Timely Sci-Fi Flick “The Day the Earth Stood Still” at Free Outdoor Movie Series September 15, 2007

NEWS FROM: Cultural Arts & Marketing Division, Office of the City Administrator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 30, 2007
Media Contact: Harry Hamilton
(510) 238-2107

Timely Sci-Fi Flick “The Day the Earth Stood Still” at Free Outdoor Movie Series

Short Film by Oakland Filmmaker Manijeh González Fata to Precede Feature Presentation

OAKLAND, Calif. (August 30, 2007) – The black-and-white science-fiction thriller “The Day the Earth Stood Still” will be the feature presentation at the Old Oakland Outdoor Cinema’s September 15th screening. Prior to the feature presentation, the short film “Las Fruteras: A Fruitvale Tale” by Oakland filmmaker Manijeh González Fata will be screened. The series transforms Ninth Street between Broadway and Washington into an outdoor cinema with movies beginning at dusk. Limited seating is available; filmgoers are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.

In “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” an alien (Klaatu) and his giant, all-powerful robot (Gort) try to encourage peace on Cold War-era Earth but are meet with hostility. The film’s message of peace led the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to bestow a Golden Globe for Best Film Promoting International Understanding. Klaatu’s desire for peace on earth is as relevant today as 1951, the year the film was released. In 1995, The National Film Registry selected “The Day the Earth Stood Still” for preservation for its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. Director Scott Derrickson’s remake of this classic is due out in 2008. In Arthur C. Clarke’s list of the best Science-Fiction films of all time, he ranked “The Day the Earth Stood Still” seventh – one spot above his own film “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Before the feature presentation, a short film by Oakland filmmaker Manijeh González Fata entitled, “Las Fruteras: A Fruitvale Tale” will be shown. Fata created “Las Fruteras” during her first year of cinema graduate studies at San Francisco State University . The film, which won first place in the Eastman Kodak Scholarship program, follows the daily rituals of two Latina women – a young sex worker and a middle-aged fruit vendor – who share the same street corner in East Oakland .

Movie goers can also arrive early and enjoy a tasty dinner at one of Old Oakland ’s many fine eateries. Cuisine varies from pub food and juicy steaks to Cajun seafood and sushi. For more information on restaurants and cafes in Old Oakland, visit http://www.oldoakland.org.

During the movie, free parking is available at 8th and Washington streets. Old Oakland is just one block away from the 12th Street /City Center BART Station.

The 2007 Old Oakland Outdoor Cinema continues with the family comedy “Babe” on October 20. The films are presented by the City of Oakland in association with the Old Oakland Historic District Business Association.

For more information on the cinema series, call the Oakland Film Office at (510) 238-4734 or visit http://www.filmoakland.com.

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Official Website: http://www.filmoakland.com