Goldfinger, E.T, and The Godfather are selected to be among the films for the fifth annual Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival to be held March 19-22, at The Classic Center in Athens.

Robert Osborne, primetime host of Turner Classic Movies and columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, has picked eight classic films that, he said, "represent the breadth and variety of classic cinema from the 1930s to the 2000s."   

Other movies selected for the festival are Funny Girl, Sunset Boulevard, Rear Window, King Kong and For Your Consideration. 

Nate Kohn, festival executive producer and professor of telecommunications in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia, is thrilled by the list. "Robert is the world's foremost authority on the Academy Awards, and he worked hard to put together this dynamic program. Robert's commitment to the success of our festival is something we're very proud of."  

This year, Osborne will share his hosting duties with acclaimed actor and former film festival guest, Fred Willard. Willard's work includes a part in every movie directed by Christopher Guest, including 2009 festival selection For Your Consideration.

Festival director Pamela Kohn looks forward to the new shared host format. "We are fortunate to have Fred Willard joining us this year. He enjoyed the festival so much as a guest in 2007 he is excited to come back in this expanded role. This year we celebrate our fifth anniversary and I would like to thank Robert for making the festival so wonderful,” she said. Kohn also thanked contributors and the loyal and expanding audience for their continued support of this exciting and fun community event.

Past festivals have brought guests Jane Powell, Louise Fletcher, Maximilian Schell, Pia Lindstrom, Patricia Neal, Parker Posey, and Mickey Rooney to Athens to discuss their films with Osborne on stage after the screenings. Kohn expects that the upcoming festival will feature guests of similar stature.   

For the four-day festival in March, the 2,000-seat Classic Center theatre will be transformed into a world-class movie palace with the installation of a 60-foot motion picture screen and state-of-the-art 35mm projection and sound systems. Most prints will be pristine archival 35mm prints from many of the major studios. 

"It's an exciting adventure to see these films the way they were meant to be seen," explained Osborne. "The big screen gives a different dimension and vitality to them."  

In addition, the festival will feature a panel discussion hosted by Osborne. Panelists will include University of Georgia scholars, festival guests, artists, critics, and others. Topics will relate to the classic festival films and their various influences and the panel discussion is free and open to the public. 

All films, with the exception of the Friday matinee showing of Rear Window, will require a paid ticket for admission. The matinee will be free and open to the public. In celebration of the festival's 5th anniversary, children 12 and under will receive a special ticket price of $5 for E.T. 

Passes and tickets for individual films go on sale January 8, 2009 at The Classic Center box office, online at www.classiccenter.com or by calling (800) 918-6393. Prices are $60 for a pass to all films and panel discussions or $45 with valid student identification. A limited number of passes that include the festival's closing brunch will be available for $90 for the general public and $75 with valid student or UGA Alumni Association identification. Individual film tickets are $10, $8 for students and alumni association members.  

Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival is an annual non-profit event of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more information, visit http://www.robertosbornefilmfestival.com/

Established in 1915, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication offers seven undergraduate majors including advertising, broadcast news, magazines, newspapers, public relations, publication management and telecommunication arts. The college offers two graduate degrees, and is home to WNEG-TV, the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism and the Peabody Awards, internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media. For more information, visit www.grady.uga.edu.

Please note that films on the list are subject to change. 

(Press release from the Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival.)