The Jules Verne Film Festival wraps up with tributes to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and PLANET OF THE APES

by Terry Keefe/Photography by Gregory Weinkauf

The Jules Verne Film Festival came to a close this weekend in Downtown Los Angeles. The Hollywood Interview was on the scene along with Gregory Weinkauf of Ubercine. Saturday saw a tribute to Ron Moore, creator of the 2000's version of the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA series, which is about to begin its final season. Series star Edward James Olmos, who plays Commander Adama on the series, presented the Jules Verne Achievement Award to Moore, and promised that "the world is not quite ready for what the conclusion of the series is going to be!" The evening included a screening of the final episode of the previous season of BATTLESTAR, along with a teaser reel of some highlights from the upcoming season. And yes, that is a replica of Gort the Robot from the original THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (above), in the lobby of the Edison, a combination night club/lounge in Downtown Los Angeles. The Edison was the perfect venue for a festival with the name of Jules Verne in the title. Designed by Andrew Meieran, The Edison was once the location of Downtown Los Angeles' first private power plant, and some remnants of that history still remain, such as the huge Westinghouse breakers (?) which are in the private party room where the GALACTICA event spilled over into after the awards ceremony. With electrical coils vibrating in the walls, gothic-style, high ceilings, and the art deco decor, the Edison makes you feel like you're walking into the opening of a steampunk fantasy. A vibe reminscent of parts of THE MATRIX, DARK CITY, and BLADE RUNNER (and hey, Edward James Olmos - "Gaff" in BLADE RUNNER - was in fact there!)


[Vintage power equipment and a flat-screen showing BATTLESTAR! The Edison is officially the epicenter of cool in Los Angeles.]


[ABOVE: Edward James Olmos, Ron Moore, and Festival Creators Frederic Dieudonne & Jean-Christophe Jeauffre.]

Sunday evening saw a special 40th Anniversary Screening of the original PLANET OF THE APES, with an award being presented to actress Linda Harrison, who played Nova in the film. And, as you can see below, the years have been kind.

[Linda Harrison, along with Festival Creators Frederic Dieudonne & Jean-Chrisophe Jeauffre]



For more information on The Jules Verne Festival, check out their website at http://www.julesvernefestival.com/. For fans of sci-fi in the Los Angeles area, this event is simply a must-attend. Creators Frederic Dieudonne & Jean-Christophe Jeauffre have impeccable taste in programming and a seemingly magic touch in getting some of the coolest figures in modern entertainment history to appear. Previous guests have included George Lucas, James Cameron, William Shatner, Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Stewart, and Stan Lee.