Category Archives: Oscar

11 MORE STARS SET TO PRESENT AT 89TH OSCARS

Posted by Larry Gleeson.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMY ADAMS, RIZ AHMED, JAVIER BARDEM, JOHN CHO, DWAYNE JOHNSON,
FELICITY JONES, LESLIE MANN, JANELLE MONÁE, DAVID OYELOWO,
EMMA STONE AND CHARLIZE THERON

LOS ANGELES, CA – Producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd today announced the third slate of presenters for the 89th Oscars® telecast.  Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars will air live Sunday, February 26, on the ABC Television Network.

The presenters, including past Oscar® winners and nominees, are Amy Adams, Riz Ahmed, Javier Bardem, John Cho, Dwayne Johnson, Felicity Jones, Leslie Mann, Janelle Monáe, David Oyelowo, Emma Stone and Charlize Theron.

“No matter who you are or where you live, movies bring us together,” said De Luca and Todd.  “Through indelible, fearless performances these extraordinary actors help make it happen.  We are thrilled to welcome them to the 89th Oscars stage.”

Adams received an Oscar nomination for Actress in a Leading Role for “American Hustle” (2013).  Additionally, she has earned four nominations for Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in “The Master” (2012), “The Fighter” (2010), “Doubt” (2008) and “Junebug” (2005).  Her notable credits also include “Arrival” (2016), “Nocturnal Animals” (2016), “Big Eyes” (2014), “Her” (2013) and “Julie & Julia” (2009).  Adams will next appear in “Justice League.”

Ahmed appeared in the Oscar-nominated films “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016) and “Nightcrawler” (2014).  Additionally, his credits include “Jason Bourne” (2016), “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” (2013), “Ill Manors” (2012), “Day of the Falcon” (2011), “Centurion” (2010) and “Four Lions” (2010).

Bardem won an Oscar for Actor in a Supporting Role for “No Country for Old Men” (2007).  He has been nominated for Actor in a Leading Role twice, for “Biutiful” (2010) and “Before Night Falls” (2000).  Bardem starred in the Oscar-winning films “Skyfall” (2012) and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008).  Other notable credits include “The Counselor” (2013), “Eat Pray Love” (2010), “The Sea Inside” (2004) and “Mondays in the Sun” (2002).  Bardem will appear next in “Escobar”, “mother!” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.”

Cho’s credits include the Oscar-winning film “Star Trek” (2009), as well as the Oscar-nominated films “Star Trek Beyond” (2016) and “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013).  Additionally, Cho’s film credits include “Identity Thief” (2013), “Total Recall” (2012), “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” (2008), “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” (2004) and “American Pie” (1999).  He will next appear in “Gemini.”

Johnson appears in the Oscar-nominated film “Moana” (2016).  His recent feature credits also include “Central Intelligence” (2016), “Furious Seven” (2015), “San Andreas” (2015), “Hercules” (2014), “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013) and “Pain & Gain” (2013).  Johnson will appear next in “Baywatch,” “The Fate of the Furious” and “Jumanji.”

Jones received an Oscar nomination for Actress in a Leading Role for “The Theory of Everything” (2014).  She also appeared in the Oscar-nominated films “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016) and “The Invisible Woman” (2013).  Jones’s feature credits also include “A Monster Calls” (2016), “Inferno” (2016), “Breathe In” (2014) and “Like Crazy” (2011).

Mann’s feature credits include the Oscar-nominated films “ParaNorman” (2012) and “Rio” (2011).  Additionally, she has appeared in “The Comedian” (2016), “How to Be Single” (2016), “The Other Woman” (2014), “Rio 2” (2014), “This Is 40” (2012), “Funny People” (2009), “Knocked Up” (2007) and “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” (2005).  Mann will next appear in “The Pact.”

Actress and recording artist Monáe appears in the Oscar-nominated films “Hidden Figures” (2016) and “Moonlight” (2016). In addition, her credits also include a speaking role in the animated feature “Rio 2” (2014), for which she also contributed an original song. Monáe’s music was also used on the soundtracks for “Bad Moms” (2016), “The Equalizer” (2014), “Think Like a Man Too” (2014) and “Happy Feet 2” (2011).

