A special opening screening of the Art of the Steal will be presented by the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (formerly Art Center) and the Palm Theater on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit the preservation of the museum's permanent collection. The cost of the $10 ticket includes the movie, a glass of wine and chocolates.

The Art of the Steal is the true story of a multi-billion dollar heist, and how they got away with it.

The film chronicles the long and dramatic struggle for control of the Barnes Foundation, a private collection of Post-Impressionist and early Modern art valued at more than $30 billion.

Mr. Barnes was a great collector but he was also a curmudgeon, who deeply resented Philadelphia society who mocked the work in his collection when it was first shown. When Barnes died, his will specified that the collection must never be loaned out or sold.

But contracts can be broken, wills challenged, legacies dismantled, and in the years after Barnes' death, the collection became the focus of a fascinating fight among an array of interests. Some wanted it moved to Philadelphia, where it would be more accessible and, of course, could become a lucrative tourist attraction.

The Art of the Steal features loads of smart, witty, elegant tastemakers and cultural elites sharing their opinions and dismay.

An official selection at the New York Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and AFI Fest. The film will be shown at the Palm Theater, 817 Palm Street, downtown SLO through April.