July 12, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

                         lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - Academy Award-winning sound designer and film editor Walter Murch will be honored with a tribute program by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday, October 6, at 8 p.m., in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The tribute will kick off a two-week series at the Academy focusing on sound in motion pictures. The tribute and the two subsequent symposium sessions are open to the public.

Murch has received a total of eight Academy Award nominations, three for his sound design work and five for film editing. He has taken home three Oscar statuettes, one in 1979 for sound for "Apocalypse Now" (for which he was also nominated in the film editing category) and two in 1996, for both the sound and film editing for "The English Patient." His other nominations were for work on "The Conversation" (Sound, 1974), "Julia" (Film Editing, 1977), "Ghost" and "The Godfather, Part III" (both Film Editing, 1990).

The tribute program will feature numerous film clips and discussion with a number of directors and producers who have utilized Murch's talents, including George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Saul Zaentz.

On the subsequent two Wednesdays, at 8 p.m., the Academy will present a pair of symposia on motion picture sound. The October 11 session will focus on the use of sound design through film history, detailing how meaning is constructed through sound and how sound design has affected film production and history. The October 18 session will examine technology, innovations and the process of designing film sound. Professionals from the individual crafts that work within the sound umbrella, such as sound designers, re-recording mixers, sound and sound effects editors and production mixers, will discuss these topics.

The October series will be held in the 1,000-seat Samuel Goldwyn Theater, offering the general public and film students in particular an opportunity to learn more about this highly specialized craft that has a significant history and continues to be integral to today's film-going experience. Individuals may attend the Murch Tribute and both of the later sessions for $15 for the general public and $9 for Academy members and students with valid identification. Tickets for each of the three nights can also be purchased individually for $5 each, $3 for members and students.

The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Tickets for the Tribute to Walter Murch and the sound symposia go on sale September 1. They may be purchased in advance at the Academy during regular business hours or by mail, or on the night of the event, if still available, when the doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, call 310-247-3600.