AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE'S (AFI) TRAVELING EXHIBITION OF AMERICAN MOVIE HISTORY

As the first ever minivan with a fully integrated video entertainment system built right in, the Oldsmobile Silhouette Premiere brings the magic of the silver screen to the open highway. The ultimate family and road trip vehicle, the Silhouette Premiere is designed to provide the height of personal attention for every passenger, regardless of where they sit. Giving motion pictures a whole new meaning, the Silhouette Premiere provides an excellent screening room to view AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies and this year's AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars while traveling to varied destinations.

Continuing its celebration of the first 100 years of American movies, the American Film Institute (AFI) launches a major traveling exhibition showcasing our national film history. The AFI mall exhibit will stop off at the SpringHill Mall in Dundee, Illinois.

Supported by Oldsmobile, Sony Electronics and Blockbuster, AFI's American Film Centennial National Tour will visit cities across the United States over the next four months, including Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Columbus. Preceded by a 75-foot show truck outfitted as a traveling exhibit, the tour will feature classic and contemporary movie memorabilia, motion picture displays, photo opportunities and a state-of-the-art theater.

"This traveling museum will bring American film history to movie lovers across the nation and enhance AFI's continuing effort to raise awareness of classic films and screen icons who have created our great film heritage," said AFI Director and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg. "Through last year's list of the 100 greatest American films, AFI was able to spark an unprecedented national conversation about American movie history which we intend to build upon through another television special in June honoring the 50 greatest screen legends. Our effort has been successful because of the support of corporate leaders like Sony, Oldsmobile and Blockbuster, and we thank them for their strong and ongoing commitment to American film."

Visitors to the AFI exhibition will be welcomed by a life-like animatronic of Humphrey Bogart, and then can visit five main areas:

Memorabilia -- Movie memorabilia provided by Blockbuster, Universal, Warner Bros., Disney, Hollywood Casino, Western Costume and other private collectors will be located throughout the tour. Memorabilia includes Vivien Leigh's waistcoat from GONE WITH THE WIND, the hat and raincoat worn by Humphrey Bogart in CASABLANCA, a "Stormtrooper" helmet from STAR WARS, a first-class deck chair from the movie TITANIC, and a dress worn by Madonna in EVITA.

Theater -- Featuring 65" Sony HDTVs and decorated as an actual theater with large "velvet" curtains, visitors can watch HDTV clips and the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies in-theater trailer. At the back of the theater, four Sony 27" TVs will be designated for WebTV, showcasing the award-winning AFI website.

Photo Opportunities -- Visitors can "cast" themselves as the star in a classic Hollywood film scene, including a 12-foot dinosaur prop from JURASSIC PARK. Movie fans will be photographed with a Sony Digital Mavica camera and will receive a floppy disc of themselves in the scene and coupons to Sears where they can print their photos free of charge.

The Wizard Of Oz -- This area will feature one of the most famous scenes from THE WIZARD OF OZ, reproduced by Oldsmobile, including displays of a 3D replica of scenes, an actual yellow brick road and life-like replicas of Dorothy and Toto.

History Displays will showcase the top 100 movies list from AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies, and another will honor the 500 nominated screen legends in AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars. In the center of the display a 20" Sony Trinitron TV will play a DVD of the final segments of the CBS special from last June on which the 100 greatest movies were unveiled. To highlight AFI's June 15 announcement of the 50 greatest screen legends, the display will feature photos and "tune-in" information which will then be replaced with photos of the 50 greatest screen legends once the list is revealed.

Last year's AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies brought together more than 1,500 leaders from across the American film community to select the 100 greatest American movies of all time. CITIZEN KANE was selected as number one and the program resulted in millions of Americans visiting and revisiting the classics on video.

This year's AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars again convenes the leaders of American film to select the 50 greatest screen legends of all time. The list will be unveiled on June 15, 1999 on another three-hour CBS special, and will feature 50 of today's stars helping to countdown the 50 greatest American screen legends. AFI defines an "American screen legend" as an actor or a team of actors with a significant screen presence in American feature-length films whose screen debut occurred in or before 1950, or whose screen debut occurred after 1950 but whose death has marked a completed body of work.

AFI is the preeminent national organization dedicated to advancing and preserving the art of film, television and other forms of the moving image. AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers, coordinates nationwide film preservation efforts, explores new technologies in movie-making, and presents the best of film through a major film festival in Los Angeles, the AFI Theater in the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and the annual AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor given for a career in film.