Wednesday, January 17-----After winning a Golden Globe on Monday night, it seems that the actor Forest Whitaker is unstoppable as he moves towards Oscar glory next month for his tour-de-force performance as Ugandan strongman Idi Amin in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. New York audiences are therefore in for a treat when the Film Society of Lincoln Center presents A WEEKEND WITH FOREST WHITAKER, a celebration of the man and his talent.

Starting on Friday, January 19th and continuing on Saturday, January 20th, the Film Society of Lincoln Center has organized a two-day special program celebrating Forest Whitaker’s varied and prolific career. The program will take place at the Walter Reade Theater, the flagship cinematheque for the Film Society. The highlight of the weekend will be an onstage conversation with the award-winning actor, as well as screenings of three of his most acclaimed films.

An Evening with Forest Whitaker on Friday, January 19 at 8:30pm, will feature an onstage interview with the celebrated actor, as well as clips from some of his best films including FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, THE COLOR OF MONEY, PLATOON, GOOD MORNING VIETNAM, THE CRYING GAME and PANIC ROOM. Kent Jones, associate director of programming at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, will moderate the onstage conversation with Whitaker.

In addition, three films from Whitaker's career will be screened in their entirety: the Clint Eastwood-directed jazz biography of the legendary Charlie Parker, BIRD (1989), for which Whitaker won Best Actor honors at the Cannes Film Festival; GHOST DOG (1999), directed by New York's own legend Jim Jarmusch; and his latest triumph, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND.

Tickets for An Evening with Forest Whitaker are $40 for the general public, $30 for Film Society members. Admission includes admission to thd onstage interview, as well as a ticket to one of the additional three screenings. For more information, log on to the Film Society website: Film Society of Lincoln Center or call: (212) 875-5600.

Sandy Mandelberger
Awards Watch Editor