Oyelowo’s credits include the Oscar-winning films “Selma” (2014), “Interstellar” (2014), “Lincoln” (2012) and “The Help” (2011) as well as the Oscar-nominated film “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011).  Additionally, he has appeared in “Queen of Katwe” (2016), “Five Nights in Maine” (2016), “Captive” (2015), “A Most Violent Year” (2014), “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (2013) and “Jack Reacher” (2012).  Oyelowo can currently be seen in “A United Kingdom” and will next appear in “God Particle.”

Stone received an Oscar nomination for Actress in a Leading Role for “La La Land” (2016).  Additionally, she garnered an Actress in a Supporting Role nomination for “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” (2014).  Stone’s credits also include the Oscar-winning film “The Help” (2011) and the Oscar-nominated animated feature “The Croods” (2013).  She has also appeared in “Irrational Man” (2015), “Magic in the Moonlight” (2014), “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014), “Gangster Squad” (2013), “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012), “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2011), “Easy A” (2010) and “Zombieland” (2009). Stone will next appear in “Battle of the Sexes.”

Theron won an Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role for “Monster” (2003).  Additionally, she garnered an Actress in a Supporting Role nomination for “North Country” (2005).  Theron’s feature credits also include the Oscar-winning films “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) and “The Cider House Rules” (1999) as well as the Oscar-nominated films “Kubo and the Two Strings” (2016), “Snow White and the Huntsman” (2012), “Prometheus” (2012) and “In the Valley of Elah” (2007).  She will next appear in “The Fate of the Furious,” “The Coldest City” and “Tully.”

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center®in Hollywood, and will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars, produced by De Luca and Todd and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, also will be televised in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.  Additionally, “The Oscars: All Access” live stream from the red carpet and backstage will begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Oscar.com.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 7,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

ACADEMY ANNOUNCES 89TH OSCARS GOVERNORS BALL CREATIVE TEAM

Posted by Larry Gleeson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, CA – Academy governor Jeffrey Kurland, event producer Cheryl Cecchetto and master chef Wolfgang Puck will return to create this year’s Governors Ball, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ official post-Oscar® celebration, which will immediately follow the 89th Oscars® ceremony on Sunday, February 26. The Ball’s 1,500 invited guests include Oscar winners and nominees, show presenters and other telecast participants

“The theme of this year’s Governors Ball is ‘magical transformation.’ As they enter the Ball, guests will transition from a dazzling sea of red to a tricolor motif of eye-popping gold and red on an infinite blanket of white,” said Kurland. “The unique design of the space has been meticulously created to celebrate Oscar gold.”

As the chair of the Governors Ball, Kurland will oversee the décor, menu and entertainment planning, as well as design the attire to be worn by the evening’s staff. Kurland is an acclaimed costume designer whose feature credits include “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Radio Days,” “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” “Erin Brockovich,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Inception,” “Beautiful Creatures,” “Tomorrowland” and, most recently, “Ghostbusters.” He received an Oscar nomination for Costume Design for “Bullets over Broadway.” This will be Kurland’s eighth year serving as Governors Ball chair.

Cecchetto, along with her Sequoia Productions team, will work with Kurland to manage every detail pertaining to the event, including décor, entertainment, food and personnel. Sequoia Productions’ clients include the Television Academy, G’Day USA, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Westfield and the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay. This will be Cecchetto’s 28th consecutive year producing the Governors Ball.

For the 23rd consecutive year, legendary chef Wolfgang Puck will set the stage with a Governors Ball menu pairing Hollywood glamour with culinary whimsy. Eric Klein, the new Wolfgang Puck Catering executive chef, worked alongside Puck to create more than 50 imaginative dishes, from one-bite hors d’oeuvres to small-plate entrees that will be passed throughout the evening. New menu items will include Moroccan spiced Wagyu short rib topped with a parmesan funnel cake; taro root tacos with shrimp, mango, avocado and chipotle aioli; gnocchetti with braised mushrooms and cashew cream; lobster corn dogs; made-to-order sushi, custom poke bowls and an array of shellfish; plus a selection of Puck’s signature dishes such as smoked salmon Oscars, chicken pot pie with shaved black truffles, and baked macaroni and cheese. The pastry team of Kamel Guechida, Monica Ng and Jason Lemmonier will offer a dessert menu brimming with innovative and playful desserts served at multiple dessert stations, plus the ultimate dessert buffet featuring Puck’s sought-after 24-karat-gold chocolate Oscars. Wolfgang Puck Catering CEO Carl Schuster will direct more than 900 event staff through the evening’s intricately detailed logistics to deliver guests a true restaurant-style hospitality experience.

