Bryn Mawr Film Institute to honor NFL Films' Sabol

BRYN MAWR, Pa.-August 11, 2008-American filmmaker and President of NFL Films Steve Sabol will be honored on Wednesday, Sept. 17 by Bryn Mawr Film Institute in a public ceremony to be attended by local dignitaries and sports figures.

Sabol, a founding member of NFL Films, will join Academy Award-winner Sir Ben Kingsley and Robert Osborne, Host of Turner Classic Movies, as a recipient of the Institute's Silver Screen Inspiration Award. The evening will include a catered pre-game reception followed by "How NFL Films Changed the Way America Watches Football," a collection of NFL Films footage to be presented by Steve Sabol and other luminaries, including Philadelphia Eagles announcer Merrill Reese and Hall of Fame journalist Ray Didinger.

"Steve Sabol and NFL Films' appreciation and use of filmmaking have brought new dimensions of entertainment to the world of sports," says Juliet Goodfriend, Executive Director of Bryn Mawr Film Institute. "His innovative blend of storytelling and cinematography has made NFL Films one of the most honored production companies in the history of television."

In 2003, Steve and his father Ed were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for "revolutionizing the way America watches football and setting the standard in sports filmmaking." Sabol also hosts the TV series NFL Films Presents, which has garnered more Emmys than any other sports series on television.

This event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and mingle with NFL fans, friends, and sports notables in the Institute's atrium, and enjoy classic football fare, courtesy of J.R. Monaghan's Pub & Grille of Ardmore. Tickets, available at www.BrynMawrFilm.org, are $100 per person. All proceeds benefit Bryn Mawr Film Institute.

The Institute is also offering an exclusive opportunity to enjoy a private gourmet dinner and cocktails with Steve Sabol, Merrill Reese, Ray Didinger, and other sports celebrities. Those who make a new $5,000 contribution to the Institute's Pane Campaign will join Sabol, Reese, Didinger, and others in the Sky Box for a surf-and-turf dinner courtesy of Chef Nick Farina of Blush Restaurant. The Pane Capital Campaign is in its final stages, and this event is intended to be the last drive of an effort that has already transformed the theater's second floor with the installation of an elevator, new HVAC system, multimedia room and offices, as well as new glass roofs. This event will enable BMFI to install lighting, stabilize the plaster, and paint to finish restoring the historic theatre.

The event is courtesy of the presenting sponsor, The Glenmede Trust Company in Philadelphia.

To purchase tickets or for more information on the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, visit www.BrynMawrFilm.org.