Jane Fonda to Salute Robert Redford as TCM Classic Film Festival Kicks Off With ‘Barefoot in the Park’ Gala Screening
The 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival will kick off with Jane Fonda leading a tribute to her late co-star Robert Redford prior to a gala opening-night screening of their 1967 pairing in “Barefoot in the Park,” the festival announced Tuesday.
The announcement said that Fonda introduce an April 30 showing of the Neil Simon-written, Gene Saks-directed romcom as part of an evening at the TCL Chinese that will “recognize both the movie’s lasting charm and Redford’s remarkable career as an actor, filmmaker and cultural force.”
Also announced as special honorees at this year’s festival were Barbara Hershey, songwriter Paul Williams and Bruce Goldstein, who served as founding artistic director of New York’s Film Forum and founded the classics distributor Rialto Pictures.
Hershey is set to appear at showings of two of her late 1980s films, “Hannah and Her Sisters” and “A World Apart.” Williams will speak at screenings of “The Muppet Movie,” which featured his Oscar-nommed “Rainbow Connection,” and Elaine May’s “Ishtar.” Goldstein will receive the annual Robert Osborne Award prior to a screening of the film he selected to be screened at his ceremony, Federico Fellini’s “Nights of Cabiria.”
“Opening night sets the tone for the entire festival, and having Jane Fonda with us to honor her friend and co-star Robert Redford makes this year especially meaningful,” said Ben Mankiewicz, the official host of the festival, in a statement. “‘Barefoot in the Park’ represents a pivotal moment in Hollywood history, and it’s a fitting way to begin our celebration. From the presentation of the Robert Osborne Award and our tributes to remarkable artists across generations, the festival connects today’s audiences to Hollywood’s enduring legacy. This year’s theme, ‘The World Comes to Hollywood,’ reflects the global creativity and ambition that built the film capital of the world and continues to shape it today.”
Fonda, Hershey, Williams and Goldstein are the first guests to be announced for the 2026 festival, which runs from April 30 through May 3. A significant part of the film programming, which takes place in the TCL Chinese and other nearby Hollywood theaters, has already been unveiled on the festival’s website.
The films announced so far:
Ace in the HoleAlice in Wonderland (75th anniversary world premiere restoration)AnastasiaArabesqueAuntie MameBarefoot in the ParkThe Best Years of Our LivesBlonde VenusBreakfast at Tiffany’sCabin in the SkyCamilleConfessions of a Nazi SpyThe Day the Earth Stood Still (75th anniversary presentation)Days of HeavenA Face in the CrowdGaslightThe Magnificent SevenMan HuntModern Times (90th anniversary presentation)The MouthpieceMr. Smith Goes to WashingtonOn the TownOut of the PastPal JoeyPhantom MenaceA Place in the Sun (75th anniversary presentation)RopeShaneStranger on the Third FloorThe Towering InfernoVanishing Point
The announcement said that Fonda introduce an April 30 showing of the Neil Simon-written, Gene Saks-directed romcom as part of an evening at the TCL Chinese that will “recognize both the movie’s lasting charm and Redford’s remarkable career as an actor, filmmaker and cultural force.”
Also announced as special honorees at this year’s festival were Barbara Hershey, songwriter Paul Williams and Bruce Goldstein, who served as founding artistic director of New York’s Film Forum and founded the classics distributor Rialto Pictures.
Hershey is set to appear at showings of two of her late 1980s films, “Hannah and Her Sisters” and “A World Apart.” Williams will speak at screenings of “The Muppet Movie,” which featured his Oscar-nommed “Rainbow Connection,” and Elaine May’s “Ishtar.” Goldstein will receive the annual Robert Osborne Award prior to a screening of the film he selected to be screened at his ceremony, Federico Fellini’s “Nights of Cabiria.”
“Opening night sets the tone for the entire festival, and having Jane Fonda with us to honor her friend and co-star Robert Redford makes this year especially meaningful,” said Ben Mankiewicz, the official host of the festival, in a statement. “‘Barefoot in the Park’ represents a pivotal moment in Hollywood history, and it’s a fitting way to begin our celebration. From the presentation of the Robert Osborne Award and our tributes to remarkable artists across generations, the festival connects today’s audiences to Hollywood’s enduring legacy. This year’s theme, ‘The World Comes to Hollywood,’ reflects the global creativity and ambition that built the film capital of the world and continues to shape it today.”
Fonda, Hershey, Williams and Goldstein are the first guests to be announced for the 2026 festival, which runs from April 30 through May 3. A significant part of the film programming, which takes place in the TCL Chinese and other nearby Hollywood theaters, has already been unveiled on the festival’s website.
The films announced so far:
Ace in the HoleAlice in Wonderland (75th anniversary world premiere restoration)AnastasiaArabesqueAuntie MameBarefoot in the ParkThe Best Years of Our LivesBlonde VenusBreakfast at Tiffany’sCabin in the SkyCamilleConfessions of a Nazi SpyThe Day the Earth Stood Still (75th anniversary presentation)Days of HeavenA Face in the CrowdGaslightThe Magnificent SevenMan HuntModern Times (90th anniversary presentation)The MouthpieceMr. Smith Goes to WashingtonOn the TownOut of the PastPal JoeyPhantom MenaceA Place in the Sun (75th anniversary presentation)RopeShaneStranger on the Third FloorThe Towering InfernoVanishing Point