The Governors Ball will take place in the Ray Dolby Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center® immediately following the Oscar telecast.

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 7,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY

http://www.oscars.org

http://www.facebook.com/TheAcademy

http://www.youtube.com/Oscars

http://www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

MEDIA CONTACT

Natalie Kojen

nkojen@oscars.org

(Source: Academy Communications Department)

JOHN CHO AND LESLIE MANN TO HOST ACADEMY’S SCI-TECH AWARDS

Posted by Larry Gleeson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, CA – Actors John Cho and Leslie Mann will host the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 11, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.  They will present 18 awards to 34 individual recipients, as well as five organizations, during the evening.

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Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Photo via oscars.org)

“We’re so excited to have John and Leslie join us as hosts for this year’s Scientific and Technical Awards,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.  “It’s one of our favorite, and most talked about, events each Oscar® season, and John and Leslie’s humor and refreshing take on the honorees will be a perfect addition to a night where we celebrate our colleagues’ groundbreaking scientific and technical achievements.”

 

Cho most recently starred in the summer blockbuster “Star Trek Beyond.”  His other credits include “Grandma,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and “American Pie.”  He also appeared in the 1999 Best Picture Oscar winner “American Beauty.”

Mann can currently be seen starring alongside Robert De Niro in Taylor Hackford’s “The Comedian.”  Her feature film credits include “How to Be Single,” “The Other Woman,” “This Is 40” and “Knocked Up,” as well as the animated features “Rio 2” and the Oscar-nominated “ParaNorman.”

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation will be included in the Oscar telecast.

The 89th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

(Source: Oscars Publicity Department)

ACADEMY’S OSCAR® WEEK EVENTS

Posted by Larry Gleeson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, CA — In the week leading up to the 89th Oscars®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a series of public programs celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Animated and Live Action Short Film categories.  All events will be held at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The Oscar® Week schedule is as follows:

OSCAR WEEK: SHORTS
Tuesday, February 21, 7 p.m.
Hosted by director Tim Miller  

Miller received an Oscar nomination in the Animated Short Film category for “Gopher Broke” and most recently directed last year’s “Deadpool.”  The program will delve into the Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories with complete screenings of all the nominated films as well as onstage panel discussions with the filmmakers (schedules permitting).

OSCAR WEEK: DOCUMENTARIES
Wednesday, February 22, 7:30 p.m. 
Hosted by Documentary Branch governors Kate Amend and Rory Kennedy

Amend is a film editor whose film credits include “The Case against 8” and the Oscar winning documentaries “Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport” and “The Long Way Home.”  Kennedy is a director-producer who received an Oscar nomination in 2015 for the documentary feature “Last Days in Vietnam.”  Her other credits include “Ethel” and “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.”  All the films nominated in the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories this year will be presented in an evening of clips and onstage discussions with the filmmakers (schedules permitting).

OSCAR WEEK: ANIMATED FEATURES
Thursday, February 23, 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by director Pete Docter and Producer Jonas Rivera

Docter and Rivera took home Animated Feature Film Oscars last year for “Inside Out.”  Docter’s other feature credits include “Up, “which Rivera also produced, “Monsters Inc.” and “Toy Story.”  This year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film category (schedules permitting) will talk about their creative processes and present clips illustrating their techniques.

OSCAR WEEK: FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS
Saturday, February 25, 10 a.m. 
Hosted by Producers Branch governor Mark Johnson

Johnson won the 1988 Best Picture Oscar for “Rain Man” and received a second nomination for “Bugsy.”  The directors of the nominated films in the Foreign Language Film category (schedules permitting) will explore a wide range of topics, from their experiences developing their projects to the specific challenges of their profession.  The program will include clips from each of the nominated films.

