..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..R.J. Matson
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Michael Wilmington

September 20, 2005

For Immediate Release

AFI FEST 2005 PRESENTED BY AUDI ANNOUNCES
"WALK THE LINE" AS OPENING NIGHT FILM

The Festival's Feature Film Line-Up Includes16 World Premieres
and 17 North American Premieres

September 20, 2005 (Los Angeles)—AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival announces Twentieth Century Fox's WALK THE LINE as the Opening Night Gala presentation. Directed by James Mangold (HEAVY; GIRL, INTERRUPTED), WALK THE LINE explores the early years of legendary rocker Johnny Cash and stars Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, with Reese Witherspoon co-starring as June Carter.

Developed over seven years with the cooperation of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, WALK THE LINE tells the true story of Cash's meteoric rise to fame when rock and roll exploded from a tiny studio in Memphis, Tennessee, to his emergence as the "Man in Black" at his historic concert at Folsom Prison. The film also focuses on one of rock and roll's greatest love stories, Cash's passionate relationship with Carter and how this love saved him from destruction. The film is produced by Cathy Konrad and James Keach, based on a script written by Mangold and AFI Conservatory alumnus/faculty member Gill Dennis.

WALK THE LINE will open AFI FEST 2005 on Thursday, November 3, 2005, at ArcLight Hollywood's Cinerama Dome. The Opening Night Film and Gala are presented by Audi of America with support from the Hollywood Sign Trust.

AFI FEST 2005 also announces 16 feature-length World Premieres (10 narrative features and six documentary features), as well as 17 North American Premieres (13 narrative features and four documentary features).

"WALK THE LINE cast a spell on us. It's a thrill to kick off the Festival with this special film," says Nancy Collet, AFI FEST 2005's Director of Programming. "We're also proud that we've been able to attract so many distinguished and distinctive World and North American Premieres this year, from all over the globe."

"We’re honored to be opening AFI FEST 2005 with WALK THE LINE," said Elizabeth Gabler, President of Fox 2000 Pictures. "AFI has long been leader in recognizing outstanding films and we’re honored to bring this remarkable story of Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, to this year’s Festival."

The 16 World Premieres at AFI FEST 2005 are:
ADIOS MOMO (Uruguay, narrative) - directed by Leonardo Ricagni
AN AMERICAN HAUNTING (USA, narrative) - directed by Courtney Solomon
THE ART OF FLIGHT (Sudan/Egypt, documentary) - directed by Davin Anders Hutchins
BUCKLE BROTHERS (USA, documentary) - directed by Marquette Williams
DIRTY (USA, narrative) - directed by Christopher Fisher
FACTOR 8: THE ARKANSAS PRISON BLOOD SCANDAL (USA/Canada, documentary) - directed by Kelly Duda
FOUR CORNERS OF SUBURBIA (USA, narrative) - directed by Elizabeth Puccini
FUCK (USA, documentary) - directed by Steve Anderson
THE GIGOLOS (UK, narrative) - directed by Richard Bracewell
THE GOODTIMESKID (USA, narrative) - directed by Azazel Jacobs
THE KID AND I (USA, narrative) - directed by Penelope SpheerisTHE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF MY VERY BEST YEARS (Bolivia, narrative) - directed by Martin Boulocq
ON THE OTHER SIDE (Mexico, narrative) - directed by Gustavo Loza
PABLO - THE POET'S LIFE (Chile/Italy/UK, documentary) - directed by Dario Baldi
THE REFUGEE ALL STARS (USA, documentary) - directed by Zach Niles and Banker White
RIPLEY UNDER GROUND (UK, narrative) - directed by Roger Spottiswoode

The 17 North American Premieres are:
ALMOST HEAVEN (Germany/Jamaica, narrative) - directed by Ed Herzog
BACK TO BOSNIA (USA, documentary) - directed by Sabina Vajraca
CINEMA, ASPIRIN AND VULTURES (Brazil, narrative) - directed by Marcelo Gomez
DARK HORSE (Denmark, narrative) - directed by Dagur Kari
HORST BUCCHOLZ…MY PAPA (Germany, documentary) - directed by Sandra Hacker and Christopher Buchholz
IN BED (Chile/Germany, narrative) - directed by Matìas Bize
INITIAL D (Hong Kong, narrative) - directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak
JOY (Israel, narrative) - directed by Julie Shles
NEXT DOOR (Norway, narrative) - directed by Pål Sletaune
PELE FOREVER (Brazil, documentary) - directed by Anibal Massaini Neto
QUEENS (Spain, narrative) - directed by Manuel Gómez Pereira
THE RED SHOES (South Korea, narrative) - directed by Kim Yong-gyun
ROSARIO TIJERAS (Columbia/Mexico, narrative) - directed by Emilio Maille
SCREAMING MASTERPIECE (Iceland, documentary) - directed by Ari Alexander Ergis
TBILISI-TBILISI (Georgia, narrative) - directed by Levan Zakareishville
WRONG SIDE UP (Czech Republic, narrative) - directed by Petr Zelenka
ZIM & CO (France, narrative) - directed by Pierre Jolivet

AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi will run November 3-13, 2005. Passes are on sale now and tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, October 14, 2005. To order passes and tickets and to get more information, visit www.AFI.com or call 1.866.AFI.FEST.

About AFI FEST
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Now in its 19th year, AFI FEST presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival is the longest-running film festival in Los Angeles and one of the most influential film festivals in North America. The festival spans 10 days each November, featuring international competitions of brand new films from emerging filmmakers, global showcases of the latest work from the great film masters and nightly red-carpet gala premieres.

In 2004, AFI FEST and the American Film Market established a strategic alliance, creating the only festival/market combination in North America. This alliance has successfully resulted in a unique combination of commerce and culture. The AFM runs November 2-9, 2005. For more information, visit www.americanfilmmarket.com.

AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign Trust. Special support is provided by the Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AFI FEST is proud to continue its collaborative partnership with the Skirball Cultural Center. Made in Germany is made possible through the cooperation and support of the German Film Services + Marketing GMBH. NEW FACES IN EUROPEAN CINEMA is made possible through the cooperation and support of the European Film Promotion.

AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi is sponsored in part by American Airlines, ArcLight Hollywood, Absolut Vodka, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Best Buy, Eastman Kodak Company, Midway Car Rental, Aquafina and Stella Artois. The New York Times is the Festival's Presenting Media Partner. Additional partners include Indie 103.1, LA Weekly and Univision.

About Audi of America
Audi of America is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and markets performance-oriented European luxury vehicles: the all-new versatile A3; the sporty A4 sedan, A4 Avant and A4 Cabriolet models—the perfect union of power and control; the everyday sports car in the form of the S4 sedan, S4 Avant and the S4 Cabriolet; the birth of Audi’s sports car tradition—the TT Coupe and Roadster; the broad range of bold A6 sedans—the beautiful new A6 Avant; and the most progressive premium flagship sedan, the A8 in both extended and normal wheelbase versions. For more information about additional Audi-related events and corporate news, visit www.audiusa.com.

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