UC Irvine Extension Presents Fall Sneak Previews with Michael Berlin

Series Offers an Insider’s Look at Hollywood Films Before they Are Released; a Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Discuss Films with the Producers, Directors and Screenwriters Responsible for the Films

IRVINE, Calif. – October 17, 2005 – UC Irvine Extension’s Sneak Previews with Michael Berlin film series will begin Monday, November 7, 2005 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and will continue every Monday through December 12, 2005. The six-week film series features exclusive advance previews of upcoming Hollywood films before they are released to the general public. The titles of the films and the names of the guest speakers will remain under wraps until the night of the screening. Each engagement is accompanied by interviews and open Q&A sessions with producers, directors, screenwriters and other entertainment industry leaders directly involved with the film.

“Sneak Previews with Michael Berlin is an extremely popular series for both UC Irvine Extension students and the general public,” Kirwan Rockefeller, director of UC Irvine Extension’s Arts & Humanities Program, said. “Each engagement typically draws hundreds of film enthusiasts interested in a first-hand look at up-and-coming movies and a behind-the-scenes discussion with industry insiders.”

Michael Berlin, who has a long list of screenwriting and producing credits to his name, will host the series. Berlin is an associate professor of screenwriting at California State University, Long Beach and has a three-decade career as a screenwriter and producer for ABC and Wide World Disney. In addition to several books, he has written for such feature films and TV series’ as Cagney & Lacey, Murder She Wrote, Miami Vice, Jake and the Fatman, Hunter, Earth: Final Conflict, and The Outer Limits.

“We are giving film aficionados and the general public a rare opportunity to stand in a celebrity or film critic’s shoes by attending sneak previews for major and independent upcoming films,” Berlin said. “Last fall’s program was a huge success and we are looking to repeat the energy and excitement again this year.”

Fall 2004’s Sneak Previews with Michael Berlin included Academy Award-nominated works such as Hotel Rwanda, Kinsey, and Les Choristes. In 2003, several Academy Award-nominated and winning films were also screened including The Cooler, In America, and Girl with a Pearl Earring.
UC Irvine Extension’s Sneak Previews with Michael Berlin film series is scheduled for six consecutive weeks. Films will be screened at the Edwards University Center Theatre at University Center, located at 4245 Campus Drive in Irvine. General admission is $130 for the series, $30 per film. For UC Irvine students the cost is $48 for the series or $8 per film.

Co-sponsors of Sneak Previews include Newport Beach Film Festival, University Center and University Synagogue - Orange County Jewish Film Festival.

Students will receive goody bags on the first night, with special offers from University Center merchants. Each week, students can enter drawings for movie tickets and dining gift certificates courtesy of Edwards Theatres and various University Center restaurants. University Center, owned and operated by The Irvine Company, is located on Campus Drive at Bridge Road, directly across from UC Irvine. For more information, visit ShopTheIrvineCompany.com.

As the continuing education arm of the prestigious university, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a transforming learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. UC Irvine Extension continues to provide a university-level learning experience to all students. For more information about UC Irvine Extension or to register for the sneak preview film series, visit the Web at www.extension.uci.edu or call (949) 824-5414.