AMPAS to celebrate 30th anniversary of “Star Wars”

By M&C Movie News Mar 30, 2007, 10:19 GMT

Beverly Hills, CA (M&C) - The 1977 Best Picture nominee “Star Wars” will be screened as the first feature of the fourth installment of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Great To Be Nominated” series.

The groundbreaking adventure epic will be shown Monday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Writer-director George Lucas; producer Gary Kurtz; editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch; visual effects team members John Dykstra, Richard Edlund and Robert Blalack; art director Leslie Dilley; and sound specialists Ben Burtt, Don MacDougall and George “Ray” West will participate in a post-screening panel discussion.

In “Star Wars,” a band of unlikely heroes led by Luke Skywalker joins the rebellion against the tyrannical Empire and launches an attack against its ultimate weapon, the Death Star.

The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards® and took home Oscars® for Art Direction (John Barry, Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Roger Christian), Costume Design (John Mollo), Film Editing (Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, Richard Chew), Music – Original score (John Williams), Sound (Don MacDougall, Ray West, Bob Minkler, Derek Ball) and Visual Effects (John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune, Robert Blalack). Benjamin Burtt, Jr. received a Special Achievement Award for the creation of the alien, creature and robot voices in the film. The film also received nominations for Actor in a Supporting Role (Alec Guinness), Directing (George Lucas), Best Picture (Gary Kurtz, producer) and Writing – Screenplay written directly for the screen (Lucas).

The Oscar-nominated animated short “Jimmy the C” will be screened prior to the feature.

Tickets for “Star Wars” will be available starting April 9 at a cost of $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for “Star Wars” will not be available for purchase online.

Passes for all 17 screenings in part four of “Great To Be Nominated” will be available starting April 2 at a cost of $30 for the general public and $25 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. A $5 discount is available for those who wish to renew their passes from part one, two or three of the series.

Curtain time for all features is 7:30 p.m., and pre-show elements will begin at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.