News Release

As part of Baltimore's VIVAT! St. Petersburg celebration, a citywide arts festival commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg, Johns Hopkins University's Film and Media Studies Program will present Sergei Eisenstein's rarely seen silent film "October," at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, in Shriver Hall Auditorium on the university's Homewood campus, 3400 N. Charles St. in Baltimore.

The screening is part of a four-film series presented by the Maryland Film Festival, the Walters Art Museum and Johns Hopkins in association with VIVAT!. Each film depicts St Petersburg and will be presented Feb. 21 through Feb. 28, at venues across Baltimore.

Josef Stalin commissioned "October" in 1927 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917. He then ordered Eisenstein to edit several scenes from the film, eliminating Stalin's political rival, Leon Trotsky, from the final cut. Eisenstein scholar Yuri Tsivian will host the screening, which will feature the piano accompaniment of Philip Carli. Carli has accompanied silent films at the Museum of Modern Art and the Berlin Film Festival and he wowed Maryland Film Festival audiences in 1999 when he conducted the score he composed for the silent film "Peter Pan."

Like the other films in the series, "October" will start at 7:30 p.m. and will cost $10; $5 for students and senior citizens. The rest of the VIVAT! Film Series schedule includes a screening of "Window to Paris" and a reception on Friday, Feb. 21, at the Walters Art Museum; "Russian Ark" at the Charles Theatre on Friday, Feb. 21; and "Love" at the Walters Art Museum on Friday, Feb. 28.

Tickets are available through the VIVAT! St. Petersburg Web site, www.vivatfest.com, or by calling the Maryland Film Festival office. A guaranteed-seating pass for all of the films costs $30 and is also available by calling the Maryland Film Festival office at 410-752-8083.