OSCAR WEEK: MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING SYMPOSIUM
Saturday, February 25, 3 p.m. 
Moderated by Academy Governors Kathryn L. Blondell, Lois Burwell and Leonard Engelman

Blondell is a BAFTA winning hairstylist for “The Aviator” whose other film credits include “The Revenant,” “Django Unchained,” ” Shampoo,” and “Harold and Maude.”  Burwell won an Oscar for her work on “Braveheart” and was nominated for “Saving Private Ryan.”  Her other feature credits include “Lincoln” and “The Princess Bride.” Engelman, has served as a makeup artist on such features as “Burlesque,” “Heat,” “Moonstruck,” “Rocky IV,” and “Ghostbusters.” In Oscar Week’s final public event, the nominees in the Makeup and Hairstyling category (schedules permitting) will reveal the secrets behind their on-screen work.  Photographs, appliances, molds, wigs and other items will be on display in the theater lobby.

Tickets are now available online at Oscars.org.  Tickets to the Shorts, Docs, Animated Features and Foreign Language Films events are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID (Shorts and Foreign Language Films tickets limited to four per person).  Admission to the Saturday afternoon Makeup and Hairstyling event is free, but advance tickets are required (limited to two per person).  The Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.  Doors open one hour prior to each event.  All ticketed seating is unreserved.  For more information, visit Oscars.org or call (310) 247-3600.

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

 

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 7,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

(Source; oscars.org/Academy Publicity Department)

Film academy troubled by possible visa ban of Oscar nominee

Posted by Larry Gleeson

From The Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. –  The motion picture academy calls “extremely troubling,” the possible visa ban of Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, whose feature film “The Salesman” is nominated for a best foreign language Oscar.

In a statement released Saturday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expressed concern that Farhadi and his cast and crew may not be permitted to attend next month’s Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles following President Trump’s plan to temporarily suspend issuing visas for people from Iran and six other Muslim countries.

Farhadi has not commented on his travel plans, but on Friday, the president of the National Iranian American Council, Trita Parsi, tweeted: “Confirmed: Iran’s Asghar Farhadi won’t be let into the US to attend Oscar’s.”

On Thursday, Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the “The Salesman,” tweeted she would boycott the Oscars — whether allowed to attend or not — in protest of Trump’s immigration policies, which she called “racist.”

In its statement Saturday, the academy said, “As supporters of filmmakers — and the human rights of all people — around the globe, we find it extremely troubling that Asghar Farhadi, the director of the Oscar-winning film from Iran ‘A Separation,’ along with the cast and crew of this year’s Oscar-nominated film ‘The Salesman,’ could be barred from entering the country because of their religion or country of origin.”

screen-shot-2017-01-17-at-6-00-28-pm

*Featured photo: This May 21, 2016 file photo shows actress Taraneh Alidoosti during a photo call for the film “Forushande” (The Salesman) at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-nominated “The Salesman,” says she won’t attend the Academy Awards in protest of President Donald Trump’s immigration plans. Alidoosti called plans for a visa ban of Iranians “racist” in a message posted Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, on Twitter. “The Salesman,” directed by Asghar Farhadi, was nominated for best foreign language film. Joel Ryan, File AP Photo

(Source: bnd.com)

La La Land leads 2017 Oscar Noms with a record-tying 14

Posted by Larry Gleeson

La La Land continues its strong showing on the awards circuit with a whopping 14 Oscar nominations tying the all-time nominations record 0f 14 set by All About Eve (1950) and tied first by Titanic (1997).

 

With over 336 feature films in contention for best picture, the list is now nine;  Arrival,  Fences, Hell or Highwater, Hidden Figures, Hacksaw Ridge,  La La Land, Lion,  Manchester By The Sea, and Moonlight. In addition,

 

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Meryl Streep receives a record-breaking 2oth Oscar nmination for her role in Florence Foster Jenkins (Photo via imdb)

Legendary Hollywood actress, Meryl Streep, received a record-breaking 20th Oscar nomination for her role as a deluded singer in Florence Foster Jenkins. Ms. Streep breaks her own record of 19 nominations.

