Academy Lassos “Midnight Cowboy” in NYC

New York, NY — The 1969 Best Picture winner “Midnight Cowboy” will screen for New York audience as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Monday Nights with Oscar®” series on Monday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in New York City. Academy Award®-winning producer Jerome Hellman will join Academy Award-nominated actress Sylvia Miles in a post-screening discussionDavid V. Picker, the executive-in-charge at United Artist during the film’s development, will moderate the onstage conversation, which also will include actor Bob Balaban, cinematographer Adam Holender, composer John Barry and costumer designer Ann Roth.

“Midnight Cowboy” stars Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight as two mainstream society outcasts who forge an unlikely friendship on the lonely and unforgiving streets of New York CityThe film endures as a powerful story of friendship, compassion and redemption

The film earned seven Oscar nominations: Actor (Hoffman, Voight), Actress in a Supporting Role (Miles), Directing (John Schlesinger), Film Editing (Hugh A. Robertson), Best Picture (Hellman, producer) and Writing – Screenplay based on material from another medium (Waldo Salt)It went on to win in the Best Picture, Directing and Writing categories.

At the time of release, the film’s frank and unsparing portrayal of its characters’ bleak lives was considered suitable only for mature audiences, and the Motion Picture Association of America, which had recently introduced its ratings system, gave it an X rating“Midnight Cowboy” holds the distinction of being the only X-rated film to win the Best Picture Oscar (it was re-rated R in 1971)

Tickets for “Midnight Cowboy” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid IDTickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org or by mail (a printable order form is available in the Events & Exhibitions section of the Web site (see Venues & Ticket Information)Tickets may also be purchased at the box office on the night of the event (subject to availability)The box office opens at 5:30 p.mDoors open at 6:30 p.mAll seating is unreservedFor more information, call (212) 821-9251

The DGA Theatre is located at 110 West 57th Street in New York City.