Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will kick off a weekend of home movie-related events on Saturday, October 15, at noon, with “Home Movie Day: A Celebration of Amateur Films and Filmmaking.” At 7 p.m., the Academy will present “Hollywood Home Movies III: Treasures from the Academy Film Archive Collection,” and then on Sunday, October 16, at 7 p.m., the weekend will conclude with “Amateur Night: Home Movies from American Archives.” All three programs will take place at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.
Home Movie Day is a celebration of amateur films and filmmaking held annually on the third Saturday in October at many venues worldwide. These local events provide an opportunity for individuals and families to see and share their own home movies with an audience of their community, and to see their neighbors’ in turn. The Academy Film Archive organizes the Los Angeles-area event, which will be hosted this year by author and humorist Charles Phoenix. Film check-in is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and screenings will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on Home Movie Day events in other cities, visit www.homemovieday.com.
“Hollywood Home Movies III: Treasures from the Academy Film Archive Collection” will feature specially selected home movie footage from Hollywood’s Golden Age, including footage of Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Temple, Carole Lombard, Cyd Charisse, Fred MacMurray, Joan Blondell, Margaret O’Brien, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Irene Dunne, Harold Lloyd and Jerry Lewis. In addition to rare glimpses of celebrities at work and play, the evening will include vintage scenes shot at a variety of Los Angeles locations and newly discovered behind-the-scenes footage of “Gone with the Wind.”
On October 16, Dwight Swanson of the Center for Home Movies will present “Amateur Night: Home Movies from American Archives,” a screening of 16 dramatic, funny, poignant and even strange amateur films from the collections of American film archives, including two from the Academy Film Archive. The compilation includes films by everyday people alongside home movie footage by Alfred Hitchcock, Richard Nixon, animator Helen Hill, and the ranger handling Smokey Bear.
Tickets for “Hollywood Home Movies III” and “Amateur Night” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. They may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office or by mail. Doors open each evening at 6 p.m. All seating is unreserved.
The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at the Academy’s Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study, 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.
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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.