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WASHINGTON (September 29, 2000) -- To mark the recent death of Rev. Ellwood "Bud" Kieser, CSP, founder of Paulist Productions and six-time Emmy winning producer, the Jubilee 2000 Film Festival will feature a brief tribute followed by his 1985 TV production, The Fourth Wise Man as the closing film.
"As the festival focuses on stories of Christ and Christians, it is an appropriate forum to recognize the many ways that Father Bud Kieser used modern media to portray timeless faith stories," Gerri Paré, Director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting, remarked.
Father Kieser founded Paulist Productions in 1968 and produced a weekly TV anthology series, Insight, which ran for 23 years. In 1974 Father Kieser introduced the Humanitas Prize, an award to encourage the communication of spiritual values through entertainment writing. Endowed by the entertainment industry, it now gives $130,000 each year to writers of TV programs and feature films. Father Kieser's credits also include the feature films Romero and Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story.
The festival, whose theme is "Faith on Film: Stories of Christ and Christians" will be hosted by the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film & Broadcasting on Friday and Saturday, October 13 and 14. The seven screenings will be held at the Clearview Cinema at 239 East 59th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in Manhattan, and will feature panel discussions by noted film experts and scholars.
On Friday the program begins at 1:00 p.m. with The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1966), followed by Godspell (1973), a dinner break, and Black Robe (1991). A panel discussion at 9:00 p.m. will feature Paul Baumann, Commonweal; Jesuit Father James Martin, America; Rod Dreher, Our Sunday Visitor; and Professor Eva Stadler, Fordham University.
Saturday's screenings begin at 9:45 a.m. with The King of Kings (1927). After a lunch break the afternoon program begins at 1:00 p.m. with A Man for All Seasons (1966), and Nazarin (1958), followed by a panel discussion featuring Father Bob Lauder, St. John's University; Eleanor O'Sullivan, Gannett Newspapers; Henry Herx, former director of the USCC Office for Film & Broadcasting; and Rod Dreher. The program concludes Saturday evening with the 7:15 tribute and The Fourth Wise Man, starring Martin Sheen, Eileen Brennan and Alan Arkin. .
Advance single ticket admission is $5.00; admission all day Friday or all day Saturday is $12.00. All movies are suitable for adults and adolescents, except Black Robe and Nazarin, which are classified by the OFB as suitable for adults.
The festival is funded by the Catholic Communication Campaign.
Advance registration for the festival is strongly encouraged. The Website is www.nccbuscc.org/fb, or call the Office for Film & Broadcasting's toll free line (1-888-363-7440).