Original Star Trek Cast Members Join Gala October 6 Launch for the Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival & Expositions at Shrine Auditorium
JVAFF Also Celebrates Star Trek's 40th Anniversary With a Special Oct. 15 Event at Santa Monica's Aero Theatre Hosted by Eugene Roddenberry Jr. With George Takei (Captain Hikaru Sulu) on Hand
For 15 years, the spectacular JVAFF has been France's most eagerly anticipated film festival. In 2007, the festival will relocate to Los Angeles and become an annual 2-week event at the 6,000+ seat Shrine Auditorium, whose massive stage will be officially renamed "The Jules Verne Stage" on October 6. This extraordinary one-night launch event, certain to give attendees a glimpse of the wonders of next year's full festival, is hosted by actor Malcolm McDowell. Special awards will go to film legends Harrison Ford and George Lucas and pre-eminent primatologist Dame Jane Goodall, and the evening also features the U.S. premiere of the film Explorers: From The Titanic To The Moon -- starring Buzz Aldrin and James Cameron.
The original, legendary Star Trek series, which first aired in 1966 and is now a global phenomenon, also figures prominently in JVAFF's 4-day film program running at Santa Monica's American Cinematheque-affiliated Aero Theatre from Thursday, Oct. 12 to Sunday, Oct. 15. For the 10/15 closing night program, JVAFF has created an unprecedented Star Trek 40th Anniversary Celebration to be hosted by Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, Jr., son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Special guest George Takei -- the series' famed helmsman/captain Hikaru Sulu -- will attend the festivities, which include the big screen world premieres of the series' first two digitally remastered episodes, "The Naked Time" and "The City On The Edge Of Forever." The 1986 feature Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home will also be screened. Tickets may be purchased through the Aero's box office by calling 310.260.1528.
Founded in Paris in 1991 by filmmakers/explorers Jean-Christophe Jeauffre and Frederic Dieudonne, the Jules Verne Adventures organization is a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploration, discovery and education and a collective mission to honor and preserve the natural bio-diversity of the planet. JVAFF was conceived to inspire and enlighten the human spirit about the mysteries and wonders of the universe with unprecedented spectacle, style and passion.
For more information on the October 6 launch event and the Oct. 12-15
film festival program, log onto www.adventure-festival.com
Source: Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival
Web site: http://www.adventure-festival.com/
Jules Verne Adventure Festival
The Jules Verne Adventure Festival launched its First American Edition on October 6th at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles . The Festival continues October 12-15 at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and closes with a celebration of Star Trek’s 40th Anniversary.
Primatologist and Dr. Jane Goodall was honored with the Jules Verne Life Achievement Award. George Lucas was also honored with a Jules Verne Award Life Achievement Award and Harrison Ford was honored with the Jules Verne Spirit of Nature Award. Ray Harryhausen, a master creator of special effects, was a guest of honor for a special tribute to the real King Kong, filmed on the Shrine Auditorium’s stage in 1933.
Jules Verne, a French author, is considered the father of science fiction. He gave us a passage to secret worlds in his authored classics such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, and Around the World in 80 Days.
Malcom McDowell hosted the evening and introduced filmmakers-explorers Jean Christophe Jeauffre and Frédéric Dieudonné, who created the Jules Verne Adventure Festival 15 years ago in Paris , France . “Jeauffre shares “the greatest adventure now is is to explore and preserve our planet” and the Festival is “a love letter from the French to the American people.”
Jean Christophe Jeauffre, President of Jules Verne Adventures, unveiled the real King Kong as a special presentation to Ray Harryhausen, master creator of special effects. Harryhausen smiled and touched his gifted King Kong armature, now mounted on a pedestal, as if he had reconnected with a long lost friend.
Filmmaker James Cameron, presented the Jules Verne Life Achievement Award to George Lucas. “Jules Verne was a revolutionary and created a new genre, sci fi. What Jules Verne is to sci fi, George Lucas is to film, fantasy and worldwide imagination.”
The Jules Verne Adventure Festival had seeking to honor George Lucas for years, who shared, “I’ve been trying to get to Paris to accept this award for years but I’ve been working on that Star Wars thing. This is an important festival for me because it’s about larger issues than just making movies. It’s about the environment, and that’s always a more interesting kind of event to take part in.”
Jeauffre introduced Harrison Ford as “the perfect hero for our times” and described him as “Gary Cooper on speed.” Ford honored, shared that it is “our moral and ethical duty to pass on to our children as much of the world we can.”
Primatologist and Jane Goodall was influenced by Jules Vernes’ 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and then by Tarzan. British Dame Goodall, in a red and gold Asian mandarin collar pantsuit, is best known for her work with chimpanzees. Goodall has been an ambassador between the worlds of animal and man and is still in the field about 300 days per year. Youth from a local Roots and Shoots organization, was there to honor and congratulate her on stage. Roots and Shots, founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, is a global program with a mission to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment,
The evening closed with the premiere of “Explorers from the Titanic to the Moon” with James Cameron, Director of Titanic, and Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Mission Astronaut and Veteran of the First Moon Landing.
(C) MBN 2006 (William Hoehne & Joyce Chow)
