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KCET Presents New Documentary 'Karen Black: On Acting'

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Revealing Film Showcases the Late Academy Award®

Nominated Actress' Expansive Insights on the Craft of

Acting

Film Critic Ben Mankiewicz Introduces Film, Discusses

Actress' Legacy

Burbank, Calif. - July 29, 2014 - KCET, the nation's

largest independent public television, station presents a new documentary,

KAREN

BLACK: ON ACTING

, featuring the late Academy Award® nominated and two-time

Golden Globe winning actress, Karen Black. The film premieres on KCET on

Friday, August 8 at 8:30 p.m., exactly one year after her death from ampullary cancer in Los Angeles at the age of 74.

KAREN BLACK: ON ACTING is an illuminating 75-minute film offering viewers an in-depth look into

Black's most coveted acting methods. In the film, Black covers everything from

perfecting regional accents to finding a character's inner needs.

"The secrets of her craft

and her deeply humanistic observations of life will be of interest both to

makers and appreciators of good drama," said the film's director, Russell

Brown.

Best known for her starring roles in such critically acclaimed films as

Easy

Rider

, Five Easy Pieces and The Great Gatsby, Black revealed

publicly in March 2013 that she had been battling cancer for several years.

Prior to the announcement, the actress sat down with Brown to share more than

50 years worth of insight into the craft of acting, which is showcased in the

film.

Black gave the world an array of unforgettable screen characters in

numerous films and television series for more than four decades. She worked

with world-class directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Altman, Bob

Rafelson, Jack Clayton and John Schlesinger. In 1970, she earned a Golden Globe

Award for Best Supporting Actress for Five Easy Pieces, which also

earned her an Academy Award® nomination. In 1974, she earned another Golden

Globe Award for her role as Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby. 

The film is bookended with a discussion between Brown and film critic Ben

Mankiewicz, who reflects on Black's noteworthy career, her legacy and her contribution to a profoundly significant era in

American cinema. Mankiewicz is known for providing thoughtful cinematic

commentary as weekend daytime host on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  

To view a trailer of this film, please visit: http://bit.ly/1jZP6Y8

ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital

role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central

California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well

as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its

50-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and

regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and

documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's

programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET

is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about

KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community

events, please visit kcet.org. KCET is a service of KCETLink.

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