I’m getting excited about my plans to attend this year’s Taos Talking Picture Film Festival. Why? Because the schedule reads like a Hollywood Who’s Who list. From April 11th through the 14th, Susan Sarandon, William Hurt, Tony Shalhoub, and Joey Lauren Adams are among the stars who will share the spotlight with such important filmmakers as John Sayles and Chris Eyre in New Mexico’s most picturesque little town. Celebrating a world of moving images, this eighth Taos Talking Picture Festival includes 46 programs of new film and video.

Kicking off the Festival is the U.S. premiere of Rare Birds, the latest film by Oscar-nominated director Sturla Gunnarson (Such a Long Journey, Gerrie and Louise). The comedy stars William Hurt as a restaurant owner who gets mixed up in a hoax. Other feature films to be shown include Skins, the long-awaited second feature from Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals); Briar Patch, the world premiere of a film starring Dominique Swain; Grand Champion, the world premiere of Barry Tubb's film, with cameos from George Strait, Bruce Willis, and Julia Roberts; The Business of Fancydancing, poet Sherman Alexie's first film; The Zookeeper, starring Sam Neill; Waterboys, a Japanese comedy from the director of My Secret Cache; the world premieres of the romantic comedy Tattoo, A Love Story and the touching drama Mother Ghost; the teen drama Home Room, starring Erika Christensen; and Glissando, a road-trip drama, in its U.S. premiere. There are also feature films from Uruguay, Venezuela, Senegal, Armenia, and Austria.

According to press officer Alix D. Smith, the Festival is hosting more than 100 filmmakers, and a guest will represent nearly every program. Among the award-winning guests whose attendance is confirmed are Susan Sarandon (five Oscar nominations, winning best actress for Dead Man Walking), John Sayles and Maggie Renzi (two Oscar nominations), Haskell Wexler (five Oscar nominations, winning best cinematography for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Bound for Glory), Barbara Kopple (two Oscars, American Dream and Harlan County, U.S.), Dana Delany (five Emmy nominations), and Sturla Gunnarson (one Oscar nomination). Invited guests who will attend, schedule permitting, are William Hurt (three Oscar nominations), Peter Fonda (two Oscar nominations), and Sarah Polley (two Genie nominations).

All this plus a full program of documentaries, short films, and parties! No doubt about it --- Taos is the place to be in April, especially for film lovers. A complete listing of programs and times is available at www.ttpix.org.