Michael Moore to bring The Big One to The Virginia Film Festival

(The film in which he finally gets his man!)

Charlottesville, Virginia:- The Virginia Film Festival (October 30 through November 2, 1997 in Charlottesville, Virginia) is pleased to announce that Michael Moore (Roger and Me, TV Nation) will present his new documentary "The Big One " on Saturday, November 1, at 10 p.m. in the Culbreth Theatre. The film will be a special presentation sponsored by the Independent Film Channel.

Moore, whose 1989 film "Roger & Me" stands as the highest-grossing documentary of all time, turns his lens on corporate welfare in "The Big One. Filmed during Moore's book tour to promote Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American, "The Big One" uses Moore's trademark biting humor to examine the painful repercussions of corporate downsizing on American workers. Once again Moore tracks his quarry - a CEO who can explain to him why thousands of workers are being laid off despite billion-dollar profits -- with the tenacity he showed in pursuing Roger Smith of General Motors in "Roger & Me." This time, however, Moore gets his man -- Phil Knight of Nike.

Moore's film was a recent sensation at the Toronto Film Festival, and has been picked up by Miramax Films for theatrical distribution. Moore will also participate in the festival's closing event, the Curry School Forum on Media Literacy. Moore will join a panel addressing the topic: "Media Coverage of Youth Violence: Sensationalism or Fact?"

Details of all scheduled films, together with details of how to order tickets by mail, are in the Festival Guide. Guides are available in and around Charlottesville and are available by mail. For more information, or to be added to the mailing list, please call 1-800-UVA-FEST.