TOUCHSTONE PICTURES "Calendar Girls" is based on the true story of a group of women who bare all - or nearly all - for charity and become international celebrities as a result. The Women's Institute, in Great Britain, encourages the ancient skills of jam-making, flower dressing, knitting and baking. So when a group of extraordinary women are looking for a new way to raise money, they decide to take the annual WI calendar, normally featuring landscapes or flowers, and create something traditional - but with a twist. Behind the baked goods, the apple pressing and the flower arranging, the women are completely nude. "Calendar Girls" is a comedy of outsize proportions.

Cast: Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, John Alderton, Linda Bassett, Annette Crosbie, Philip Glenister, Ciaran Hinds, Celia Imrie, Geraldine James, and Penelope Wilton Director: Nigel Cole Screenplay by: Juliette Towhidi and Tim Firth Producers: Suzanne Mackie, Nick Barton.

JULIE WALTERS (Annie) burst onto the film scene with her debut performance in Lewis Gilbert's "Educating Rita," for which she received a Best Actress Oscar® nomination and a Bafta Best Actress award. Since then, she has starred in David Green's "Buster," Terry Jones' "Personal Services," Stephen Frears' "Prick Up Your Ears," Roger Michell's "Titanic Town," Stephen Daldry's "Billy Elliot" and the international blockbuster "Harry Potter" series.

On television, she is perhaps best known for her collaborations with Victoria Wood, including "Dinner Ladies," "Pat and Margaret," and "Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV." She has also starred in "Murder," "Oliver Twist," "Girls' Night," "Clothes in the Wardrobe," "GBH," and several dramas by Alan Bennett, including "Talking Heads" and "Say Something Happened."

Director NIGEL COLE made his feature film debut with "Saving Grace," the comedy about a middle-aged woman who goes into the cannabis trade wh-ich starred Brenda Blethyn. The film enjoyed an enthusiastic world premiere at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and had Cole fending off several offers from Hollywood agents and producers. Cole began his career in fringe theatre before moving on to commercials and television. He directed the first series of the award-winning, hugely popular comedy drama series "Cold Feet," as well as episodes of the "In the Wild" series, which took celebrities including Julia Roberts and Robin Williams to experience life in remote parts of the world.