Children’s Strength and Survival to Be Highlighted in Academy Contemporary Docs Series

Beverly Hills, CA (September 25, 2008)— “Autism: The Musical” and ‘War/Dance” will screen as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Contemporary Documentaries” series on Wednesday, October 1, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission is free.

In 1980 autism was a relatively rare disorder, diagnosed in one in 10,000 children in the United States. That rate is now one in 150. “Autism: The Musical,” directed by Tricia Regan and produced by Perrin Chiles, Regan and Sasha Alpert, counters those bleak statistics by capturing the efforts of one woman, Elaine Hall, who leads a group of autistic children in writing, rehearsing and performing their own full-length musical. Chiles, Alpert and Hall will take questions from the audience following the screening. Joining the filmmakers are families featured in the film, including Kristin Stills and her son Henry, and Rosanne and Richard Walden and their son Adam.

The children of “War/Dance” show amazing resilience in the face of the conflict that has raged in northern Uganda for more than two decades. Despite their dire circumstances, they have qualified to compete in the National Music Competition in Kampala – driven by heart, talent and the need to rebuild their lives. Directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine and produced by Albie Hecht, “War/Dance” earned a 2007 Oscar^®nomination for Documentary Feature.

Part One of the 27th annual Contemporary Documentaries series continues through December 3, showcasing feature-length and short documentaries drawn from the 2007 Academy Award^®nominations, including the winners, as well as other important and innovative films considered by the Academy that year. Part Two unspools from March through June of 2009.

All films, with the exception of those scheduled for December 3, will screen at the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Academy’s Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. All seating is unreserved.

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.