Wednesday, March 23, 2005

March 23, 2005

Wilmington, N.C. – The Department of Film Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington presents Jim Taylor, co-writer of Sideways, who won an Oscar for screenwriting at the 77th Annual Academy Awards. He will speak at 1 p.m. Friday, April 1 in Morton Hall’s Bryan Auditorium on the UNCW campus. There is no charge for admission.

Taylor will talk about his experiences as a screenwriter and director. He will also screen a short film based on the feature-length version of “The Lost Cause”, a story about a Confederate soldier’s commitment and the heavy toll it takes on his family. The film stars Nick Searcy and is being produced by the Wilmington-based Boomerang Productions. Joining Taylor for the screening are the film’s director of photography Dane Lawing and producer Mike Hewett.

Born and raised in Seattle, Taylor attended Pomona College and received his M.F.A. from New York University in 1995. He is the long-time collaborator of writer-director Alexander Payne, and the two have co-authored four screenplays: Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt and Sideways. For their work they have received two Golden Globes, two Writers Guild Awards and an Academy Award.

Taylor is currently at work on two screenplays that he will direct. The first is a feature version of “The Lost Cause”, produced by Scott Rudin. The second screenplay is an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s The Winter of Our Discontent, produced by the Steppenwolf Theater Company’s film division.

For more information on the MovieMakers lecture series or to receive e-mail notices of upcoming events, visit the film studies department Web site at www.uncw.edu/filmstudies, write to filmstudies@uncw.edu or call 910/962-7502.

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