AFI ANNOUNCES SECOND CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD MOVIE ON THE INTERNET
             For more info: Dan Harries <[log in to unmask]>
 
LOS ANGELES - Following last month's widely successful launch of the
groundbreaking AFI OnLine Cinema, the American Film Institute (AFI) today
announced plans to present its second classic Hollywood movie on the
Internet.  On March 3, AFI will begin showing Buster Keaton's 1921 classic
movie, THE BOAT.  This film replaces Charlie Chaplin's 1916  film, THE
RINK, which launched AFI OnLine Cinema on January 22.  Since its launch,
AFI OnLine Cinema has drawn intense interest and news coverage from across
the world, and more than 70,000 people from almost 70 countries have logged
on to the site to watch the Chaplin film.
 
AFI's Internet premiere of THE BOAT will take place at 7:00 p.m. PST on
March 3.  AFI OnLine Cinema is located at <www.afionline.org/cinema>.  THE
BOAT will run until April 20 when AFI OnLine Cinema will present its third
classic Hollywood movie, Harold Lloyd's HIGH AND DIZZY from 1920 to mark
the 104th anniversary of the great silent comedian's birth.
 
"The success of the AFI OnLine Cinema once again shows that American
movies, even the classics from the very earliest days of cinema, generate
intense interest and appeal across the globe," said AFI Director and CEO
Jean Picker Firstenberg.  "AFI created the OnLine Cinema because it
underscores AFI's core mission to advance and preserve the art of the
moving
image to a global audience.  AFI's goal has always been to stay ahead of
the curve by identifying the impact of new technologies on today's moving
image artists and the general public.  In this effort I think we have done
just that.  Tens of thousands of people from nations all across the world
want to be a part of this experience."
 
AFI made Internet history with the launch of AFI OnLine Cinema on January
22.  Never before had a classic Hollywood movie been presented in its
entirety with sound on the World Wide Web.  In addition, AFI OnLine Cinema
broke further ground by using a sophisticated new technology developed by
VDOnet that enables viewers to watch the films in real time and which
eliminates the time-consuming downloading delays normally experienced when
viewing moving images on the Internet.
 
In 1995, AFI created the popular AFI OnLine on the Internet's World Wide
Web to provide global access to AFI's rich resources in film, television
and new media.  Located at <www.afionline.org>, AFI OnLine provides an
international authority source for all aspects of the moving image arts, a
one-stop guide for anyone interested in this art form.  One of the most
valuable assets on the AFI Web site is CineMedia, the Internet's largest
film and media directory with links to more than 10,000 sites worldwide.
 
The American Film Institute is dedicated to advancing and preserving the
art of film, television and other forms of the moving image.  AFI's
programs promote innovation and excellence through teaching, presenting,
preserving and redefining this art form.
 
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