49th SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO CLOSE WITH
ROBERT ALTMAN'S MUCH-ANTICIPATED A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION

Lively and Entertaining Musical Comedy Based on Garrison Keillor's Long-Running Radio Show Features a Stellar Ensemble Cast, Including Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Lily Tomlin, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson, Lindsay Lohan and Tommy Lee Jones

March 2, 2006

San Francisco, CA - The 49th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 20-May 4) will wrap this year with Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion on Thursday, May 4, 2006, at the historic Castro Theatre. The Closing Night film will begin at 7:00 pm and will be followed by the Closing Night party at Mezzanine at 9:30 pm. Guests to be announced.

A Prairie Home Companion, based on the well-loved, long-running weekly radio show, takes place on what is imagined as the program's final night of broadcast on radio station WLT prior to the demolishing of its home, the historic Fitzgerald Theater. Garrison Keillor's screenplay seamlessly blends comedy, music, drama and intrigue as viewers become well acquainted with eccentric characters both on and off stage. In true Altman form, the film features a superb ensemble cast who obviously are enjoying themselves enormously, including Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin as the folk-singing Johnson sisters and John C. Reilly and Woody Harrelson as the crooning cowboys Dusty and Lefty. Kevin Kline is the stylish but clumsy security guard Guy Noir, Virginia Madsen is a mysterious woman in a white trench coat, Lindsay Lohan is the somewhat sullen daughter of Yolanda (Streep) and Maya Rudolph is Loretta, the cool and collected assistant stage manager. Rounding out this superb cast is Garrison Keillor as himself-the host of A Prairie Home Companion-and Tommy Lee Jones as the Axeman, a representative from the unsentimental Texas corporation that buys out WLT.

Graham Leggat, executive director of the San Francisco Film Society, said, "We are delighted to have the work of legendary filmmaker Robert Altman-the 2003 recipient of the Film Society Directing Award-back at the International. A Prairie Home Companion transports us to the closing night of a historic radio program with laughter, tears and, most importantly, the company of close friends. I can think of no better way to acknowledge our affection for our own faithful audiences and friends than to show this wonderful, warmhearted film as the 49th International comes to a close."

At 9:30 pm the Closing Night party kicks off at Mezzanine, San Francisco's sleek nightspot, located at 444 Jessie Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets. Partygoers will celebrate with exotic drinks, scrumptious nibbles and hot music. Admission for the film and party is $75 general public/$60 for San Francisco Film Society members (includes club admission, food, entertainment and two drink tickets); VIP tickets are $125 (includes reserved seating at the Castro Theatre and exclusive VIP celebrity room access at Mezzanine). Tickets are also available for $20 general public/$15 SFFS members for the film and Closing Night program at the Castro only.

Sponsored by bebe.

The 49th San Francisco International Film Festival runs April 20-May 4, 2006 at the Kabuki 8 Theatres (the Home of the Festival), the Castro Theatre and the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco; the Pacific Film Archive Theater in Berkeley; and Landmark's Aquarius Theatre in Palo Alto. Passes will be available to San Francisco Film Society members starting March 6. Tickets will be available to members March 28 and to the general public April 4. To purchase tickets and for ticket information log on to www.sffs.org, call 925.866.9559 or visit the Main Ticket Outlet, located in the atrium of the Kabuki 8 Theatres, 1881 Post Street or the Satellite Ticket Outlet at the Virgin Megastore, 2 Stockton Street. For up-to-date Festival information log on to www.sffs.org or call 415.561.5000.

The 49th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 20-May 4, 2006) is presented by the San Francisco Film Society, a nonprofit arts and educational organization dedicated to celebrating international film and the moving image.