Tucci, Baranski, Cusack and Swinton to be Featured in the New Yorker Festival, 10/17

It's that time of year again, when the city officially turns into the NY intelligencia's playground. Yes, I am referring to the New Yorker Festival, which takes place over the October 16 - October 18 weekend this year. Among the highlights: panel discussions an Q & As with stage and screen stars Tilda Swinton, Christine Baranski, Joan Cusak an others.

Every fall, the New Yorker Magazine hosts a three day festival filled with panel discussions, interviews, screenings and presentations in collaboration with some of the most notable figures in the world. Past participants include Salman Rushdie, Woody Allen, Anna Deavere Smith, Dave Eggers, Oliver Stone, Frank Rich etc.

This year, the New Yorker will host stage and screen stars Stanly Tucci, Christine Baranski, Joan Cusack and Tilda Switon, amongst others, in discussion.

On Saturday, October 17, Stanly Tucci will speak with New Yorker reporter Michael Spector at 1:00pm.  At 4pm, Christine Baranski and Joan Cusack will be joined by Luis Guzmán, Richard Kind, and John Turturro in a panel discussion on Character Acting, to be moderated by 'On Television' New Yorker columnist Nancy Franklin.  Taking the late shift is Tilda Swinton, who will speak with New Yorker staff writer an theater critic Hillton Als.

For ticket and location information, visit www.newyorker.com.

Stanley Tucci has starred in such films as "Road to Perdition," "The Terminal," "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," and "The Devil Wears Prada." He was most recently seen in "Julie & Julia" and will appear in the upcoming "Blind Date," which he also co-wrote and directed, and "The Lovely Bones." He is a two-time Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner and appeared on the comedy series "Monk" and in the TV films "Winchell" and "Conspiracy."  He as appeaed on stage in SCAPIN, FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE (Tony nomination), EXECUTION OF JUSTICE, THE ICEMAN COMETH, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMIORS, THE MISANTHROPE,  and THE QUEEN AND THE REBELS.

Christine Baranski made her Broadway début in 1980, in "Hide & Seek," and has won two Tony Awards, for "The Real Thing" and "Rumors." More recently, she appeared in "Boeing-Boeing." From 1995 to 1998, she starred in the TV series "Cybill," for which she won an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Her film credits include "Chicago," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "The Birdcage," and "Mamma Mia!"

Joan Cusack has acted in dozens of films, including "Addams Family Values," "School of Rock," "Arlington Road," "Confessions of a Shopaholic," "My Sister's Keeper," and, with her brother John, "War, Inc." She has twice been nominated for an Oscar, for "Working Girl" and for "In & Out," and will appear next year in "Mars Needs Moms!" She was a cast member of "Saturday Night Live" and starred in the sitcom "What About Joan?"  She has appeare on stage in CYMBALINE, ROAD, and BRILLIANT TRACES, for which she won the 1989 Theatre World Award.

Tilda Swinton was born in London and lives in the Scottish Highlands. Her work includes productions with The Royal Shakespeare Company and Traverse Theatre Company in Edinburgh,  "The Deep End," "Orlando," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Burn After Reading," "Michael Clayton," for which she received a BAFTA Film Award and an Academy Award, and a number of Derek Jarman films. She recently appeared in Erick Zonca's "Julia" and will star in an adaptation of the Lionel Shriver novel "We Need to Talk About Kevin," directed by Lynne Ramsay.