August 2004

Hollywood Director Barry Levinson to Headline AU Political Comedy Film Festival

Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson, SOC/BA'67 will highlight the star-studded lineup of guest speakers to participate in the School of Communication's first Political Comedy Film Festival, Sept. 16-19, at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Md.

Levinson, who directed the 1997 political comedy Wag the Dog and whose other film credits include Diner, The Natural, Tin Men, Good Morning Vietnam, Rainman, and Bugsy, will be joined by other prominent AU alumni and faculty on the roster of political writers, entertainers, comedians, and journalists for the film festival, including:

• SOC alumni Desson Thomson, BA '80, Washington Post film critic; Patrick Butler, MA '96, Washington Post Company vice president; and Tony Perkins, BA '81, Good Morning America weatherman
• SOC faculty Patricia Aufderheide, Jane Hall, and Pat Dowell

Through film and discussion, the political comedy festival will showcase some of the sharpest comedic and artistic talent in America and discuss the role political humor plays in shaping politics and political perceptions.

"Political comedians are raising the questions about our public policies that journalists should be pursuing, and provoking the debates that politicians should be leading," says SOC Dean Larry Kirkman, who is spearheading this first-of-its-kind film festival in the Washington, D.C., area.

The festival will open Thursday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. with a sneak preview of director John Sayles’ new political satire, SILVER CITY. Following the film, Sayles and Producer Maggie Renzi will participate in a special, “Live On Stage! Audience Q & A,” moderated by SOC Professor and 2004 Scholar-Teacher of the Year, Patricia Aufderheide.

Other films on slate for the festival include:

• PRIMARY COLORS (Sept. 17, 7 p.m.), to be immediately followed by a “Live On Stage! Audience Q & A” with Author Joe Klein, moderated by NPR film critic and SOC adjunct professor, Pat Dowell
• THE GREAT McGINTY (Sept. 18, 1 p.m.), hosted by Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies
• ELECTION (Sept. 18, 3 p.m.), also hosted by Mankiewicz
• BOB ROBERTS (Sept. 19, 3 p.m.), to be immediately followed by an American Forum panel discussion: "Presidential Schtick and Political Speechwriters" moderated by SOC Professor Jane Hall with panelist Patrick Butler, vice president, The Washington Post Company, a former speechwriter for Gerald Ford
• WAG THE DOG (Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m.), to be immediately followed by SOC alum and Washington Post Film Critic Desson Thomson hosting the final “Live On Stage! Audience Q & A” with director and fellow AU alum Barry Levinson

For a detailed schedule of events visit: http://www.american.edu/media.

Tickets can be purchased in advance on-line at: http://www.afi.com/silver or at the box office the day of the show. Tickets for each individual film are $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for students, seniors, and AFI members. Discussions following films are free with purchase of film ticket.

Free buses will be departing from AU (in front of Hughes Hall) to AFI once an hour on Saturday from noon to midnight and on Sunday from 1 p.m. to midnight.

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is located at 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Md., at the corner of Colesville Road and Georgia Ave., 2 blocks north of the Silver Spring Metro station. For recorded showtime information call 301-495-6700.

For more information, contact: Maralee Csellar, AU Media Relations, at 202-885-5952 or Bettina Owens, AU School of Communication, at 202-885-2074.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Political Comedy Festival 2004 is sponsored by American University’s School of Communication in partnership with the American Film Institute, Turner Classic Movies, The Newseum, Discovery Channel, WAMU-FM, and Borders Books.

Special thanks to the Alumni Executive Committee Members who helped plan this festival:

Patrick Butler, SOC/MA ’96, vice president, The Washington Post Company
Alisyn Camerota, SOC/BA ’88, FOX News anchor and correspondent
Michael Cascio, SOC/MA ’73, senior vice president, production, National Geographic Channel
Michael Clemente, SOC/BA ’78, senior broadcast producer, ABC's 20/20 and executive producer, breaking news
Monique Conrad, SOC/BA ’90, Capitol Hill correspondent, BET Nightly News
Jude Doherty, SOC/MA ’89, senior director of publishing, Aspen Systems
Betsy Fischer, SPA/BA ’92, SOC/MA ’96, executive producer, Meet the Press
Adam Friedman, SOC/BA ’79, president, Traveling Light Media
Tom Karsch, SPA/BA’80, executive vice president & general manager, Turner Classic Movies
Monika Konrad, SOC/BA ’93, producer, ABC’s World News Tonight
Claire Leka, SOC/BA ’91, SOC/MA ’94, CNN correspondent
Robert “Morty” Morton, SOC/BA ’75, former executive producer, The Wayne Brady Show and The David Letterman Show, president and CEO, Panamort Television
Brian Murphy, SPA/BA ’80, CEO, U.S. Concepts and co-executive director, U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
Mitchell Nedick, SPA/BA ’73, CFO, The WB Television Network
Joia Jefferson Nuri, SOC-CAS/BA ‘75, director of communications, Institute for Policy Studies
Steve Scully, SOC/BA ’82, senior executive producer, C-SPAN
William “Bill" Thompson, SPA/BA’71, vice president & general manager, New Market Films

Back to newsletter