July 9,  2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

                         lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - A four-part seminar examining the motion picture screenplay will be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, beginning August 1, at 7 p.m., in the Academy's Little Theater. The series will continue for the three subsequent Wednesday evenings - August 8, 15 and 22 - and will feature participants who have garnered eight Academy Award nominations among them.

Each session of "Architects of Dreams: Writers on Writing" will include film clips and open discussion between the audience and the guest writers. Following is the schedule of topics and participants (subject to change):

August 1: The Blurring of Fact and Fiction, featuring Frank Pierson, who received Academy Award nominations for "Cat Ballou" in 1965 (with Walter Newman) and "Cool Hand Luke" in 1967 (with Donn Pearce), and won the Oscar for his original screenplay for "Dog Day Afternoon" in 1975, and Tom Rickman, who received a nomination in 1980 for "Coal Miner's Daughter."

August 8: Dealing with the Rewrite, featuring Nicholas Kazan and Joan Tewkesbury. Kazan received an Oscar nomination in 1990 for "Reversal of Fortune." Tewkesbury's credits include "Thieves Like Us" and "Nashville."

August 15: Defeating the Blank Page, featuring Robin Swicord and Nancy Meyers. Swicord's credits include "Little Women" (1994) and "Practical Magic." Meyers received an Academy Award nomination in 1980 (with Charles Shyer and Harvey Miller) for "Private Benjamin."

August 22: The Writer Hyphenate, featuring Walter Parkes, Phil Alden Robinson and Brian Helgeland. Parkes earned an Oscar nomination (with Lawrence Lasker) for the "WarGames" screenplay in 1983. He has also been nominated in the Documentary category (with Keith F. Critchlow) for "The California Reich" (1975) and as one of the producers of 1990 Best Picture nominee "Awakenings." Robinson was nominated in 1989 for "Field of Dreams," and Helgeland won an Academy Award in 1997, with Curtis Hanson, for the screenplay of "L.A. Confidential."

Registration for the series is $80 for the general public and $60 for Academy members and students with valid identification. Space is limited. Interested parties may register in advance at the Academy during regular business hours or by mail. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information call 310-247-3000, ext. 111.