The 15th annual TCM Film Festival kicks off Thursday night at the Chinese Theater
Film fans from around the world are converging on Hollywood this weekend for the 15th annual TCM Film Festival. Movie buffs prepare all year for the 4-day celebration of classic film and have recently been sharing stories about themed outfits, TCM merch and trading stories about star sightings at the fest and at classic restaurants like Musso and Frank.
The historic Chinese Theater has always been the headquarters theater for the fest, which opens Thursday night with a gala screening celebrating the 30th anniversary of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, with stars John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel.
Fans line up extra early for the screenings introduced by experts, actors and directors and this year's crop includes Mel Brooks for Spaceballs, Steven Spielberg before Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jodie Foster with Silence of the Lambs. Foster is also this year's recipient of the hand and footprint ceremony at the Chinese.
Sometimes the hosts are as big a fan of the subject matter as the most dedicated cinephile. Animations are eager to see restored vintage cartoons with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and One Hundred and One Dalmatians with original animator Floyd Norman.
Warner Bros. used the occasion to kick off their new TCM Classic Films Tour. Other Hollywood institutions, including Larry Edmunds Bookshop (since 1938) and the Hollywood Heritage Museum, have been hosting book signings at their venues (look for Billy Dee Williams and TCM host Dave Karger) and at the Roosevelt Hotel, headquarters during the con.
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The museum is housed in the historic barn where Paramount was founded and has installed Meet the Stars: MGM 100th Anniversary, a massive exhibition of props and costumes celebrating the centennial of studio.
Gowns and garments from Judy Garland, Shirley Temple and Cary Grant are on display through June 9. "Esther Williams' bathing suit from Million Dollar Mermaid has been very popular," says Margot Gerber of Hollywood Heritage. She notes that the collectors who own the costumes will be roaming the gallery and available to chat. Williams herself chatted with fans at the very first TCM festival back in 2010.