November 14, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Leslie Unger - 310-247-3000

Beverly Hills, CA - The life and career of Walt Disney will be celebrated with a tribute by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday, December 5, at 8 p.m., in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The event takes place on the date of what would have been Disney's 100th birthday.

Born in Chicago on December 5, 1901, and raised in Marceline, Missouri, the pioneering animator, studio founder, live-action film maker, theme-park creator and Hollywood legend will be remembered at this centennial tribute with film clips and discussions with family members and creative talents from Disney's film and studio staff. Leonard Maltin will serve as master of ceremonies, introducing rare cartoons, home movies, innovative live-action clips and "behind-the- scenes" footage.

Confirmed participants include Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller; the three surviving members of Disney's "Nine Old Men," Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Ward Kimball; legendary matte artist Peter Ellenshaw, whose numerous credits with the Disney studio include "Mary Poppins" (for which he won an Oscar for Special Visual Effects), "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "The Island at the Top of the World" and "The Black Hole," all of which earned him Oscar nominations; and Fess Parker, who starred as Davey Crockett in both films and television shows from the Disney studio.

From the early impact of his "Steamboat Willie" cartoon, which introduced Mickey Mouse to the world, through the now-global reach of the films and characters he and his studio created, Disney's influence and role in the history of film and popular culture will be explored.

Tickets for the Academy's Centennial Tribute to Walt Disney are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members. They may be purchased in advance at the Academy during regular business hours; the event is expected to sell out. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information call 310-247-3600.