FILM/SNEAK PEEK : A WIDE-RANGING LOOK AT WIDE-SCREEN FORMAT.

What do ``Sleeping Beauty,'' ``The Wild Bunch,'' ``Spartacus'' and ``Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' have in common? Not much except that all were filmed in a wide-screen format.

Those titles and others, including ``Forbidden Planet,'' ``My Fair Lady'' and ``The Deer Hunter,'' will be shown at the third annual Widescreen Film Festival, beginning tonight at California State University, Long Beach.

Director Joel Schumacher will introduce his 70mm ``The Lost Boys,'' which opens the festival at 8 p.m. at the campus's Carpenter Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $7 for adults; $5 for students, seniors and children under 12; or $30 for a package of any five films. For tickets, call [phone]; for schedules and other information, call [phone].

Class acts

There are a couple of film classes gearing up next week, one for filmgoers who want to preview the latest releases and another for those who want an in-depth look at past films.

Hot Shot Movies' advanced sneaks begin Nov. 5 and continue for six consecutive Wednesdays at the AMC Promenade 16 in Woodland Hills. The slate includes ``Two Girls and a Guy'' with an appearance by director James Toback and political comedy ``Wag the Dog'' with commentary from director Barry Levinson.

The course costs $60 for one admission, or $95 for two. For more information, call [phone].

Rod Lurie, KABC radio's resident film buff, has put together Classics 2000, a three-week seminar that opens Monday at the Burbank AMC Media Center 8.

``Midnight Cowboy,'' the 1969 winner of best picture, director and screenplay Oscars, will be shown Monday with its star, Jon Voight, commenting. In coming weeks, the class will see ``Young Frankenstein'' with Peter Boyle as the guest and ``Natural Born Killers'' with producer Jane Hamsher, author of the new best seller ``Killer Instinct.''

Lurie's three-week package costs $35 per person. For reservations or other information, call [phone].

Trench stories

Lynda Obst, producer of ``Contact,'' ``Sleepless in Seattle'' and ``One Fine Day,'' has added to the Hollywood tell-all shelves with ``Hello, He Lied ... and Other Truths From the Hollywood Trenches.''

Obst will be at the Skirball Cultural Center Sunday to discuss her book as part of the center's ongoing series, Sunday Morning Conversations with Marlene Adler Marks.

Continental breakfast will be served at 10:30 a.m., followed by the program at 11 a.m. Preregistration is required. Tickets, available by calling [phone], cost $12 for general admission, $10 for Skirball members and $6 for students.

Docu-marathon

For a major dose of reality, check out the 13th annual Docufest Saturday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The slate, running from 11 a.m. to 11:15 p.m., includes ``Waco: The Rules of Engagement,'' Oscar nominee ``Mandela'' and six other winners of the International Documentary Association's awards.

All films are being shown at the museum's Bing Theatre, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. General admission is $6 per program, or $15 for the entire day, while the rate for IDA and LACMA members, students and seniors is $4 per program or $10 for the day. For tickets, call LACMA at [phone] or Ticketmaster at [phone].

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Photo

Photo: ``The Wild Bunch,'' with Ben Johnson, left, Warren Oates, William Holden and Ernest Borgnine is one of the featured films at the third annual Widescreen Film Festival in Long Beach.