Academy Shines New Light on "It's a Wonderful Life" in LA and NYC

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will examine the technology behind "It's a Wonderful Life" at Los Angeles and New York City screenings on Friday, December 9, and Monday, December 12, respectively. Hosted by Oscar®-winning visual effects supervisor Craig Barron and Oscar-winning sound designer Ben Burtt, the programs will explore studio production methods of the era, the use of matte paintings in key scenes, and the origins of the film's sound effects. Both programs will begin at 7 p.m.

"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) is one of only two motion pictures produced by Liberty Films, the independent company Frank Capra and Samuel J. Briskin created in 1945. Although the film performed only modestly at the box office when it was first released, it went on to earn five Oscar nominations, including Best Motion Picture, Best Actor (James Stewart), Directing (Capra), Film Editing (William Hornbeck) and Sound Recording (RKO Radio Studio Sound Department, John Aalberg, sound director).

The inventors of the snow machine that made its debut with the film won an Academy Technical Achievement Award in 1948. Synthetic snow replaced bleached cornflakes, the previous method of simulating falling snow in movies.

The Los Angeles screening of "It's a Wonderful Life" will be held at the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theater and will present a newly struck print by the Academy Film Archive. Although advance tickets are sold out, a standby line will form on the day of the event, and standby numbers will be assigned starting at approximately 5:30 p.m. Any available tickets will be distributed shortly before the program begins. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Ticket holders should plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the event to ensure a seat in the theater.

The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. For more information, visit www.oscars.org or call (310) 247-3600.

The New York screening will be held at the Academy Theater in New York City. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org or by mail (a printable order form is available in the Events & Exhibitions section of the website). Tickets may also be purchased at the box office prior to the event (subject to availability).

The Academy Theater in New York City is located at 111 East 59th Street (between Park and Lexington avenues). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.oscars.org or call (212) 821-9251.

Academy Docs Offer Hope for Declining American Public School System

Beverly Hills, CA – "The Lottery" and "Waiting for 'Superman'" will screen as the next installment in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 30th annual "Contemporary Documentaries" series on Wednesday, November 30, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission to all screenings in the series is free.


With New York's public school system failing to educate many of its children and the teachers union blocking the termination of members with poor success records, "The Lottery" highlights the Harlem Success Academies as a beacon of hope for many students. But the schools have room for only 475 children, so the three thousand who apply each year must trust their fate to a lottery. The film was directed by Madeleine Sackler, who also produced with Blake Ashman-Kipervaser and James Lawler. Sackler will be present to take questions from the audience following the screening.


Directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Lesley Chilcott, "Waiting for 'Superman'" examines the decline of the American public school system, which leaves many children cheated out of the life-changing benefits of a good education. Gifted educators throughout the country, however, are transforming their troubled schools and offering hope to students in disadvantaged neighborhoods.


The 30th annual "Contemporary Documentaries" series continues through December 7, showcasing feature-length and short documentaries drawn from the 2010 Academy Award® nominations, including the winners, as well as other important and innovative films considered by the Academy that year.


All films will screen at the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Academy's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., except for the IMAX presentation on December 7. Doors open at 6 p.m. All seating is unreserved. The filmmakers will be present at screenings whenever possible.


The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. Free parking is available through the entrance on Homewood Avenue (one block north of Fountain Avenue). For additional information, visit www.oscars.org or call (310) 247-3600.