About Us

Elizabeth Taylor Film Festival Jan. 22-24, 2010

12/15/2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Carol A. Poore, President and CEO

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

602.307.5330, Ext. 2213

cpoore@swhiv.org

Elizabeth Taylor Film Festival

January 22, 23 and 24, 2010

to benefit Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

hosted by City of Phoenix Vice Mayor Tom Simplot and

Harkins Theatres Christown 14

PHOENIX, Ariz. (January 6, 2009) - City of Phoenix Vice Mayor Tom Simplot and Harkins Theatres announce a film festival to support HIV/AIDS prevention while honoring world-renowned actress Elizabeth Taylor. The film festival will be held Jan. 22 through 24 and Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, a Phoenix-based nonprofit research, prevention and wellness center, has been chosen as the beneficiary for the event.

"This is a fun, family way to celebrate an icon of the screen and an icon of the AIDS movement. I can think of no better way to raise money for Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS than to celebrate Elizabeth Taylor," noted Phoenix Vice Mayor Tom Simplot, co-chair of the event.

The film festival will be held at Harkins Theatres Christown 14 located at 1620 W. Montebello Ave. Phoenix, and will feature a weekend-full of films starring Elizabeth Taylor, generously underwritten by Harkins Theatres. The film festival will open with an entertainment-filled VIP cocktail reception, silent auction and film showing on Friday evening, Jan. 22. The reception will spotlight Elizabeth Taylor's renowned work in the film and entertainment industry.

"One hundred percent of the ticket sales will help support HIV/AIDS research, as well as prevention and wellness programs at Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS," noted Carol Poore, president and CEO. "Elizabeth Taylor has been a great supporter of HIV/AIDS prevention, and we are honored that a community film festival would honor her work while supporting our ability to serve the growing needs for awareness, prevention, and support for those 13,000 youth, men and women in Arizona who are impacted by this devastating disease."

Films shown throughout the weekend include the following assortment of Taylor's most famous movies.

Friday, January 22

VIP Event
5:30 p.m. Reception and Auction

7:15 p.m. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Saturday, January 23

12:00 p.m. National Velvet

2:30 p.m. Giant

6:45 p.m. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

9:20 p.m. Suddenly Last Summer

Sunday, January 24

11:00 p.m. National Velvet

1:45 p.m. Little Women

4:00 p.m. Butterfield 8

6:30 p.m. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Tickets for the VIP reception are $75 and include cocktails, appetizers, one raffle ticket, a showing of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" following the reception, and admission into all Elizabeth Taylor films shown at Harkins Christown 14 Theatre throughout the weekend. RSVP is required for the VIP reception and tickets can be purchased by phone only by calling Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS at 602.307.5330 ext. 2242 in advance.

Individual film tickets are $10, where 100 percent of the ticket sales will be given back to Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS. Tickets will be available for purchase during the film festival throughout the weekend at Harkins Theatres Christown 14. Those who attend more than one Elizabeth Taylor movie will have the opportunity to win raffle prizes drawn at the close of the film festival.

For more information about this film festival please visit Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS online at www.swhiv.org.

About Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS is Arizona's oldest and largest nonprofit AIDS service organization providing a combination of prevention, research and wellness support to serve 70 percent of Arizona's nearly 13,000 residents infected with HIV/AIDS who live in Maricopa County.

Since 1988, Southwest Center has been on the front lines addressing a steady increase in the demand for HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, prevention education, wellness support services, and clinical trials to help Arizona men, women and teens impacted by the disease.

Southwest Center's mission is to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS by preventing the disease, by improving the quality of life for those who are impacted, and by contributing to worldwide research.

& Southwest Center has saved Arizona taxpayers an estimated $16 million in annual avoided hospital stays. Through our community prevention and education initiatives, we reach out to more than 30,000 individuals who are at-risk for obtaining and transmitting HIV and AIDS.

& In 2009, we provided 110 participants with new, life-saving medications through the Southwest Center's 15-year clinical trial program. Our clinical trials research program has helped bring 27 of the 29 available HIV/AIDS drugs to market.

& There are approximately 13,000 Arizona residents impacted by HIV/AIDS according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Southwest Center is ready to help the 4,300 Arizonans who are HIV-positive and are not aware of their disease because they are not yet undiagnosed.

& As our Valley continues to grow, unfortunately the cases of HIV/AIDS continue to grow as well. In 2008, Southwest Center's HIV testing program grew by 26.9 percent over the prior year.