 

O.J.: Made in America, a Documentary Feature nominee, is the longest film ever nominated for an Academy Award with a run time of 7 hours and 47 minutes.
La La Land is the first musical with original music and story to receive a Best Picture nomination since All That Jazz (1979) and the second since Anchors Aweigh (1945).
Denzel Washington is the seventh individual to receive Acting and Best Picture nominations for the same film, joining Warren Beatty, Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper.
With his Best Picture nomination for Manchester by the Sea, Matt Damon becomes only the third individual to be nominated in the Acting, Writing and Best Picture categories. The others are Warren Beatty and George Clooney.
With their Best Picture nominations for Moonlight, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner become the first individual producers to have nominations in the Best Picture category in four consecutive years.

In the acting categories, seven individuals are first-time nominees (Andrew Garfield, Mahershala Ali, Lucas Hedges, Dev Patel, Isabelle Huppert, Ruth Negga and Naomie Harris). Six of the nominees are previous acting winners (Denzel Washington, Jeff Bridges,Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Octavia Spencer).

A comprehensive 89th Oscars fact sheet is available, in addition to the brief history of the Oscars previously posted.

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The 89th Academy Awards will be announced in the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center, Sunday, February 26, 2017. Jimmy Kimmel is scheduled to host and the program will air on ABC at 7PM EST. Without further ado,

The Nominees are:

Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees

Casey Affleck

Manchester by the Sea

Andrew Garfield

Hacksaw Ridge

Ryan Gosling

La La Land

Viggo Mortensen

Captain Fantastic

Denzel Washington

Fences

Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees

Mahershala Ali

Moonlight

Jeff Bridges

Hell or High Water

Lucas Hedges

Manchester by the Sea

Dev Patel

Lion

Michael Shannon

Nocturnal Animals

Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees

Isabelle Huppert

Elle

Ruth Negga

Loving

Natalie Portman

Jackie

Emma Stone

La La Land

Meryl Streep

Florence Foster Jenkins

Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees

Viola Davis

Fences

Naomie Harris

Moonlight

Nicole Kidman

Lion

Octavia Spencer

Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams

Manchester by the Sea

Animated Feature Film

Nominees

Kubo and the Two Strings

Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner

Moana

John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer

My Life as a Zucchini

Claude Barras and Max Karli

The Red Turtle

Michael Dudok de Wit and Toshio Suzuki

Zootopia

Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer

Cinematography

Nominees

Arrival

Bradford Young

La La Land

Linus Sandgren

Lion

Greig Fraser

Moonlight

James Laxton

Silence

Rodrigo Prieto

Costume Design

Nominees

Allied

Joanna Johnston

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Colleen Atwood

Florence Foster Jenkins

Consolata Boyle

Jackie

Madeline Fontaine

La La Land

Mary Zophres

Directing

Nominees

Arrival

Denis Villeneuve

Hacksaw Ridge

Mel Gibson

La La Land

Damien Chazelle

Manchester by the Sea

Kenneth Lonergan

Moonlight

Barry Jenkins

Documentary (Feature)

Nominees

Fire at Sea

Gianfranco Rosi and Donatella Palermo

I Am Not Your Negro

Raoul Peck, Rémi Grellety and Hébert Peck

Life, Animated

Roger Ross Williams and Julie Goldman

O.J.: Made in America

Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow

13th

Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick and Howard Barish

Documentary (Short Subject)

Nominees

Extremis

Dan Krauss

4.1 Miles

Daphne Matziaraki

Joe’s Violin

Kahane Cooperman and Raphaela Neihausen

Watani: My Homeland

Marcel Mettelsiefen and Stephen Ellis

The White Helmets

Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Film Editing

Nominees

Arrival

Joe Walker

Hacksaw Ridge

John Gilbert

Hell or High Water

Jake Roberts

La La Land

Tom Cross

Moonlight

Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon

Foreign Language Film

Nominees

Land of Mine

Denmark

A Man Called Ove

Sweden

The Salesman

Iran

Tanna

Australia

Toni Erdmann

Germany

Makeup and Hairstyling

Nominees

A Man Called Ove

Eva von Bahr and Love Larson

Star Trek Beyond

Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo

Suicide Squad

Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson

Music (Original Score)

Nominees

Jackie

Mica Levi

La La Land

Justin Hurwitz

Lion

Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka

Moonlight

Nicholas Britell

Passengers

Thomas Newman

Music (Original Song)

