Around Town: Oscar short films and a 'Magnificent Obsession' British actress Barbara Steele, who is best known for her work in such Italian horror films as 1960's "Black Sunday," is scheduled to appear Thursday evening at the New Beverly Cinema for a screening of a new 35mm print of Federico Fellini's Oscar-winning 1963 drama, "8 1/2," in which she appears. The film also screens Friday and Saturday. http://www.newbevcinema.com Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents symposiums of nominees in various categories leading up to the Oscar ceremony. All of these programs are sold out but there will be stand-by lines. Brad Bird hosts "The 2011 Animated and Live Action Short Film Nominees" event Tuesday evening at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, which features screenings of all nominated films in the animated and live action short film category, plus discussion with nominees. And on Wednesday, Michael Moore hosts "The 2011 Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature Nominees" evening, which features clips from all the documentaries in both feature and short categories, as well as a discussion with nominees. http://www.oscars.org Raymond Chandler expert Judith Freeman and film noir historian Alan K. Rode will talk about the famed mystery novelist Thursday at the American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. There will be a screening of 1947's "The Brasher Doubloon," with George Montgomery as shamus Philip Marlowe, and 1944's "Murder, My Sweet" with Dick Powell as the L.A. detective. Rode will also chat with actor Conrad Janis, who appears in "Brasher." The Cinematheque's "Once Upon a Time: The Films of Serigo Leone" Friday at the Aero features 1964's "A Fistful of Dollars," which made Clint Eastwood a movie star, and the 1965 sequel, "For a Few Dollars More." Saturday's offering is 1966's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Sunday's late afternoon offering at the Aero is a cast and crew reunion screening of the 1985 Michael J. Fox hit "Teen Wolf." The Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood features two Charlie Chaplin films Thursday evening -- his 1931 masterwork "City Lights" and his 1923 drama "Woman of Paris," his first feature in which he didn't star. Comedic actor Chuck McCann will be on hand at the Egyptian on Friday evening for a screening of his 1971 acclaimed "The Projectionist," in which he plays a lonely projectionist who dreams he's a superhero, and Frank Perry's 1972 adaptation of Joan Didion's novel, "Play It As It Lays," with Tuesday Weld. A five-film "Planet of the Ape" marathon dominates Saturday's programming at the Egyptian with screenings of 1968's "Planet of the Apes"; 1970's "Beneath the Planet of the Apes"; 1971's "Escape from the Planet of the Apes"; 1972's "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes"; and 1973's "Battle for the Planet of the Apes." Eric Braeden, H.M. Wynant and Linda Harrison are among the stars who are scheduled to appear. Scheduled for Sunday at the Egyptian are Chris Marker's seminal 1964 short "La Jetee," and Terry Gilliam's 1995 "Twelve Monkeys," which was inspired by the short. http://www.americancinematheque.com Jason Reitman's "Live Read" at Film Independent at LACMA on Thursday evening at the Leo S. Bing Theatre is Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs," featuring a cast of African American actors. And Tuesday's matinee at the Bing is Douglas Sirk's classy 1954 melodrama "Magnificent Obsession" with Jane Wyman in her Oscar-nominated role and Rock Hudson. http://www.lacma.org UCLA Film & Television Archive's "Kino-Eye-The Revolutionary Cinema of Dziga Vertov" continues Friday at the Billy Wilder Theater with 1922's "Kino-Pravda, Nos. 9-11, 13," "Kino-Pravda, Nos. 14-17" and 1924's "Soviet Toys." The archive kicks off "Nina Menkes: Cinema as Sorcery," a new retrospective on the independent, avant-garde filmmaker, this Saturday at the Wilder. The programming opens with 2010's "Dissolution." Menkes will appear in person. Sunday's offerings are 1991's "Queen of Diamonds" and 1983's "The Great Sadness of Zohara." David Lean's 1957 best picture Oscar winner, the World War II epic "The Bridge on the River Kwai," screens Wednesday at the Million Dollar Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. http://www.cinema.ucla.edu The New Beverly Cinema's latest Saturday night midnight movie is Joel Schmacher's 1983 comedy "D.C. Cab," with Adam Baldwin, Max Gail and Mr. T. Sunday and Monday's offering at the New Beverly are two terrific westerns -- Howard Hawks' 1948 "Red River," with John Wayne and Montgomery Clift, and 1954's "The Far Country," one of the taut collaborations between director Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart. Scheduled for Wednesday is a Wes Anderson double feature -- 2004's "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and 2007's "The Darjeeling Limited." Photo: "Murder, My Sweet" screens Thursday at the Aero. Credit: Los Angeles Times file photo