October 9, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000
                       lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA — Three films that look at different aspects of crime will be screened for the October 29 installment of the Contemporary Documentary Series, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Foundation and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The screening will begin at 7:30 p.m. in UCLA's James Bridges Theater.

"Going Home" focuses on several women, all of whom have children, facing lengthy prison sentences. They represent just a fraction of the 1,100 women over the age of 16 who are incarcerated in New Jersey's womens' prison, 80 percent of whom are mothers. Because a child with an incarcerated parent is six times more likely to become a juvenile delinquent, the lock-up of a parent almost automatically locks million of children into their own troubled futures. Director Mark Benjamin and producer Steve Kalafer are scheduled to attend the screening.

"Rape Is…" looks at sexual violence from a global and historical perspective. It also dissects how cultural conditions make it the most underreported crime in America. Many types of sexual assault are not considered a serious crime by the legal system, and this film examines our society's refusal to see the true cost of this denial of human rights. The film was directed and produced by Margaret Lazarus and Renner Wunderlich.

Following several student-tutor teams, "How Do You Spell Murder?" reveals how prisoners, once liberated from illiteracy, are able to reflect on their childhood, life of the streets and life in prison by expressing themselves in poetry and other writing. The centerpiece of the film is Nathaniel, who was forced to sign a confession he could not read, demonstrating the often dire consequences a lack of education can inflict on many inmates. Filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond are expected to attend the screening.

Admission to all screenings in the series is free. 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 $7 in Lot 3, adjacent to the theater. For more information, call 310-247-3600 or 310-206-FILM.