Lee Majors to appear at film festival

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA - Actor Lee Majors will be among special guests at the George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival scheduled for March 5-8.

Majors will join fellow actor Rance Howard for a question-and-answer session at 2 p.m. March 6, then at 7 p.m. for "An Evening with Rance Howard and Lee Majors." A location for the events will be announced.

Tonya Holley, a local filmmaker whose credits include "When I Find the Ocean," a major motion picture released in 2006, has worked with both Howard and Majors in the making of that film. She said she expects to work with them again as she finalizes the cast of her next project, "The Story of Bonnie and Clyde."

"Lee has been to the Shoals shooting, and I know (Howard) is looking forward to coming as well," she said. "Lee is such a great actor. As a teenager, he was in the movie industry, and people will want to hear how he started and how he kept working and how he's still working all the time."

The festival, which is in its 12th year, will also include its namesake, George Lindsey, who graduated from the University of North Alabama.

Cynthia Burkhead, an English instructor and co-chairwoman of the festival, said there are 38 films to be screened at a variety of venues. Having big-name stars present brings attention to the festival, she said.

"People ... may not regularly think about going to a festival, and, once we have their attention, we're able to get them into independent films," she said. "That's really the main function of the festival. If you miss it, you might not know the great work that's being done by these independent filmmakers, whether they are professionals or students."

David Shields, co-chairman of the festival and the vice president for student affairs at UNA, said fans will have an opportunity to meet and speak to Majors and Howard.

"That gives the actors a chance to talk about their films as well as to talk about the importance of filming opportunities in Alabama," he said. "It's especially important now as we work with (our state Legislature) on bringing back film incentives."

Majors has performed in more than 30 motion pictures, the most recent being "Conflict of Interest," with Michael Madson. He also has been part of numerous television programs, including "The Big Valley," "Men from Shiloh" and "The Fall Guy." It was his starring role as Steve Austin on "The Six Million Dollar Man" that made Majors an icon of American popular culture.

Michelle Rupe Eubanks can be reached at 740-5745 or michelle.eubanks@timesdaily.com.