Keaton and Kurlander to Appear at This Year's Sonoma Film Festival
This year's Sonoma Valley Film Festival, which runs from April 9-13, will have a distinctly Pittsburgh feel n'at as native son's Michael Keaton and Carl Kurlander will be featured prominently in festival festivities.
Kurlander will premiere his documentary, "My Tale of Two Cities" a personal point of view documentary about his decision to give up the Hollywood he had grown accustomed to as a screenwriter and produer (St. Elmo's Fire, Saved by The Bell and return to his hometown of Pittsburgh. Through the personal story of Carl and his family, the film also tackles the subjects of job loss, ecconomic uncertainty and, urban decay, and an eroded tax base, maladies that are afflicting older industrial cities such as Pittsburgh, as they face the loss of their core industries, without a clear plan as to what will replace them. To find answers to his question, "what will save my hometown?," Carl sits down with his neighbors, having breakfast with former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil, fishing and talking with late Pittsburgh mayor Bob O'Connor, going shopping with Teresa Heinz Kerry, and speaking with the wife of everyone's favorite neighbor, Pittsburgh native and children's television pioneer, Fred Rogers.
Sonoma will also spotlight another famous Pittsburgher, as the festival will honor Michael Keaton, best known for his role as Bruce Wayne in the film's Batman and Batman Returns, with a tribute ceremony on Saturday, April 12th. Also during the festival Keaton will introduce his directorial debut, "The Merry Gentleman." In addition, Sonoma wil hold a special screening of one of Keaton's most popular films, Beetlejuice, also scheduled to be held on April 12th.
In addition to screening My Tale of Two Cities, Kurlander and Steeltown Entertainment Project plan to throw a Pittsburgh themed party at a local Sonoma establishment, Steiner's Tavern, and are inviting expatriate Pittsburgher's to join them in the celebration.
To see a rundown of the upcoming Sonoma Film Festival, go to: sonomafilmfest.org for more information.
For more information on Carl Kurlander's film, My Tale of Two Cities, go to www.mytaleoftwocities.com this includes upcoming information on the casual party at Steiner's Tavern in Sonoma on April 11 for Pittsburghers and former Pittsburghers in the area.
To view a recent story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the Sonoma tribute to Michael Keaton and the premiere of Carl's film go here.
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