The early to mid-1970s were truly heady times for the educational film world. Fueled by the Johnson administration's "Great Society" philosophy, educational programs embraced themes of ethnic awareness and diversity, and school districts nationwide began demanding professional quality 16mm films that both encouraged and provoked classroom discussion. Two critical demands were made of these types of films: 1) the story must be an engaging one so that adults as well as learners would be involved and interested, and 2), the story had to be told completely in twenty minutes or less to allow time for adequate discussion in a 55-minute class. Learning Corporation of America was a prime source for these types of films, and the maker of several of its most profound and dynamic films was Bert Salzman. Born in New York City in 1931, Salzman was already an successful artist before embarking on a career as a filmmaker when, in 1970, Linda Gottlieb of LCA asked him to choose three ethnic groups as focal points for his first LCA films. The series ran to eight, including Oscar®-winning ANGEL & BIG JOE. Salzman infused each of these films (which he both wrote and directed) with elements essential to great film of any genre: pathos, passion, and humor, and did it all in twenty minutes. Salzman, a New York City high-school dropout who prided himself on becoming self-educated, based much of his dramatic structure on Aristotle's Poetics. When asked how he felt about receiving the statuette, the ever-philosophical filmmaker thought a moment and replied: "It's like the best pastrami sandwich I ever ate." At the young age of 51, the filmmaker left the cinema world for a house in the French countryside to continue his life-long study of art and literature. "My life is my career," said Salzman to people who questioned the impact of the move on his future in film. In the 1980s, he directed some programs for British and Canadian television. He now lives in northern California with wife Jeanne, where he paints and teaches meditation.  Short Films (Live Action) 1975: ANGEL AND BIG JOE - Producer 1 nomination, 1 Award