Valenti kicks off AFI lecture series

Millennium Council hosts programs aimed at Hollywood, Silicon Valley

By LEONARD KLADY

Motion Picture Assn. of America president Jack Valenti will be the first speaker Tuesday in a series of four lectures throughout 1998 sponsored by the American Film Institute at the Hotel Nikko. Hosted by the AFI's Millennium Council, the programs are directed at common issues confronting the Hollywood majors and Silicon Valley concerns.

Created in 1997 to address the needs of members involved in emerging technologies, the council has attracted execs from such companies as Adobe, Compaq, Sony, Sun Microsystems and Universal Studios. Since its inception, the group has been involved with technological and educational issues related to digital production, online publishing and the Internet as a means of dispersing information.

Valenti's address will primarily focus on copyright issues as they apply to new media. An outspoken advocate of intellectual property issues, Valenti has been a relentless presence in the dissemination and promotion of U.S. films and a staunch supporter of unrestricted access to the international marketplace for films from the majors.