AWARD WINNERS CELEBRATED AT THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM

San Francisco, CA – January 31, 2012—February is awards season, and The Walt Disney Family Museum is celebrating with film presentations and visitor programs throughout the month.

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to several Oscar® winners, including Pixar and Lucasfilm, but there is only one place where you can get an up-close look at more than 20 of the famous statuettes—The Walt Disney Family Museum. Walt Disney personally won 32 Academy Awards® throughout his career. To this day, Walt still holds the record for the most awards won by an individual. Former Oscar host Bob Hope once quipped, “The management has informed me that they’re not responsible for Oscars left over 30 days. After that, they’re automatically turned over to Walt Disney.”

Screening this month in the Museum’s state-of-the-art digital theater is a collection of Walt’s award-winning True-Life Adventures films. Produced between 1948 and 1960, these shorts and features won a cumulative 8 Academy Awards, and have inspired naturalist filmmakers and conservationists for decades (see below for a complete program). Among the films being screened in February will be the Best Documentary Feature winners The Vanishing Prairie (1954) and The Living Desert (1953); and the Best Short Subject winners Bear Country (1953), Water Birds (1952), Nature’s Half Acre (1951), Beaver Valley (1950) and Seal Island (1948, the first film in the series). Admission to film presentations is free with paid Museum Admission.

On Saturday, February 18 at 3:00 pm, the special program And the Award Goes to...Walt Disney offers a one-of-a-kind showcase of Walt Disney’s Award Winners. Hosted by author, Disney historian and friend of the Museum Jeff Kurtti, this program offers a look at highlights of Walt Disney’s Oscar-winning films, including rarities such as Parade of the Award Nominees (1932), Ferdinand the Bull (1938), and Grand Canyon (1958); as well as trailers and rare footage and photos of Walt at the Oscar ceremonies. (Separate admission required.)

 On Saturday, February 25 at 2:00 pm, the special program Walt Disney’s Worlds of Nature will feature Academy Award-nominated producer Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Matchgirl) and a presentation about Walt’s pioneering and frequently-emulated True-Life Adventures films, and showing the relationship between that series and the acclaimed Disneynature documentaries (Earth, Oceans, African Cats, and the upcoming Chimpanzees) for which Hahn serves as executive producer. (Separate admission required.)

Tickets for all films and programs are available at the Member Services and Reception Desk at the Museum, or online at www.waltdisney.org.

SCREENINGS

February 1 through 7 (Daily at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm)
Seal Island (27:00)
Beaver Valley (32:00)
Nature’s Half Acre (33:00)

February 8 through 14 (Daily at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm)
Water Birds (30:00)
Vanishing Prairie (71:00)

February 15 through 21 (except February 18) (Daily at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm)
Bear Country (33:00)
The Living Desert (69:00)

February 22 through 29 (except February 25 and 26) (Daily at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm)
Mysteries of the Deep (24:00)
Secrets of Life (70:00)

CLASSES + ACTIVITIES

Friday, February 24; Saturday, February 25; and Sunday, February 26
Look Closer: Cameras used for the True-Life Adventures series
1:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Gallery 8 (Museum Admission Required)
Take a more detailed look at the creation of the pioneering True-Life Adventures films, and the cameras used in their filming.

Sunday, February 5
Sunday Story Time
3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
Theater Lobby (Museum Admission Required)
True stories unfold all around us! The stories this month will reflect the magic of the natural world and its inhabitants. This special program is designed for families with young children.

Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 19
Disney Discoveries!
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Learning Center Art Studio (Museum Admission Required)
Are you going on a great adventure? Don’t leave home without your very own adventurer’s bag! Use it as a camera case, a collector of nature’s treasures, or a tote for everyday travels! These fun totes will be made from recycled materials.

LIVE PERFORMANCE

Saturday February 11
A Musical Tribute to Walt Disney
3:00 pm
Special Exhibitions Hall (Separate Admission Required)

Paulway Chew is a renowned vocalist with over ten years of musical theater experience. She performed with a Chinese Malaysian theater group in Kuala Lumpur and has received nominations for Best Supporting and Best Leading Role as a Female Performer. Now residing in San Francisco, Paulway is a huge Disney fan and a Founding Member of the Museum. Her performance combines a beautiful story, amazing vocals, and audience participation for Disney fans of all ages.