The Department of Film, Television and Theatre and the Notre Dame iNDustry Alliance continue their annual tradition of bringing film industry leaders to Notre Dame tonight, with a panel of three screenwriters to speak at the DPAC. Larry Karaszewski, Jim Jennewein, and Stephen Susco will share their knowledge of filmwriting. Speakers will present clips they chose from their films and speak about their experiences with writing and developing ideas, but will concentrate on interacting with the audience and taking questions. FTT faculty member Ted Mandell, who helped to organize the event, remarked that students will "learn a lot." The event is aimed at all Notre Dame students, not just FTT majors. The iNDustry Alliance is made up of Notre Dame alumni with careers in the film industry, including a wide range of majors. With these events (last year they brought director Tony Bill), they hope to expose Notre Dame students to career possibilities. Acclaimed screenwriter Larry Karaszewski is a South Bend native (he graduated from Riley High School) who worked as an on-air film critic for WNDU and a comedy writer for the Peabody Award-winning local television show "Beyond Our Control." Along with his writing partner Scott Alexander, he has built a successful career in screenwriting. Together they have won a Golden Globe and a Golden Satellite Award for "The People vs. Larry Flynt" as well as a special Writers Guild award for their work with civil rights and liberties. Jim Jennewein, a 1977 Notre Dame graduate, has worked as both an advertising and film writer. Working on movies such as "Richie Rich," "The Flinstones" and "Major League II," Jennewein has over 17 years of film writing experience. Jennewein, about to publish his first book, a comedy adventure for young adults, can also offer advice to aspiring authors. Stephen Susco, a 1995 Notre Dame graduate, launched himself into success with his first produced script for the "The Grudge," which ultimately grossed over $300 million worldwide. He has also written scripts for "The Grudge II," "The Forge of God" and "Crawlspace." He is currently producing three films, which he helped to write, "The Dibbuk Box," "Zero. Dark. Thirty" and "RED." The talk at 7:30 p.m. is a free, but ticketed event in the Browning Cinema at the DPAC. Tickets can be requested from the DPAC ticket office.
