Beverly Hills, CA (RPRN) 04/22/09 — “Portraits of a Lady” and “A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman” will screen as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 27th annual “Contemporary Documentaries” series on Wednesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission is free.

“Portraits of a Lady,” directed by Neil Leifer and produced by Leifer and Walter Bernard, examines the work of 25 artists who participate in a painting session in 2006 with former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. The range of results raises an intriguing question about whether historical portraits accurately capture their subjects. Leifer and Bernard will be present to take questions from the audience following the screening.

Directed and produced by Peter Raymont, “A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman” is an exploration of exile, memory, longing and democracy by Ariel Dorfman, the renowned author of numerous novels, plays, poems and essays in Spanish and English.

The 27th annual Contemporary Documentaries series continues through June 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. <

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. 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.

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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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