Beverly Hills,Calif. (RUSHPRNEWS)AUGUST 27, 2008– – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded a $50,000 grant to underwrite the Telluride Film Festival’s Guest Director program. Slavoj Zizek, the Slovenian political philosopher and cultural critic, will preside as guest director of the Festival’s 35th show when it kicks off this week.
For more than two decades, Telluride has welcomed numerous prominent filmmakers and personalities as guest directors, including two-time Academy Award®-nominated writer-director Peter Bogdanovich, director J.P. Gorin, film curator and archivist Edith Kramer, Oscar®-winning documentarian Errol Morris, author Salman Rushdie, Oscar-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, and filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier.
“Making the world of film more accessible is central to the Academy’s mission,” said Academy President Sid Ganis. “Telluride’s Guest Director program does just that by sharing the experience and vision of some of the world’s foremost creative thinkers.”
“We are thrilled with this partnership and look forward to working with the Academy for many years to come,” said Co-director Gary Meyer. “It is the enthusiastic support of organizations like the Academy that allows Telluride Film Festival to thrive, and create a rich and diverse program.
The Academy’s cultural and educational wing – the Academy Foundation – annually grants more than $1 million to film scholars, cultural organizations and film festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad. It is also through the Foundation that the Academy presents a rich assortment of screenings and other public programs each year.
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About the Academy
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.
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CONTACT: Teni Melidonian – (310) 247-3090
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