Nominees

Audition (The Fools Who Dream)

from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Can’t Stop The Feeling

from Trolls; Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster

City of Stars

from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

The Empty Chair

from Jim: The James Foley Story; Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting

How Far I’ll Go

from Moana; Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Best Picture

Nominees

Arrival

Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde, Producers

Fences

Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black, Producers

Hacksaw Ridge

Bill Mechanic and David Permut, Producers

Hell or High Water

Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn, Producers

Hidden Figures

Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, Producers

La La Land

Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt, Producers

Lion

Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder, Producers

Manchester by the Sea

Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck and Kevin J. Walsh, Producers

Moonlight

Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers

Production Design

Nominees

Arrival

Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Paul Hotte

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock

Hail, Caesar!

Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

La La Land

Production Design: David Wasco; Set Decoration: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

Passengers

Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Gene Serdena

Short Film (Animated)

Nominees

Blind Vaysha

Theodore Ushev

Borrowed Time

Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Robert Valley and Cara Speller

Pearl

Patrick Osborne

Piper

Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer

Short Film (Live Action)

Nominees

Ennemis Intérieurs

Sélim Azzazi

La Femme et le TGV

Timo von Gunten and Giacun Caduff

Silent Nights

Aske Bang and Kim Magnusson

Sing

Kristof Deák and Anna Udvardy

Timecode

Juanjo Giménez

Sound Editing

Nominees

Arrival

Sylvain Bellemare

Deepwater Horizon

Wylie Stateman and Renée Tondelli

Hacksaw Ridge

Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright

La La Land

Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan

Sully

Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman

Sound Mixing

Nominees

Arrival

Bernard Gariépy Strobl and Claude La Haye

Hacksaw Ridge

Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace

La La Land

Andy Nelson, Ai-Ling Lee and Steve A. Morrow

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth

Visual Effects

Nominees

Deepwater Horizon

Craig Hammack, Jason Snell, Jason Billington and Burt Dalton

Doctor Strange

Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli and Paul Corbould

The Jungle Book

Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon

Kubo and the Two Strings

Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean and Brad Schiff

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel and Neil Corbould

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Nominees

Arrival

Screenplay by Eric Heisserer

Fences

Screenplay by August Wilson

Hidden Figures

Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi

Lion

Screenplay by Luke Davies

Moonlight

Screenplay by Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Nominees

Hell or High Water

Written by Taylor Sheridan

La La Land

Written by Damien Chazelle

The Lobster

Written by Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou

Manchester by the Sea

Written by Kenneth Lonergan

20th Century Women

Written by Mike Mills
Thank you to Oscars Producers Jennifer Todd and Mike DeLuca!
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Pictured left to right, Oscars Producers Jennifer Todd and Mike DeLuca. (Photo courtesy of Oscars.org)
(Source: oscars.org)

 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OSCAR® 

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Shortly after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was incorporated in 1927, a dinner was held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to discuss the goals of the new organization. One of those goals was devising a method to honor outstanding achievements, thus encouraging higher levels of quality in all facets of motion picture production.

At one of the many meetings in the following weeks, MGM art director Cedric Gibbons sketched the figure of a knight gripping a sword, standing in front of a reel of film. The five spokes of the reel stood for the original five branches of the Academy – actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers – and the sword symbolized protection for the welfare and advancement of the industry. The design was immediately adopted by the Board of Directors and graced the cover of the November 1927 issue of the Academy magazine.

In early 1928, Gibbons chose Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley to realize his design in three dimensions. Together they discussed the design concept – no live models or sketches were used – and Stanley worked up several versions from which Gibbons selected one. In the finished design, the figure of the knight was streamlined and the film reel moved beneath its feet. The now iconic statuette was born.

Since the initial awards banquet on May 16, 1929, in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s Blossom Room, over 3,000 statuettes have been presented. Each January, additional new golden statuettes are hand-cast in bronze by New York-based Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry before receiving its 24-karat gold finish by Epner Technology, a renowned high-tech specification electroplating company in Brooklyn.

