FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2008

CONTACT: Diane Nevill, (623) 930-3554, Public Information Officer
Sarah Herlache, Reference Librarian, Foothills Branch Library, 623-930-3844

GLENDALE, Ariz - Film scholar Jeannie Berg, an instructor at both Glendale and Scottsdale Community Colleges, is back for a third year to lead free viewings and discussions about award-winning films from the 1930s to the present at Foothills Branch Library, 19055 N. 57th Ave. The cinema screenings are at 1 p.m., starting June 7 and continuing on consecutive Saturdays through July 26.

“The 2008 film series has representative films from each decade, beginning in the 1930s,” says Berg. “I selected these films based on their great performances and because of their compelling social themes.”

She goes on to add, “These films feature strong characters and spotlight issues of perseverance and survival, alcoholism, interracial romance, class struggles and the power of the individual to make a difference. They are all classic and important films, and they address social concerns that still resonate with today’s audiences, regardless of their ages and backgrounds.”

The scheduled movies are:

June 7 – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) James Stewart plays Mr. Smith, an idealistic country boy who goes to Washington as a short-term senator. Disillusionment sets in slowly as he realizes the political games being played in the nation’s Capitol. His fight to expose the corruption to the public brings the film to a moving finish. Frank Capra directed the film, which won the Oscar for Best Screenplay. Category—Drama/Comedy. Not rated; 130 minutes

June 14 – The Lost Weekend (1945) This powerful drama depicts five days in the life of Don Birnam (Ray Milland), a disillusioned writer with a serious drinking problem. Consumed with self-pity, he begins an odyssey of barroom escapades, getting progressively more drunk each day until the habit has become an addiction. Also stars Jane Wyman; directed by Billy Wilder. Won four Oscars, including Best Picture. Not rated; 101 minutes

June 21 – High Noon (1952) Gary Cooper plays Will Kane, a just-married lawman who is about to retire as a small-town sheriff and begin a new life with his bride (Grace Kelly), when he learns that a gunslinger is due to arrive at high noon to settle an old score. Kane seeks assistance from deputies and townsfolk, but soon realizes that he will have to stand alone in this showdown. Also starred Lloyd Bridges; directed by Fred Zinnermann. Won four Oscars, including for Best Actor. Category—Western/Thriller. Not rated; 111 minutes

June 28 – Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) Joanna, the beautiful daughter of crusading publisher Matthew Drayton (Spencer Tracy) and his patrician wife Christina (Katherine Hepburn), returns home with her new fiancé John Prentice (Sidney Poitier), a distinguished black doctor. Christina accepts her daughter’s decision to marry John, but Matthew is shocked by this interracial union. The doctor’s parents are equally dismayed. Both families must sit down face to face and examine each other’s level of intolerance. Directed by Stanley Kramer. Category—Drama/Romance. Won Oscars for Best Actress, Best Screenplay. Rated “G;” 108 minutes

July 5 – Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) bluntly informs her husband Ted (Dustin Hoffman) that she’s leaving him and their first-grade son, just as his advertising career is advancing and demanding most of his waking hours. Juggling his domestic challenge with professional deadlines, Teg is further pressured when his wife files for custody of their son. Won five Oscars, including Best Picture. Directed by Robert Benton. Category—Drama. Rated “PG”; 105 minutes

July 12 – Gandhi (1982) Biography of Mahatma Gandhi, the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British through his philosophy of non-violent protest. Starred Ben Kinglsey; directed by Richard Attenborough. Won eight Oscars, including Best Picture. Category—Biopic. Rated “PG”; 188 minutes

July 19 – Good Will Hunting (1998) The most brilliant mind at America's top university isn't a student – it is the janitor. Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a headstrong, working-class genius who's failing the lessons of life. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will's last chance is a psychology professor (Robin Williams), who might be the only man who can reach him. Won two Oscars, including Best Screenplay. Directed by Gus Van Sant. Category—Drama. “R” rating; 122 minutes

July 26 – The Pianist (2002) Director Roman Polanski brings to the screen the true-life story of brilliant pianist and composer Wladyslaw Szpilman (Aiden Brody), the most acclaimed young musician of his time until his promising career was interrupted by the onset of World War II. This powerful, triumphant film follows Szpilman's heroic and inspirational journey, an unforgettable epic testifying to both the power of hope and the resiliency of the human spirit. Won three Oscars, including Best Actor. Category—Drama/War. “R” rating; 150 minutes

Berg has been teaching college courses in film and mass communication for the past seven years. She previously taught screenwriting, television and theatre classes. In California, she worked in marketing and public relations for Warner Bros. Studios. She has also served as a judge for the Arizona Film Commission’s annual “Film in Arizona Screenwriting Competition” for three years and for the 2004 Phoenix Film Festival.