Summary

TAPE: EF01/0673 IN_TIME: 13:37:27 DURATION: 1:43 SOURCES: LNN RESTRICTIONS: No Access UK DATELINE: London 19/9/01 SHOTLIST 1 Whip pan from London Film festival Poster 2 cu Robert Altman 3 caw photographers 4 sot Robert Altman: As I understand it they have already pulled about five or six films that were hundred million dollar films It all had to do with this idiotic kind of films they make of even comedies of blowing up planes and Spider-Man holding the twin towers together I mean those films I hope are never shown, but the kinds of films that I think the real film makers make won't be affected And I think this might help us take the movies away from the 12 and 13 year old audience, and hit a more adult and sober audience they go more When times are bad that is when the showbusiness flourishes, because it is relatively inexpensive entertainment and it gets people out in the public again And I think that barring holocaust many of these films, I think films will stand, will not be affected by this at all ALTMAN HERALDS DEMISE OF THE BLOCKBUSTER Acclaimed US director ROBERT ALTMAN reckons the best films won't be affected by Hollywood's reaction to last week's tragic events in America As studios turn away from blockbusters that rely on dramatic explosions to keep the action going, the 76 year old director of 'MASH', 'Nashville', 'The Player', and 'Short Cuts' says 'real filmmakers' won't be affected He added the reaction might help take emphasis away from films that pander to 12 and 13 year old fans, looking instead towards a more mature audience Altman added the film industry in general is likely to thrive as other businesses face the repercussions of the atrocities: When times are bad that is when the show business flourishes, because it is relatively inexpensive entertainment and it gets people out in the public again And I think that barring holocaust many of these films, I think films will stand, will not be affected by this at all Altman was speaking at the press launch of this year's London Film Festival, which included a photocall to promote his latest film 'GOSFORD PARK' The movie will have its world premiere at the festival's opening gala night on November 7th 'Gosford Park' stars Kelly Macdonald ('Trainspotting') and Emily Watson ('Angela's Ashes') alongside an ensemble cast brimming with British talent, including Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Richard E Grant, Derek Jacobi, and Jeremy Northam The festival will close on November 22nd with the European premiere of Iain Softley's 'K-Pax' The film stars Kevin Spacey as a psychiatric patient who believes himself to be an alien, and Jeff Bridges is the doctor who takes on his case In all the festival is is screening some 170 features and nearly 100 short films at an overall cost for the Festival of £16 million (dlrs 233 million) The line-up features Hollywood fare but is also especially strong on the latest offerings from Britain and France, while a 'Treasures from the Archives' section will include freshly restored prints of such films as Peter Fonda's 'The Hired Hand' and Fritz Lang's 1927 classic 'Metropolis' The festival is pushing ahead despite being touched by last week's attacks in New York and Washington, the effects of which continue to ripple through industry The event's principal sponsor, Regus, a British company specializing in instant offices and business centers, and an additional sponsor, Morgan Stanley, were among the firms that suffered losses in last week's attacks on the World Trade Center A third sponsor, American Airlines, has been reeling along with the rest of the aviation industry from the impact of terrorism and an economic downturn However, festival director Adrian Wootton said support from sponsors is holding firm He also still expects stars such as Martin Sheen and Bruce Willis to keep their commitments to travel to London to accompany screenings of 'Apocalypse Now Redux' and 'Bandits' respectively Peter Fonda is due in, too, for 'The Hired Hand' People want to show their commitment, said Wootton As far as we're concerned, they're coming over