Academy Foundation Officers Elected, Bening Named Vice-President

Robert Rehme, an Executives Branch governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was elected Tuesday night (8/18) as president of the Academy Foundation, the educational and cultural arm of the Academy.

In addition, Actors Branch governor Annette Bening was elected vice president, Film Editors Branch governor Donn Cambern was re-elected vice president, Public Relations Branch governor Sid Ganis was re-elected treasurer, and Executives Branch governor and newly elected Academy President Tom Sherak was re-elected secretary. Academy Executive Director Bruce Davis remains executive secretary of the Foundation.

It is through the Academy Foundation that the Academy presents myriad public programs each year. These include, among others, the "Gold Standard," "Oscar's Docs" and "Contemporary Documentaries" screening series; Science and Technology Council programming and exhibitions like the upcoming "Art of the Movie Poster: Illustrated One-Sheets and Design Concepts from the Paul Crifo Archive" and "Irving Thalberg: Creating the Hollywood Studio System, 1920-36," both of which will be on display at the Academy's Beverly Hills headquarters beginning September 17.

The Foundation is also responsible for conducting the annual Student Academy Awards and Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competitions, presenting a variety of annual lectures and seminars, and awarding over $1 million each year in financial grants to film scholars, film festivals, and film-related institutions and programs.

The world-renowned Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive also operate under the Academy Foundation banner.

Academy Foundation trustees are elected annually by the Academy's Board of Governors. Foundation trustees for 2009-2010 are: Bening (Actors Branch), James L. Brooks (Writers), Cambern, Caleb Deschanel (Cinematographers), Ganis, Jim Gianopulos (Executives), Mark Goldblatt (Film Editors), Arthur Hamilton (Music), Kathleen Kennedy (Producers), John Lasseter (Short Films and Feature Animation), Kevin O'Connell (Sound), Frank Pierson (Writers), Rehme, Sherak, Bill Taylor (Visual Effects) and Henry Winkler (Actors).

The Academy Foundation was established in 1942 to oversee all educational, preservation and cultural activities of the Academy. Its trustees and officers serve one-year terms.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards - in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners - the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

For more information, visist www.oscars.org.