The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Opens in Select Theatres September 21
Jesse James (BRAD PITT) was one of the country's first bona fide celebrities.

There have been countless books written and tales told about America's most famous outlaw--all of them colorful and fascinating, all focused on his larger-than-life public persona and daring exploits, and most of them bearing only incidental reference to the truth.

To those he robbed and terrorized, and to the families of those he admittedly killed, he may have been just a criminal, but in the sensational newspaper articles and dime novels chronicling the James Gang throughout the 1870s, Jesse was the object of awe and admiration. He was a Robin Hood, they suggested, targeting railroad owners and banks that exploited poor farmers. He was a man with a tragic cause, a wronged and wounded Confederate soldier striking back against the Union that had ruined his life. Most importantly, to an increasingly buttoned-down and citified population leading ordinary lives, he was the last frontiersman -- a symbol of freedom and the American spirit, a charismatic rebel who flouted the law and lived by his own rules...by all accounts, a legend.

Foremost among his admirers was Robert Ford (CASEY AFFLECK), an idealistic and ambitious young man who had devoted his life to the hope of one day riding alongside his idol. He could never have imagined that history would ultimately mark him as the "the dirty little coward" who shot Jesse in the back.

But who was Jesse James, really - behind the folklore and the selling of newspapers? And who was Robert Ford, just nineteen and a member of Jesse's inner circle, who was able to bring down such a formidable figure when lawmen across ten states had tried and failed? How did they come to be friends and what happened between them in the days and hours leading up to the gunshot that would end one man's life and become the definition and sum total of another's?

No one will ever know the whole truth.

Based on the novel by Ron Hansen, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" delves into the private lives of America's most notorious outlaw and his unlikely assassin to offer a new perspective on a legend and address the question of what really may have transpired in the months before that infamous shooting.

The year is 1881 and Jesse is 34 years old. As he plans his next great robbery, he continues to wage war on his enemies who are trying to collect the reward money and the glory riding on his capture. But the greatest threat to his life could come from those he would trust the most.

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD by American director Andrew Dominik was announced at a press conference today as the Opening Film of the 2007 Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) presented by American Express. The film will be presented at the American Express Opening Night Gala on the eve of the Festival September 20, 2007.

“CIFF will be the second Festival in Canada to see this film after the Toronto International Film Festival,” explained CIFF’s Executive Director Jacqueline Dupuis. “This is truly a coup for Calgary and a testament to the people of Alberta and the Alberta film industry.” Dupuis expressed her thrill that Warner Bros. is giving CIFF the opportunity to share this remarkable cinematic achievement with a Calgary audience, many of whom worked on the film while it was being shot in Alberta during the fall of 2005.

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD Andrew Dominik, USA
From filmmaker Andrew Dominik (CHOPPER) comes a film that delves into the private life and public exploits of America's most notorious outlaw. As the charismatic and unpredictable Jesse James (Brad Pitt) plans his next great robbery, he wages war on his enemies, who are trying to collect the reward money and glory riding on his capture. But the greatest threat to his life may ultimately come from those he trusts the most. Also starring Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Zooey Deschanel and Sam Rockwell.

A drama filmed in the spectacular landscapes of Alberta, the film highlights the expansive prairies of the south and snowcapped peaks of Kananaskis, doubling for the American frontier circa 1881. Authentic period architecture at Fort Edmonton and Calgary’s Heritage Park, as well as the talents of the Alberta film industry, such as horse wrangler John Scott, are highlighted in this critically acclaimed film.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Virtual Studios, a Scott Free / Plan B Entertainment production. Written for the screen and directed by Andrew Dominik, based on the novel by Ron Hansen, the film is produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Ridley Scott, Jules Daly and David Valdes. Brad Grey, Tony Scott, Lisa Ellzey and Benjamin Waisbren are the executive producers. The creative team includes director of photography Roger Deakins, editors Dylan Tichenor and Curtiss Clayton and costume designer Patricia Norris. Music is by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD will be screened at the American Express Opening Night Gala on Thursday, September 20 at the Globe Cinema starting at 7:00pm. The Gala reception will follow at Belgo Brasserie.