Aspen Film presents the 18th annual Academy Screenings (December 21-January 3), a two-week film series featuring the most talked about films that are garnering Oscar® buzz and nominations come the Academy Awards® in February. Residents and visitors will be among the first to see several award-winning titles prior to their official release dates and others that are released solely in select cities around the globe. Academy Screenings is an unrivaled cinematic experience set in a spectacular mountain setting.

A sampling of this year's highlights include:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt.
Revolutionary Road, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Sam Mendes.
Gran Torino, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood.
Milk, starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Emile Hirsch, and directed by Gus Van Sant.
Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Academy Screenings unspools at the Harris Concert Hall in Aspen. Tickets go on sale to the general public on December 10 at Aspen Show Tickets at the Wheeler Opera House (970.920.5770 and www.aspenshowtickets.com). The complete Academy Screenings program will be released on December 2 and will available online at , which will be updated with any possible late additions.