May 26, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

                        lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - Director Robert Altman will be joined by his "Nashville" stars Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Robert DoQui, Henry Gibson, Elliott Gould, David Hayward, David Peel and Cristina Raines when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents a 25th anniversary screening of the film on Thursday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m. Also confirmed to attend is Joan Tewkesbury, the film's screenwriter. The cast and crew will share their memories of making the film following the screening, in a discussion led by film critic and historian Charles Champlin.

Altman received Academy Award^® nominations for directing the film and as the Best Picture nominee's producer. Blakely was nominated in the Supporting Actress category (along with Lily Tomlin) for her portrayal of Barbara Jean. Black is singer Connie White, Barbara Jean's archrival. Haven Hamilton, the veteran Opry performer, is played by Gibson, while Hamilton's son Bud is played by Peel. Raines plays Mary, who is having an affair with her singing partner, Keith Carradine's Tom Frank. DoQui plays Wade, a dishwasher, Hayward is Kenny Fraiser and Elliott Gould appears as himself.

Additional cast and crew members are expected to confirm their participation in the event in the coming weeks.

The "Nashville" event at the Academy kicks off a five-week retrospective series at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. "Altman's America: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective" will begin Friday, June 23, and will include the three other films for which Altman has been nominated: "M*A*S*H" (1970), "The Player" (1992) and "Short Cuts" (1993), as well as as 14 other titles spanning Altman's career.

Tickets for the 25th anniversary screening of "Nashville" go on sale to the public June 1. They are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members. They may be purchased by mail or in person at the Academy during regular business hours. The event is expected to sell out quickly. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call 310-247-3600.

Ticket information for the "Altman's America" screenings at LACMA is available at 323-857-6010.