Film Studies Program To Honor Actor-Director Jodie Foster

Academy award-winning actress and Yale alumna Jodie Foster will visit the campus on Wednesday, April 29, when she will be honored by the University’s Film Studies Program and take part in a conversation with members of the Yale community.

The conversation with Foster will be held following a 5 p.m. 35mm screening of “The Silence of the Lambs,” for which she won an Academy Award for best actress in 1992. In the movie, Foster portrays a young F.B.I. cadet on the hunt for a serial killer. The screening will take place in the auditorium of the Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St. To request a ticket, send e-mail to erin.doherty@yale.edu. Doors open for ticket holders at 4:30 p.m., and limited rush seats will be available at 4:50 p.m.

A 1985 graduate of Yale, Foster also won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a rape survivor in the 1988 film “The Accused.” She began her acting career at age three and was a regular on several television series. She won international attention for her roles in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and “Taxi Driver.”

Foster made her directorial debut in 1991 with “Little Man Tate” and founded her own production company, Egg Pictures, in 1992. Its initial effort, “Nell,” earned her an Academy Award nomination. Her most recent films as an actress include “A Very Long Engagement,” “Flightplan,” “Inside Man” and “Nim’s Island.”

In 1994, Foster was the Class Day speaker at Yale and earned an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University.

The Yale Film Studies Program honors annually an individual with a Yale connection who has contributed to film culture. Previous recipients include Michael Roemer, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, James Schamus, Frederick Wiseman, Warrington Hudlin, Roger Mayer, Ondi Timoner, Pamel Koffler, David Milch, Rita Stern, Todd Solondz and Alex Gibney.