‘Naked Gun’ filmmaker Jim Abrahams to speak

Jim Abrahams, whose comic vision has inspired such cinema landmarks as “Airplane!” and the “Naked Gun” movies and more, will reveal “The 15 Rules of Comedy” in a free public lecture on campus Sunday, May 2.

See also: Film fest shapes up Great Wisconsin Film Festival web site

“My lecture will explain my list of comedy rules, using clips from videos of the films I’ve worked on” as writer, producer and/or director, Abrahams says. “The first rule is, ‘Be Funny.’ ” He says he also hopes he’ll be able to shed some light on the industry for UW–Madison students interested in entering the field.

The Milwaukee native began his own career in the entertainment industry by founding Kentucky Fried Theater with UW–Madison classmates Jerry and David Zucker. The company moved from Madison to Los Angeles, and made their first film, “Kentucky Fried Movie,” in 1977.

During the last 20 years, Abrahams has been involved with 14 feature films, the most recent of which was “Mafia!” released last year.

Abrahams will outline his “15 Rules” Sunday, May 2, at 1 p.m. in L160 Elvehjem. No tickets will be required, and the public is invited.

Abrahams’ appearance will be part of a film festival sponsored by the UW–Madison Arts Institute and several student film organizations. The festival will highlight independent films and their makers.

All events and screenings are free and open to the public. For a complete list of lectures and screenings, check Great Wisconsin Film Festival web site. For more information, contact James Kreul, (608) 262-2277.