Three-time Academy award winning director Oliver Stone will host a lecture, sponsored by UNIQUE Programs, on the world of filmmaking at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the University Union Ballroom.

Sac State Associate Professor of English Doug Rice has used Stone’s films to teach at Kent State in the past. Rice said he will be attending the lecture tonight and encourages students to do the same. Rice said Stone’s films are often surprising and thought-provoking.

“Stone rises above the typical drab Hollywood film directors by allowing viewers to see in new ways,” Rice said. “It is not so much that he makes films that change what we think as much as he makes films that changes how we think.”

Stone’s most recent film, “World Trade Center,” is told through the eyes of two New York Port Authority police officers during the trauma of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The movie is one about hope and heroism. The film has already been named Best Film for 2006 at the Hollywood Awards.

His next directing project is said to be a follow up to the World Trade Center movie. It will be a film about the U.S invasion of Afghanistan and the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The film will be based in large part on the book “Jawbreaker,” which records the U.S. led attacks in Afghanistan and the pursuit for Osama bin Laden, Reuters reported last month. A production date for the new film has not yet been released.

Stone has been outspokenly critical of President Bush and the war in Iraq. “This war on Iraq is a disaster. I’m disgraced. I’m ashamed for my country,” Stone said at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in September. “I’m also ashamed that America has attacked itself with its constitutional breakdowns. I’m deeply ashamed,” Stone said at the Festival.

Stone won an Academy Award for best director for his films “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Platoon.” He has also won for best writing, screenplay based on material from another medium for the film “Midnight Express.”

Stone, a director and writer of more than 27 movies, has won a vast amount of other awards and nominations for his work in directing and screenwriting.

Stone is often referred to as a prominent and controversial director for his films that explore a variety of topics. He has covered topics ranging from the assassination of John F. Kennedy to a documentary with Fidel Castro addressing the Cuban’s crackdown on the country’s rebels. His films often cover momentous political and historical topics.

His film credits include “Nixon,” “The Doors,” “Evita,” “Any Given Sunday,” “The People Vs. Larry Flint,” “Natural Born Killers” and “Alexander.”

Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for faculty and alumni and $20 for general admission. Tickets can be purchased at the University Ticket Office.