The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present “Spotlight on Screenwriting,” a summer series illuminating the art of writing for motion pictures, beginning May 15 at various venues in New York City.
The programs include onstage conversations and screenings of acclaimed films spanning nine decades.
Hollywood’s Happiest Couple: Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett
May 15 and 16 at Film Forum, 209 W. Houston Street
The series launches with a two-day celebration one of Hollywood’s most famous creative partnerships.
Jim Moore, biographer and grandson of writer, producer and former Academy President Charles Brackett, will introduce three films co-written by the legendary team: “Ninotchka,” “The Lost Weekend” and “Sunset Blvd.,” all of which won or were nominated for multiple Oscars.
Hollywood’s Darkest Moment: “The Front” Screening and Q&A
June 7 at the SVA Theater, 333 W. 23rd Street
A 40th anniversary screening of “The Front” will be followed by an onstage conversation with screenwriter Walter Bernstein, who received a 1976 Oscar nomination for his original screenplay.
Bernstein, who was among dozens of screenwriters blacklisted during the 1940s and ’50s, will discuss his personal experiences and the lasting legacy of one of Hollywood’s darkest periods with Michael Barker, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics.
Ghostbusters: A Sneak Preview
July TBA at the SVA Theater, 333 W. 23rd Street
The series will conclude in July with a preview screening of this year’s much-anticipated summer release “Ghostbusters.” Screenwriter Katie Dippold will discuss the process of adapting the screenplay from the 1984 film of the same name.
Photo courtesy: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences