Opening Night Launches
Long Beach International Film Festival

LONG BEACH, California. Tuesday, August 27, 2002 – The Long Beach International Film Foundation kicks off its 3rd annual Long Beach International Film Festival on Friday, September 13 with an exclusive showing of Mother Ghost followed by cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres and dancing at Portofino On Pine Restaurant, 95 Pine Avenue in the trendy downtown area of Long Beach. Visit: www.portofinoonpine.com

Star cast includes MARK THOMPSON of Mark & Brian KLOS radio show, appeared in Princess Diaries, Rocky V, Darma & Greg and Cheers also wrote Mother Ghost, Emmy nominated DANA DELANEY of China Beach, Exit to Eden, Presidio Med and Tombstone, KEVIN POLLAK, of A Few Good Men, Indian Summer and Avalon, JOE MANTEGNA, of The Godfather III, Searching for Bobby Fisher, The Rat Pack, The Last Don, and is about to debut as the star in the CBS drama First Monday, JERE BURNS of Crocodile Dundee III, DAVID KEITH of An Officer and A Gentleman and recently starring in Behind Enemy Lines, Academy Award nominated CHARLES DURNING of The Sting, Dog Day Afternoon, Tootsie and soon to be seen in First Monday on CBS, GARRY MARSHALL who created such shows as Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley, directed Pretty Woman, Exit to Eden, and Runaway Bride and most recently the Princess Diaries, and 2002 Golden Globe winner JAMES FRANCO of “The James Dean Story”, Spiderman and just recently wrapped up a film with Robert Deniro.

Cast members are scheduled to take part in a panel presentation and Q & A session. The screening of Mother Ghost starts at 7 p.m. at the Pine Court AMC Theatres on Pine Avenue, downtown Long Beach. Tickets are $10 for the screening alone and $30 for the screening and opening night party. The Long Beach International film Festival is presented by Epson.

“It’s got something for everyone - film buffs, celebrity watchers and people who like great food.” said Darrin Plant, Long Beach International Film Festival organizer. Diane Ripley, festival events planner, adds “this is the Night Out of the Year. Long Beach is steeped in cinematic history, and was the first city in California to have an operational film studio. Festival attendees can take full advantage of the evening by dining at one of Pine Ave’s finest restaurants, like Mum’s, L’Opera, Madison, Alegria or King’s Fish House then walking one block to the AMC Theatre for the screening of Mother Ghost then joining the celebrity attended Opening Night Party. This will be a great evening.”

Writer Mark (& Brian) Thompson, dedicates Mother Ghost to the memory of his mother, Mary Stringfellow Thompson, sister Tracey Thompson Dixon and father Luther Nichols Thompson.

The story…Keith Bennett’s overly protective mother passed away a year ago, and up until this morning he was perfectly fine with that. Keith (Mark Thompson) has been distant of late and his wife, (Dana Delaney) begs him to get some help. One night, his deceased mother’s jewelry has mysteriously appeared on his bathroom sink, the same jewelry she was buried in. Keith winds up on the phone with a popular psychiatrist, Dr. john Norris (Kevin Pollak) who digs deep into Keith’s problems. The entire film takes place over a twenty four hour period. Is his mother’s jewelry all in Keiths head, or has she truly come back to help her son this one last time as MOTHER GHOST?

For tickets, click www.ticketweb.com. For additional information, visit www.longbeachfilmfestival.com or call 562-987-9687.

The Long Beach International Film Festival continues through September 22 with screenings of short independent films from around the world at the Pine Court AMC Theatres and aboard the Queen Mary. The festivities conclude September 22 with a lifetime achievement award presented during a black tie dinner and dance aboard the Queen Mary in the Grand Salon.

• Re: 3rd Annual Long Beach International Film Festival. Sept. 13 – September 22 Diane Ripley 13:00:49 09/17/02 (0)