Winter Garden Magazine May 2015 | Page 24

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD!!! Adventures of a classic movie fanatic at the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival by Michelle L. Curtis Since 2010, cable and satellite channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has held its annual film festival in the heart of Hollywood, California. Fans of classic cinema come from near and far to revel in the 4-day celebration of star-studded events, screenings of nearly 80 motion pictures, and parties with vintage Hollywood flair. The face of TCM, host, and film historian Robert Osborne, along with co-host Ben Mankiewicz, are the ringmasters of this massive event which hosts over 28,000 attendees. For the last 5 years, I have been blessed to be one of those many Robert Osborne attendees. For as long as I can 24 | WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE | MAY 2015 remember, old movies and Hollywood history has fascinated me. From being a little girl watching black & white movies with my grandparents, studying film theory in college, and devouring any book on the subject, to viewing a multitude of classic films each week — I am officially a card carrying film fanatic! Even though I didn’t make it to the inaugural festival in 2010, I haven’t missed one since. The experience is every film lovers dream. Each TCM Classic Film Festival is held, right where the motion picture industry got its start in the early 1900’s, Chinese theatre.