Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, October 23, 1995                   TAG: 9510230089
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BEAUTY AND BEAST REIGN OVER 8TH VA. FILM FEST

That's right, Fay Wray, the beauty who brought down the beast, will be on hand for a screening of the original ``King Kong'' on Thursday night in Charlottesville. The theme of this year's festival is ``U.S. & Them,'' and many of the films - both new and old - deal with the immigrant experience. (In the King's case, it was involuntary.)

The directors and principal cast members of two new films will be in town to talk about the works. Actor-singer Ruben Blades and director Brian Cox will introduce ``Scorpion Springs,'' their ``neo-Western'' about illegal immigration. Director Tim Reid, from TV's ``WKRP in Cincinnatti'' and ``Frank's Place,'' along with stars Phylicia Rashad and Richard Roundtree, will discuss their bittersweet story of a black community in segregated America, ``Once Upon a Time ... When We Were Colored.''

Director Wes Craven, creator of the ``Nightmare on Elm St." series, brings his new horror-comedy, ``Vampire in Brooklyn,'' to the festival. Actor Treat Williams will talk about his work in a short film, ``The Power of the Small,'' and he'll also be seen in ``Hair,'' one of his best performances. The always controversial and opinionated filmmaker Michael Moore presents his first fictional feature, ``Canadian Bacon.''

Several other new releases will be screened without personal appearances. Perhaps the most promising are ``White Man's Burden,'' a story of racial role-reversal starring John Travolta and Harry Belafonte, and ``Frankie Starlight,'' a magical realist romantic comedy with Gabriel Bryne, Anne Parillaud and Matt Dillon.

As usual, those premieres face stiff competition from a slate of older films that's filled with proven crowd-pleasers: Orson Welles' ``Touch of Evil," Francis Ford Coppola's ``Godfather, Pt. 2,'' Kubrick's ``Dr. Strangelove,'' Sergio Leone's ``Once Upon a Time in the West,'' Chaplin's ``The Immigrant,'' Huston's ``The African Queen,'' George Stevens' ``Giant,'' John Frankenheimer's ``The Manchurian Candidate,'' and Gene Kelly's ``An American in Paris.''

The Virginia Festival of American Film will run through Sunday in Charlottesville. Ticket prices range from $6 for most films to $90 for the Opening Night Benefit for Fay Wray and for the black-tie Saturday Night Gala. For more information call 1-800-UVA-FEST, or e-mail FILMFESTVirginia.edu.