November 8, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

                         lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - Two Academy Award^® -nominated documentaries, both with musical themes, will be screened for the November 21 installment of the Contemporary Documentary Series, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Foundation and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Free and open to the public, the screenings begin at 7:30 p.m. in UCLA's James Bridges Theater.

In "Genghis Blues," Paul Pena, a blind bluesman from San Francisco, journeys to Tuva, a republic wedged between Siberia and Mongolia, to compete in a "throatsinging" competition. Eleven years earlier, Pena had discovered throatsinging on a short-wave radio broadcast. He spent the next decade teaching himself the techniques by which a singer can produce up to four notes simultaneously. The film was directed by Roko Belic and produced by Adrian Belic.

"Buena Vista Social Club" follows guitarist Ry Cooder as he returns to Cuba to connect again with some of the most talented and energetic musicians in the country. Cooder had initially brought these musicians to the world's attention in 1996 with an album of their work. In addition to featuring several performances, the film is a valuable document of a whole generation of musicians whose talents were kept from American audiences because of Cold War politics. The film was directed by Wim Wenders and produced by Ulrich Felsberg and Deepak Nayar.

The James Bridges Theater is located in Westwood on the northeast corner of the UCLA campus, near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Hilgard Avenue. Parking is available for $6 in Lot 3, adjacent to the theater. For more information, call 310-206-FILM.