The statuette stands 131/2 inches tall and weighs a robust 81/2 pounds. The design of the statuette has never changed from its original conception, but the size of the base varied until the present standard was adopted in 1945. Officially named the Academy Award® of Merit, the statuette is better known by its nickname, Oscar, the origins of which aren’t clear.

A popular story has been that Academy librarian and eventual executive director Margaret Herrick thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar and said so, and that the Academy staff began referring to it as Oscar. In any case, by the sixth Awards presentation in 1934, Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used the name in his column in reference to Katharine Hepburn’s first Best Actress win. The Academy itself didn’t use the nickname officially until 1939.

 

Actual Oscar statuettes to be presented during the 79th Annual Academy Awards sit in a display case in Hollywood

 

The 15 statuettes presented at the initial ceremonies were gold-plated solid bronze. Within a few years, the bronze was abandoned in favor of Britannia metal, a pewter-like alloy, which made it easier to give the statuettes their smooth finish. Because of the metals shortage during World War II, Oscars® were made of painted plaster for three years. Following the war, all of the awarded plaster figures were exchanged for gold-plated metal ones.

Achievements in up to 24 regular categories will be honored on February 26, 2017, at the 89th Oscars® presentation at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®. However, the Academy won’t know how many statuettes it will actually hand out until the envelopes are opened on Oscar Night®.

Although the number of categories will be known prior to the ceremony, the possibility of ties and of multiple recipients sharing the prize in some categories makes the exact number of Oscar statuettes to be presented unpredictable. As in previous years, any surplus awards will be housed in the Academy’s vault until next year’s event.

Except in years when the Academy created a publicity event out of the delivery of the Oscars to Los Angeles, they normally were sent overland by common carrier. However, in 2000, only a few weeks before the presentation date, that year’s shipment of Oscars was stolen from the overland carrier’s loading dock. They were recovered a week later, but not before some nerve-wracking days had passed. Since then, the Academy has kept an additional ceremony’s-worth of statuettes on hand.

 

Oscar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Oscar statuette is the most recognized award in the world. Its success as a symbol of achievement in filmmaking would doubtless amaze those who attended that dinner more than 80 years ago, as well as its designer, Cedric Gibbons.

It stands today, as it has since 1929, without peer, on the mantels of the greatest filmmakers in history.

 

(Source: oscars.org)

18 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS TO BE HONORED WITH ACADEMY AWARDS

Posted by Larry Gleeson

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced 18 scientific and technical achievements represented by 34 individual award recipients, as well as five organizations, will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.

“This year we are particularly pleased to be able to honor not only a wide range of new technologies, but also the pioneering digital cinema cameras that helped facilitate the widespread conversion to electronic image capture for motion picture production,” said Ray Feeney, Academy Award® recipient and chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. “With their outstanding, innovative work, these technologists, engineers and inventors have significantly expanded filmmakers’ creative choices for moving image storytelling.”

Unlike other Academy Awards to be presented this year, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards need not have been developed and introduced during 2016. Rather, the achievements must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures.

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The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (ACADEMY CERTIFICATES)

To Thomson Grass Valley for the design and engineering of the pioneering Viper FilmStream digital camera system.

The Viper camera enabled frame-based logarithmic encoding, which provided uncompressed camera output suitable for importing into existing digital intermediate workflows.

To Larry Gritz for the design, implementation and dissemination of Open Shading Language (OSL).

OSL is a highly optimized runtime architecture and language for programmable shading and texturing that has become a de facto industry standard. It enables artists at all levels of technical proficiency to create physically plausible materials for efficient production rendering.

To Carl Ludwig, Eugene Troubetzkoy and Maurice van Swaaij for the pioneering development of the CGI Studio renderer at Blue Sky Studios.

CGI Studio’s groundbreaking ray-tracing and adaptive sampling techniques, coupled with streamlined artist controls, demonstrated the feasibility of ray-traced rendering for feature film production.

To Brian Whited for the design and development of the Meander drawing system at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Meander’s innovative curve-rendering method faithfully captures the artist’s intent, resulting in a significant improvement in creative communication throughout the production pipeline.

To Mark Rappaport for the concept, design and development, to Scott Oshita for the motion analysis and CAD design, to Jeff Cruts for the development of the faux-hair finish techniques, and to Todd Minobe for the character articulation and drive-train mechanisms, of the Creature Effects Animatronic Horse Puppet.

