MOVIESAnother L.A. Fest: Organizers of a new...

MOVIES

Another L.A. Fest: Organizers of a new festival for independent filmmakers announced Monday that the inaugural event will take place April 6-10, primarily at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. The first Los Angeles Independent Film Festival will offer 13 feature films and documentaries and a series of short films in 14 programs. Among filmmakers and actors on the group’s advisory board are Allison Anders, Bill Duke, Diane Ladd, Edward James Olmos, Michael Steinberg, Eric Stoltz, Forest Whitaker and Alfre Woodard. Organizations cooperating with the venture include the Black Filmmakers Foundation, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, Filmforum, the Gay and Lesbian Media Coalition, the National Latino Communications Center, the International Documentary Assn. and Women in Film. Managing director of the festival is Robert Faust, who produced the Independent Spirit Awards. Programming director is Shainee Gabel from IFP/West.

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Films for Posterity: Twenty-five films ranging from a Betty Boop version of “Snow White” to the Zapruder home movie of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination have been selected as this year’s additions to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced Monday. That brings to 150 the number of films that have been chosen for preservation since the registry was established by law in 1988. The other selections this year: “The African Queen,” “The Apartment,” “The Cool World” (1963), “A Corner in Wheat,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “The Exploits of Elaine,” “Force of Evil,” “Freaks,” “Hell’s Hinges,” “Hospital,” “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956), “The Lady Eve,” “Louisiana Story,” “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Marty,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “A Movie,” “Pinocchio,” “Safety Last,” “Scarface,” “Tabu” and “Taxi Driver.” The films are picked to reflect the range and diversity of American movie making.

TELEVISION

Gone With the Ratings: “Scarlett,” the four-part sequel to “Gone With the Wind,” scored a decisive ratings victory in its initial outing Sunday night, CBS reported Monday. In the 32 major markets for which overnight figures were available, the continuing saga of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler attracted 31% of the available viewers, compared to 22% for ABC’s telecast of “Lethal Weapon 3” and 13% for NBC’s showing of “JFK.” The national ratings will be released today.

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Grodin to Be Tapped for Show: Charles Grodin is expected to be named today as the successor to Tom Snyder on CNBC. Grodin, a frequent talk-show guest, has been in negotiations with CNBC for some time to take over Snyder’s time slot. The new show is scheduled to begin in mid-January on CNBC. Snyder starts on CBS on Jan. 9.

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News in the Afternoon: In a new joint venture, CBS and Group W are going to develop a live afternoon news program for syndication. Called “Day & Date,” the program will be produced by former CBS News producer Erik Sorenson. “This show will be somewhat like an afternoon ‘Today’ show,” Sorenson said. “Ratings for traditional talk shows are down, and stations need a compatible lead-in for their early news.”

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Filmland Bonanza: Turner Classic Movies announced Monday that it has licensed the rights to nearly 1,000 MGM/UA films, including “The Apartment,” “Annie Hall” and “Some Like It Hot.” The five-year agreement calls for the films to be shown on the TCM cable channel, which has 2 million subscribers nationwide and is expected to reach Los Angeles soon through selected cable systems. TCM, part of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., says the new acquisitions will join 4,600 movie titles already in its library.

MUSIC

Winning Singers: Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, 25, of Calabasas took the $4,800 first prize in the Western Regional Auditions of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, held Friday at USC. She will go to the national finals at the Metropolitan Opera in New York next April. Second place and $3,600 went to soprano Debra Wilkie, 27, of Tucson, and third place and an award of $2,400 went to mezzo-soprano Jennifer Roderer, 27, of North Hollywood.

QUICK TAKES

Singer-songwriter Billy Joel opened the Australian leg of his River of Dreams tour Sunday by announcing that this would be his last world tour. “It doesn’t mean it’s the last time I’m going to do a concert, it’s just the last time I’m going to do these long marathon tours,” Joel, 45, said in Melbourne. He said he would spend more time writing and composing than performing because he was “getting a little bit burnt out with this Billy Joel guy.” . . . Bob Hope went on the road to Wayne, Pa., to present retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf with the Bob Hope Five-Star Award, which recognizes the qualities of honor and courage symbolic of George Washington and his soldiers at Valley Forge. About 3,000 people attended the ceremony at Valley Forge Military Academy and College, where Schwarzkopf graduated in 1952. . . . Radio personality and peace activist Casey Kasem will be honored tonight at a Time for Peace Festival at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Shari Belafonte emcees. Proceeds go to Variety Club, an international children’s organization, and the Time for Peace Project, a mobile architectural pavilion designed to promote peace and aid children.