April 11, 2002

"AFI'S 100 YEARS...100 PASSIONS,"
A NEW ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL COUNTING DOWN AMERICA'S GREATEST LOVE STORIES, WILL BE BROADCAST TUESDAY, JUNE 11 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Top-Secret List of the 100 Greatest Love Stories To Be Revealed by Many of Hollywood's Biggest Names

Included Are Faye Dunaway, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hugh Jackman, Garry Marshall, Ali McGraw, Anthony Minghella, Mary Tyler Moore, Maureen O'Hara, Sydney Pollack, Rob Reiner, Neil Simon, Jerry Stiller and Kathleen Turner

AFI's 100 YEARS...100 PASSIONS, a new entertainment special counting down the greatest love stories in American movies, will be broadcast Tuesday, June 11 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. During the broadcast, the confidential list of the 100 greatest love stories of all time will be revealed by some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

The special is the fifth installment in AFI's centennial celebration of American cinema, following the four critically-acclaimed Network specials "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies," "AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars," "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs" and "AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills" which, each year, sparks a national discussion of America's film history among movie lovers across the nation.

Among those interviewed for the special are Danny Aiello, Richard Benjamin, Peter Bogdanovich, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Cameron Crowe, Alan Cumming, Rosario Dawson, Faye Dunaway, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Joanna Gleason, Jennifer Grey, Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hugh Jackman, Norman Jewison, Kermit The Frog, Jonathan Lipnicki, John Leguizamo, Garry Marshall, Ali McGraw, Anne Meara, Anthony Minghella, Mary Tyler Moore, Rita Moreno, Maureen O'Hara, Miss Piggy, Sydney Pollack, Paula Prentiss, Rob Reiner, Chris Sarandon, Neil Simon, Aaron Sorkin, Jerry Stiller, Kathleen Turner, Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Robert Wise.

In 2001, AFI distributed a ballot with 400 nominated films to a jury of 1,800 leaders of the film community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, etc.), critics, historians and film executives. The jurors were asked to consider the following criteria while making their selections:

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• Feature-Length Fiction Film: The film must be in narrative format, typically more than 60 minutes in length.

American Film: The film must be in the English language with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States.

• Love Story: Regardless of genre, a romantic bond between two or more characters, whose actions and/or intentions provide the heart of the film's narrative.
• Legacy: Films whose "passion" have enriched America's film and cultural heritage while continuing to inspire contemporary artists and audiences.

The list of 400 nominated films ranges alphabetically from "About Last Night..." to "Young At Heart." In addition to the movies on the ballot, jurors were allowed to submit up to five write-in votes.

As part of its continuing effort to increase awareness and appreciation of American film history, AFI's 100 YEARS...100 PASSIONS is being supported by an AFI Web site at www.AFI.com. Anheuser-Busch, Blockbuster, Capital One, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson and Pepsi are returning as sponsors of this year's program.

The last four AFI specials, "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (1998)," "AFI'S 100 Years...100 Stars (1999)," "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs (2000)" and "AFI'S 100 Years...100 Thrills (2001)" were watched by an average of more than 11 million people.

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 and explores new technologies in movie-making. AFI presents the best of film through a major film festival in Los Angeles, the AFI Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the annual AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor given for a career in film. More information can be found by visiting its Website, located at www.AFIonline.org.

Multi Emmy Award winner Gary Smith ("The Tony Awards") is the executive producer and director of AFI's 100 YEARS...100 PASSIONS for Smith-Hemion Productions. Former AFI Board Chair Frederick S. Pierce is the executive producer for AFI. Dann Netter ("The Snowden Raggedy Ann & Andy Holiday Show," "50 Years of Television"), Fred A. Rappoport ("The Kennedy Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration," "The Country Music Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary") and Bob Gazzale ("AFI Life Achievement Award, A Tribute to Barbra Streisand") are the producers, with Gazzale also serving as writer. SFM Entertainment LLC is the distributor of the program.

RATING: To Be Announced

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Press Contacts: Tracey Raab 323/575-4269 tracey.raab@tvc.cbs.com

Kate Halpern Fisher 212/975-3818 Khfisher@cbs.com