Philadelphia's The Franklin Institute is One of Six Venues Nationwide Selected to Host Exclusive One-Week Run of Highly-Anticipated Cameron Crowe Retrospective Film on Pearl Jam

BEGINS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Theatrical Release of "Pearl Jam Twenty" Celebrates the Band's 20-Year History

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Franklin Institute is one of six venues nationwide selected for an exclusive one-week run of Pearl Jam Twenty beginning Friday, September 23.  In celebration of their 20-year anniversary, Pearl Jam is releasing this definitive portrait of the band as told by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and music journalist, Cameron Crowe.  For information on tickets and show times, please call 215.448.1254 or visit the website at www.fi.edu.

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The film's exclusive one-week run at The Franklin Institute runs from Friday, September 23 through Thursday, September 29.  Although many venues are doing a special one-night only screening September 20 (including Philadelphia's sold-out Trocadero event), The Franklin Institute is one of six venues chosen nationwide for the exclusive one-week run.  Show times are nightly at 5:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (Please note: Chicago will begin its run on September 30.)  

Opening night, The Franklin Institute will also be hosting its new popular TFI After Dark event for adults.  Pearl Jam fans will have the option of upgrading their $12 film ticket to a $20 combo ticket to attend both the movie and the party event on Friday, September 23.  During TFI After Dark, the museum is open exclusively for visitors ages 18 and older from 6-10 p.m.  This celebration grants ticket-buyers exclusive adults-only evening access to The Franklin Institute's continuing exhibitions, the romantic observatory deck, hands-on science activities, raffles and contests as well as a cash bar (i.d. required).  New area DJ Cool-Out from Scratch Weddings will be setting up a party in The Franklin rotunda.  

The Tuttleman IMAX Theater's cutting-edge sound system features 20,000 watts of amplifier power and over 50 speakers -- making audiences feel like they are part of the Pearl Jam action.  Please note that this is a digital presentation in Blu-Ray, and will not be in the full IMAX® format. 

Pearl Jam Twenty is a captivating documentary that gives fans and audiences an intimate first glimpse into Pearl Jam's journey culled from more than 1,200 hours of rarely and never-before-seen footage, over 24 hours of recent interviews with the band, as well as live footage of their spellbinding concert performances.  Additional markets selected for the special one-week run include New York City, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Pearl Jam Twenty will enjoy a unique, simultaneous worldwide theatrical release in select cities and venues in September and thereafter will roll out in an accelerated fashion.  Abramorama, headed by Richard Abramowitz, who steered the theatrical campaigns for Anvil! The Story of Anvil and the Oscar®-nominated Exit Through The Gift Shop, is releasing the independent film in the U.S. with Arts Alliance Media, best known for their deft handling of Iron Maiden's award-winning documentary Flight 666 and, more recently, Foo Fighters Back and Forth, handling the theatrical release overseas. The film's U.S. television premiere will be Friday, October 21st at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), as part of the prestigious PBS "American Masters" series, airing during the first-ever PBS Arts Fall Festival. The soundtrack and DVD of the film will be released worldwide by Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment, with the soundtrack released simultaneous to the film in September and the DVD following with a release in October.

Told in big themes and bold colors with blistering sound, Pearl Jam Twenty chronicles the years leading up to the band's formation, the chaos that ensued soon-after being catapulted into superstardom, their step back from the spotlight with the instinct of self-preservation, and the creation of a trusted circle that would surround them—giving way to a work culture that would sustain them. The film celebrates the freedom that allows the band to make music without losing themselves, their fans, or the music lovers they'd always been.

Crowe was among the band's inner circle when they formed and has maintained a close friendship with the band since his days as a reporter for Rolling Stone in Seattle. Almost 20 years after the band's inception, Eddie, Jeff, Stone and Mike gave their longtime friend the okay to raid the vault and assemble from it the story no one but those closest to them ever knew.

After two decades, Pearl Jam remains a giant musical force and one of the biggest and most magnetic touring acts in the world. With over 60 million albums sold worldwide, they continue to create and perform great music—all on their own terms.  Pearl Jam is currently in the studio recording their 10th studio album, marking the band's second record released through their label, Monkeywrench Records.

ABOUT PJ20 -- 2011 is a yearlong celebration of Pearl Jam's twenty-year history. The band started off the year with the release of a new live compilation album, Live on Ten Legs, followed by the expanded reissues of Vs. and Vitalogy in March. Things kick into high gear in September with the Alpine Valley Labor Day anniversary weekend concert, a ten-date Canadian tour, followed by the theatrical release of Cameron Crowe's film, Pearl Jam Twenty in September with accompanying book and soundtrack album and subsequent PBS airdate of October, ending the year with the DVD of the film available in October. For the latest Pearl Jam happenings, visit www.pearljam.com.

ABOUT THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE -- Located in the heart of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute is a renowned and innovative leader in the field of science and technology learning, as well as a dynamic center of activity. Four floors of exhibits include the brand-new interactive Changing Earth and Electricity, in addition to The Giant Heart, Franklin Air Show, Space Command, and Sports Challenge.  The museum also houses three state-of-the-art theaters: Fels Planetarium, Tuttleman IMAX Theater, and a new 3D/HD theater.  Pennsylvania's most visited museum, The Franklin Institute is dedicated to creating a passion for science by offering new and exciting access to science and technology. More information can be found at www.fi.edu. 

SOURCE Franklin Institute