MoMA Fêtes Mike Nichols
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Film director Mike Nichols returned on Tuesday to the Museum of Modern Art — where he had watched so many classic movies in his youth — to be honored for the more than 20 films he’s directed and produced.
The museum’s annual “Party in the Garden” fund-raiser — or “sauna in the garden,” according to some wilting visitors — brought out around 800 art elites who braved the more than 80-degree evening heat in tuxedos and evening gowns to rub shoulders with each other and raise $2.7 million.
Last night’s fête was only the beginning of the museum’s tribute to Mr. Nichols. In the spring of 2009, MoMA will host a film festival featuring his work. Four of his films, including “The Graduate,” the 1967 film for which Mr. Nichols won the Academy Award for best director, and “Catch-22,” are part of the museum’s permanent collection of about 22,500 films, said Rajendra Roy, the museum’s film curator.
