Passes for the upcoming 2025 TCM Film Festival went on sale December 10. Currently, the top two pass levels, Spotlight and Essential, are sold out. Persons interested in either one of those pass levels can be placed onto a waitlist. In the days since TCM’s announcement, eighteen films have been announced:
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- Beau Geste (1925)
- The Big Combo (1955)
- Brigadoon (1954)
- Car Wash (1976)
- The Divorcee (1930)
- Edge of the City (1957)
- The Enchanted Cottage (1945)
- George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey (1984)
- Gunman’s Walk (1958)
- Jaws (1975)
- The Last Dragon (1985)
- Splendor in the Grass (1961)
- Superman (1978)
- Suspicion (1941)
- The Talk of the Town (1942)
- The Time Machine (1960)
- The Wiz (1978)
Personally, I am excited about The Big Combo, The Divorcee, The Enchanted Cottage, Jaws, Splendor in the Grass, Suspicion, The Talk of the Town, and The Wiz. I’ve never seen The Wiz and it looks interesting, if only for Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Of course, what I end up seeing depends on what else is announced and where everything falls on the final schedule. If something ends up playing at the El Capitan theater, I’ll probably see it regardless of what film it is. I just love that theater. I haven’t seen a nitrate film, so I’m hoping to rectify that this year.
The recipient of this year’s Robert Osborne Award is the very deserving George Stevens, Jr. He of course, is the son of the famed director George Stevens. However, he is accomplished in his own right. Stevens, Jr. founded the American Film Institute (AFI) in 1967 and created the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. The first recipient was director John Ford in 1973. In addition to presenting this award annually, the AFI has restored more than 45,000 American films, making sure that they can be enjoyed by countless generations to come. Stevens, Jr. also created the AFI Conservatory, a school which is renowned for its ability to mentor aspiring filmmakers.
Director Michael Schultz will be given a tribute at this year’s festival for his esteemed career. Before his first film, Cooley High, in 1975, Schultz was a famed theater director in New York and New Jersey. In 1968, he founded the Negro Ensemble Company, which has since become world-famous. Schultz has directed plays at theaters in cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, London, and Rome. One of his plays had a command performance at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. In 1977, his film Car Wash became the first African American-directed film to compete at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
I am looking forward to the announcement of the opening night film as well as seeing more films and guests announced. I know that when the final schedule is revealed, it will be fraught with scheduling conflicts and tough decisions will be made.
For the latest Film Festival updates, go to: filmfestival.tcm.com