For Immediate Release
January 9, 2015
Contact: Matt Myerhoff, Media Information Officer
mmyerhoff@malibucity.org [mailto:mmyerhoff@malibucity.org]
Cell: 818-293-8962
Exciting Line-Up of Speakers Promises Dynamic 2015 Season of Malibu Library Speaker Series
(Malibu, CA) – The City of Malibu kicks off the third season of the Malibu Library Speaker Series with legendary Hollywood agent, producer, and film school professor Harry Ufland on January 21 at 7:00 PM at the Malibu Library.
“We’ve got a terrific line-up of speakers for the 2015 season, with some incredibly talented individuals from around the world sharing their experiences,” said Malibu Mayor Skylar Peak. “I encourage everyone in Malibu to attend a Library Speaker Series event because they are a terrific way to build community and culture here in our own town.”
Ufland will discuss his decades in the film industry as an agent with William Morris representing names like Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro, Ridley Scott and Harvey Keitel. He has packaged such historic films as “Raging Bull,” “Blade Runner,” and the “Deer Hunter,” and produced films including “Crazy/Beautiful,” “Not Without My Daughter,” “One True Thing” and “The Last Temptation of Christ.” His recent projects include “The Big Wedding” (2013), starring DeNiro, Susan Sarandon, and Diane Keaton.
Currently, Ufland serves as a professor at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Media Arts, where he helped the school rise to number four on the Hollywood Reporter’s American film school list, and number seven worldwide.
Free refreshments are provided and a Q&A with the speaker will follow the presentation.
The free monthly event is a joint project of the City of Malibu and the L.A. Count Public Library, Malibu Branch, and brings notable people from a wide range of fields and subjects to the stage to share their experiences, insights and inspirations. The 2015 speakers will touch on the Entertainment Industry, Literature, Science, Motivation, the Arts, Education, Sports, Travel, Food, and the Environment. This year’s program includes:
Literature - February
George Mason & Salli Slaughter set out on the open road in 2011 in an RV with their dog to interview America’s greatest authors and their experiences and the interviews are published on their blog, www.authorsroad.com.
Education - March
Diane Luby Lane is the founder and executive director of Get Lit-Words Ignite, Southern California’s leading nonprofit presenter of literary performance, education and teen poetry programs. The Get Lit Players is an award-winning classic teen poetry troupe that performs for over 15,000 at-risk youth each year.
Motivation – May
Scott Backovich has dedicated his life to one thing: inspiring teens to help them unleash their true potential. Scott’s wit, compassion, quirky yet powerful style, and message have made him a sought-after youth leadership expert on radio, TV and speaking engagements.
Sports - June
Malibu native Johnny Strange made his first climb in Antarctica at age 12, and at 17 was the youngest person ever to climb the Seven Summits. He has climbed Mt. Everest, Mt. Kosciusko, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. McKinley, Mt. Aconcagua, trekked to the South Pole, and skydived into the North Pole.
Science - July
Michael Backes is one of the world’s foremost experts and advocates of medical cannabis. His recent book “Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana” offers an evidence-based guide on how to use medical marijuana, the ailments and diseases it can treat, and a guide of marijuana strains.
Past seasons of the Malibu Speaker Series have featured such notable speakers as Sacramento Mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the best-selling novel “Eat, Pray, Love” and many others.
The event is free and open to all, but space is limited, so RSVPs are required. To RSVP or for more information, contact Karol Sarkisyan, Management Fellow, L.A. County Public Library at ksarkisyan@library.lacounty.gov [mailto:ksarkisyan@library.lacounty.gov] or call 562-940-8559.
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