November 21, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

                         lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - "The Art of Norton Simon" and "Keepers of the Frame" will be the two films featured at the December 5 installment of the ongoing Contemporary Documentary Series. Presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Foundation and the UCLA Film and Television Archive, all screenings in the series are free and open the public. The December 5 screenings will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the James Bridges Theater on the UCLA campus.

"The Art of Norton Simon" examines the life of the unpredictable man who first built an industrial empire from an abandoned factory, then put that empire aside to assemble one of the most exceptional private art collections in the country. He then opened that collection to the public in a museum that is considered one of the finest west of the Mississippi. The film was directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Charles Guggenheim. Davis Guggenheim will be present for a question-and-answer session following his film.

Preservationists around the world have been working for decades to safeguard our collective motion picture heritage. "Keepers of the Frame" examines the scope of the work that needs protecting, including newsreels, experimental works, ethnographic films and home movies. Especially striking is a sequence that captures the final seconds of a nitrate print decomposing even as technicians try to save it. The film was directed by Mark McLaughlin and produced by Randy Gitsch. Gitsch will attend and take questions from the audience.

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.