July 24,  2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

Beverly Hills, CA - A new program featuring outstanding motion picture visual effects reels from the 1930s to the '90s will be presented at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on August 16 and 17, at 8 p.m., in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Each year, reels highlighting the visual effects in individual films are submitted to the Academy for awards consideration. The reels are screened for and voted upon by Academy members at an annual event nicknamed the "VisFx Bake-Off." Until now, the public has not been able to view these compilations, with their concentrated displays of mattes, miniatures, stop-motion, pyrotechnics, animatronics, graphics and digital work generated by some of the greatest effects artists working in movies. The two evenings, entitled "The Big Bake-Off: Visual Effects Reels from the Academy Film Archive" will bring these reels and the work of visual effects creators to a new audience of film and visual effects admirers.

Oscar winner Richard Edlund ("Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders of the Lost Ark") has compiled the reels for the August 16 event - titled "From 'King Kong' to 'Star Wars'" - which will present an historical overview from the '30s to the '70s; and for the August 17 event, "From 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' to Terminator 2,'" which will concentrate on more contemporary titles of the '80s and '90s. The reels will be introduced and discussed by some of the great practitioners in the field, including Craig Barron, Harrison Ellenshaw, Dennis Muren and Bill Taylor.

The Academy premiered this two-night program in February in San Rafael, California.

Tickets for each night of "The Big Bake-Off" are $5 for the general public, $3 for Academy members. They may be purchased in advance at the Academy during regular business hours beginning August 1, by mail, or, if still available, when the doors open at 7 p.m. for each night's program. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call 310-247-3600.