'back To The Future' Writer, Producer To Appear At 2010 Film Festival

May. 11, 2009

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - Award-winning screenwriter, producer and director Bob Gale will be a special guest of the 13th annual George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, scheduled for March 4-7, 2010. With friend and frequent collaborator Robert Zemeckis, Gale co-wrote and co-produced "Back to the Future," which was the No. 1 U.S. box office attraction in 1985 and earned Gale an Oscar nomination for the screenplay. Gale went on the write both "Back to the Future" sequels.

Gale's collaborations with Zemeckis also include the 1978 film about Beatlemania, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," and the 1980 comedy "Used Cars," which starred Kurt Russell and Jack Warden. Gale's first directorial project was a 1993 episode of HBO's "Tales from the Crypt." The 2003 film "Interstate 60" marked Gale's theatrical debut as a director. The film starred James Marsden, and the cast included Gary Oldman, Christopher Lloyd, Amy Smart, Chris Cooper, Ann-Margret and Michael J. Fox and Kurt Russell in special guest appearances. In addition to his work in film, Gale has worked extensively in the comic book genre. His credits include writing long story arcs for "Batman" and "Daredevil," and as a member of Marvel's Spider-man Brain Trust, he is a major contributor to the "Spiderman" franchise. Gale wrote six issues of "The Amazing Spider-Man" in 2008 and will write a "Spider-Man" digital comics series for Marvel.com in 2009. Among other events he is expected to participate in, Gale will speak to festival guests about his experiences as a screenwriter for the "Back to the Future" trilogy, which has grossed almost $1 billion dollars worldwide. The George Lindsey UNA Film Festival is one of the few film festivals hosted by a university. The event was founded in 1998 by UNA alumnus and celebrated actor and entertainer George Lindsey. Lindsey's own film career has included several important roles, including the character Goober Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show."

PHOTO AVAILABLE: For a photo of Gale, contact the Office of University Communications at 256-765-4225 or jlwoods1@una.edu

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.