Maryland Film Festival is proud to present the DINER 30th Anniversary Celebration featuring an open conversation with Barry Levinson, DINER cast and special guests. The event will take place at Shriver Hall on the Johns Hopkins Campus on Saturday December 10th at 8PM. Tickets are available through www.mdfilmfest.com or by calling 410-752-8083.
Between November 23rd and December 10th, the Maryland Film Festival will kick off the 30th anniversary celebration with a retrospective of Barry Levinson’s Baltimore films including DINER, AVALON, TIN MEN and LIBERTY HEIGHTS. In addition, there will be a special screening of Levinson’s documentary ORIGINAL DINER GUYS, which follows the real-life characters that inspired DINER.
$35 tickets grant entry to the conversation and ALL screenings in the Levinson’s Baltimore film series.
$275 tickets grant entry to the conversation, access to ALL screenings in the Levinson’s Baltimore film series AND an exclusive and intimate post-conversation dinner with Barry Levinson and guests.
Maryland Film Festival Blog 
To whom it may concern:
My name is Elizabeth Weiner and I am a 22 year old who’s list of favorite movies include Breaking Away, Harold and Maude, and Diner. I mention my age, because I feel that many people my age have never heard of these movies, let alone seen any of them. I actually happened to go to a screening of J. Edgar the other night and the woman introducing the film asked if anyone had seen Diner. I couldn’t help but grin, happy-wiggle, and glance around the theater, knowing that I was the youngest one raising her hand. I was introduced to the movie many years ago by my father. Being that he has been involved in the movie theater business for the entirety of my life plus some, I consider him my go-to movie guy, my film guru.
Growing up I would turn to him and say “Daddy, what movie should I watch” and he would pause a moment and suggest one from his vast collection in the basement. Of all the wonderful movies I’ve seen because of him, Diner is truly one of my favorites. I have shown it to many of my friends and my boyfriend and I, without fail, joke about ordering the left hand side of the menu every time we enter a diner. When I watch trivia shows I like to giggle to myself and mutter “bozo” when someone gets a question wrong. My connection with Diner has gotten even stronger since my boyfriend started working in Baltimore, living in Fells Point and since a number of our friends live in the area. To walk or drive around and see things in the movie that are uniquely and beautifully Baltimore is just so … comforting. I watch the movie now and it is not just a great movie about a group of friends, but a look at my home, as it was in the past. But of course all of this stems from my father’s influence.
My father is one of those men who doesn’t ask anything of anyone. He has been a wonderful husband to my mother these past 26 years, and helped to raise four beautiful, smart, and independent daughters. He is selfless, loving and above all the best father that one could ask for. My father has battled cancer, lost his job and had to start again from the bottom and not once did I ever hear him complain. He takes life in stride; takes the hit, but in the end is stronger and more resolute for it. His perpetually positive attitude makes him one of my personal heroes. My dad is never one to ask for anything for himself, and thus we come to the true reason for this e-mail. As a thank you for everything that he has done for me and my family I would love to be able to buy my father the pass to the movie screening and then the reception, but as a student still putting herself through college I don’t know if I could afford the All-Access tickets. I would love to send him to the event as an early Christmas present and was wondering if there was anything I could possibly do to make this wish a reality. I will even babysit Mickey Rourke’s dogs (since I heard that he might come if they are taken care of).
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my story and I look forward to hearing back.