November 7, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Leslie Unger - 310-247-3000

Beverly Hills, CA - Paul Schrader, whose career as a writer-director has spanned a variety of styles and genres, will deliver the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Marvin Borowsky Lecture on Screenwriting on Thursday, November 29, at 8 p.m., in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Schrader's first success came with his screenplay for "The Yakuza," directed by Sydney Pollack in 1974. That was followed by his screenplay for "Taxi Driver" (1976), the first of four scripts by Schrader to be directed by Martin Scorsese. (The others being "Raging Bull," "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Bringing out the Dead.") Schrader has also written for directors Brian De Palma ("Obsession"), Joan Tewkesbury ("Old Boyfriends"), Peter Weir ("The Mosquito Coast") and Harold Becker ("City Hall").

As a writer-director, Schrader's varied work includes the neo-western "Hardcore," the romantic thriller "American Gigolo," the supernatural "Cat People," the biography "Mishima," the haunting "Light Sleeper," and the ironic "Touch." In 1998 Schrader adapted and directed Russell Banks' "Affliction," and he is about to begin production on "Autofocus."

The Borowsky Lecture on Screenwriting provides an opportunity for established film writers to share their experiences, and to discuss the challenges and delights of writing for the screen. The lecture is named in memory of the screenwriter, novelist and teacher.

Tickets for the Borowsky Lecture featuring Paul Schrader are $5 for the general public, $3 for Academy members and students with valid identification. They may be purchased in advance at the Academy during regular business hours, by mail, or, if still available, on the night of the event when the doors open at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call 310-247-3600.