The festival is a major retrospective of movies that capture the fun essence of the Swingin' Sixties - including many of the films which helped inspire Mike Myers and director Jay Roach devise the look and content of their Austin Powers movies.

The 30 films in the festival were mainly produced between 1960 and 1970 (a couple are early 70's productions) - and were chosen because they reflect all the fun, style, fashion and music of the 1960's. And also because most of the films look like they could have starred Austin Powers! The majority of the films are British or European - with the balance being American classics.

Most of the films have not been seen theatrically in America since they premiered over 30 years ago. And a couple of the films have never been seen in America - not even on television or video - which makes them very appealing to movie buffs and 60's fans alike.

WHERE

The festival will be presented at the American Cinematheque's permanent home - the gloriously restored 1920's landmark Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood - which after a $15 million renovation features state-of-the-art technical facilities.

WHO

Who Will Enjoy The Films In This Festival?

This celebration will be fun not just for the nostalgia-seeking baby-boomers - but also for younger people who have discovered the camp fun of the 1960's through Austin Powers or other movies and music. Of course it helps if you can get to Los Angeles...

WHEN

The festival opens on Thursday July 3rd - and runs till Tuesday July 15th 2003.

WHO #2

So Who's Behind This Groovy Festival?!

The festival is presented by The American Cinematheque - the non-profit organization dedicated to presenting festivals of the world's finest films to public audiences in Los Angeles.

The festival has been created and is being produced by the team responsible for some of the American Cinematheque's most successful film festivals of the past eleven years - humorist/producer Martin Lewis (a longtime member of the Cinematheque's Board of Trustees) and Dennis Bartok - the Cinematheque's Programming Manager.

Film festivals created and produced by Lewis & Bartok for the Cinematheque include tributes to comedic talents such as Monty Python, Richard Pryor, Peter Cook and Peter Sellers, film directors such as Ken Russell and Nicolas Roeg and the movies of Britain's Hammer Films and Channel Four. 1994's two-week Python retrospective - Monty Python: Lust For Glory! - was the comedy troupe's official 25th anniversary celebration - and was a major public and critical success. Their four previous Mods & Rockers Film Festivals (it’s been held held every year since 1999) were also wildly successful.

WHY

Some reflections on the philosophy behind this film festival - according to one of its creators.

(Note: This editorial piece solely reflects the PERSONAL views of its author - humorist & commentator Martin Lewis - [the festival co-creator/producer/host] - and does not represent the views of the American Cinematheque or any other person or organization)

Every generation regards the decade in which it comes of age as golden - and for the baby-boomers it was the 60's. In recent years, Blue-Meanie revisionists have attempted to tarnish that decade's reputation. Now comes this fifth Mods & Rockers film festival to continue the restoration of that era's rightful luster.

The essence of the 60's that so terrorizes its sourpuss detractors is its exuberance - and that blazes bright in these films.

Of course many of the era's films were irredeemably silly and some of those are presented in the festival too - for they are no less valid and offer the guilty pleasures that only deliciously empty calories can provide!

What ALL of these films do is remind us of a decade that - at its best - engaged with the soaring Apollonian heart of the human spirit. And that even at its worst - still put us in the mood for a good shag! And as we struggle to come to terms with the Brave New World of this Third Millennium - that's not a bad thing!

Martin Lewis
Co-creator/producer/host of the Mods & Rockers 2003 Film Festival
June 2003