Thursday, October 2------When you have one of the most recognizable faces in film in the same room as you, there is undoubtedly a level of excitement. Clint Eastwood came to New York City today for a press conference for his new film Changeling, which serves as the centerpiece of the New York Film Festival.

Being his affable, laconic self is easy for the still handsome Clint, whose directing career is even surpassing his accomplishments as an actor. With such recent films as Million Dollar Baby and Sands Of Iwo Jima, the Oscar winner is on a hot streak that shows no signs of slowing down....quite an accomplishment for a man in his 70s.

In Changeling, Angelina Jolie stars as a mother in the Los Angeles of the 1920s who gives in to despair of ever finding her kidnapped son. Her fine line between concerned parent and slightly deranged personality creates the tension for this story based on a true incident, the Wineville Chicken Murders, in which Gordon Stewart Northcott kidnapped and killed at least three boys on his ranch. 

One of the boys was 10-year-old Walter Collins, who was at the heart of a scandal surrounding the case — after he was reported missing, the L.A.P.D. found another child who claimed to be Walter. When Walter's mother, denied that boy was her son, the police had her sent to the county psych ward. The film has been retooled since its Cannes opening, where it admittedly was not universally embraced. With a November release date by Universal Pictures, Eastwood and company are looking to festivals like the New York Film Festival to build up momentum and prestige for the film. To view the trailer and get more information on the film, log on to the film website: http://www.changelingmovie.net/

Sandy Mandelberger, New York FF Dailies Editor