One of the most anticipated events on the Beloit International Film Festival calendar is the annual First National Bank Classic Film screening on the final day of BIFF. This year’s classic that electrified cinemas in the 1980s will once again uplift audiences with one of Tom Cruise’s finest moments on the silver screen.

Top Gun, the 1986 blockbuster directed by Tony Scott, and starring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Meg Ryan, and Val Kilmer, will offer the need for speed on March 5 at 2:30 p.m. at La Casa Grande. For the 18th year, thanks to the sponsorship of First National Bank, the screening will be free.

“Whether you haven’t seen it in years or if it is a frequent favorite, you need to see it on the big screen at BIFF,” says BIFF Executive Director Greg Gerard. “It set a new standard for action films when released and has contributed so much to action films since then. And its music will literally Take Your Breath Away.”

A box office smash, Top Gun has also had a major impact on popular culture, from the Maverick bomber jacket, aviator shades and jewelry, to the film’s Oscar-winning theme and music from Berlin, Kenny Loggins, the Righteous Brothers and others. The film enjoyed an IMAX 3-D re-release in 2013, inspired a 1991 comedy spoof, Hot Shots, and was celebrated in 2022 with the critically acclaimed sequel, Top Gun Maverick.

This is the original Top Gun story with its breathtaking action sequences and timeless themes of friendship, competition, and self-discovery. It tells the story of a group of fighter pilots attending the Naval Fighter Weapons School at Miramar Air Station in San Diego. They compete to be best in the class as one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.