OIF to sponsor Fahrenheit 451 film, Wikileaks documentary at ALA Annual

CHICAGO — The American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is sponsoring two films as part of the "Now Showing @ ALA" film program at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. The films are free to all registered attendees of the conference.

From 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Sunday, June 24 join us for a showing of "Fahrenheit 451," Francois Truffaut’s 1966 adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s timeless dystopian novel, starring Julie Christie and Oskar Werner. Set in a world of massive censorship and hyper surveillance, "Fahrenheit 451" never ceases to be provocative in any of its forms.

Coming shortly on the heels of Bradbury’s death this month at 91, this film screening will serve as a tribute to the vision of one of the 20th century’s most important and revered authors. The screening will be followed by a discussion of the film, the book and the continued relevance of Bradbury’s vision.

Sponsored by OIF and the IFLA Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE), this is the first event for this second selection of the FAIFE Book Club. For more on the FAIFE Book Club, email Jonathan Kelley at jokelley@ala.org.

From 10:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 25 OIF presents the West Coast premiere of the documentary "Wikileaks: Secrets and Lies" in conjunction with the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee and the ALA Committee on Legislation. Consistently in the headlines for his public and private controversies, Julian Assange, founder of whistle-blower website Wikileaks, is a hero to many - and a villain to others. This deeply personal and provocative documentary raises powerful questions over the role of information and secrecy in a free society. It also features an in-depth look at the saga of U.S. Pvt. Bradley Manning, who is in federal prison for his role in leaking classified information to Wikileaks.

Direct from its screening at SXSW 2012, "Wikileaks: Secrets and Lies" is a definitive factual account of the 2010 Wikileaks controversy, featuring the first televised interview of Assange. The screening will be followed by an open discussion.