The Animatronic Horse Puppet provides increased actor safety, close integration with live action, and improved realism for filmmakers.

To Glenn Sanders and Howard Stark for the design and engineering of the Zaxcom Digital Wireless Microphone System.

The Zaxcom system has advanced the state of wireless microphone technology by creating a fully digital modulation system with a rich feature set, which includes local recording capability within the belt pack and a wireless control scheme providing real-time transmitter control and time-code distribution.

To David Thomas, Lawrence E. Fisher and David Bundy for the design, development and engineering of the Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless Microphone System.

The Lectrosonics system has advanced the state of wireless microphone technology by developing a method to digitally transmit full-range audio over a conventional analog FM radio link, reducing transmitter size, and increasing power efficiency.

To Parag Havaldar for the development of expression-based facial performance-capture technology at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

This pioneering system enabled large-scale use of animation rig-based facial performance-capture for motion pictures, combining solutions for tracking, stabilization, solving and animator-controllable curve editing.

To Nicholas Apostoloff and Geoff Wedig for the design and development of animation rig-based facial performance-capture systems at ImageMovers Digital and Digital Domain.

These systems evolved through independent, then combined, efforts at two different studios, resulting in an artist-controllable, editable, scalable solution for the high-fidelity transfer of facial performances to convincing digital characters.

To Kiran Bhat, Michael Koperwas, Brian Cantwell and Paige Warner for the design and development of the ILM facial performance-capture solving system.

This system enables high-fidelity facial performance transfer from actors to digital characters in large-scale productions while retaining full artistic control, and integrates stable rig-based solving and the resolution of secondary detail in a controllable pipeline.

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)

To ARRI for the pioneering design and engineering of the Super 35 format Alexa digital camera system.

With an intuitive design and appealing image reproduction, achieved through close collaboration with filmmakers, ARRI’s Alexa cameras were among the first digital cameras widely adopted by cinematographers.

To RED Digital Cinema for the pioneering design and evolution of the RED Epic digital cinema cameras with upgradeable full-frame image sensors.

RED’s revolutionary design and innovative manufacturing process have helped facilitate the wide adoption of digital image capture in the motion picture industry.

To Sony for the development of the F65 CineAlta camera with its pioneering high-resolution imaging sensor, excellent dynamic range, and full 4K output.

Sony’s unique photosite orientation and true RAW recording deliver exceptional image quality.

To Panavision and Sony for the conception and development of the groundbreaking Genesis digital motion picture camera.

Using a familiar form factor and accessories, the design features of the Genesis allowed it to become one of the first digital cameras to be adopted by cinematographers.

To Marcos Fajardo for the creative vision and original implementation of the Arnold Renderer, and to Chris Kulla, Alan King, Thiago Ize and Clifford Stein for their highly optimized geometry engine and novel ray-tracing algorithms which unify the rendering of curves, surfaces, volumetrics and subsurface scattering as developed at Sony Pictures Imageworks and Solid Angle SL.

Arnold’s scalable and memory-efficient single-pass architecture for path tracing, its authors’ publication of the underlying techniques, and its broad industry acceptance were instrumental in leading a widespread adoption of fully ray-traced rendering for motion pictures.

To Vladimir Koylazov for the original concept, design and implementation of V-Ray from Chaos Group.

V-Ray’s efficient production-ready approach to ray-tracing and global illumination, its support for a wide variety of workflows, and its broad industry acceptance were instrumental in the widespread adoption of fully ray-traced rendering for motion pictures.

To Luca Fascione, J.P. Lewis and Iain Matthews for the design, engineering, and development of the FACETS facial performance capture and solving system at Weta Digital.

FACETS was one of the first reliable systems to demonstrate accurate facial tracking from an actor-mounted camera, combined with rig-based solving, in large-scale productions. This system enables animators to bring the nuance of the original live performances to a new level of fidelity for animated characters.

To Steven Rosenbluth, Joshua Barratt, Robert Nolty and Archie Te for the engineering and development of the Concept Overdrive motion control system.

This user-friendly hardware and software system creates and controls complex interactions of real and virtual motion in hard real-time, while safely adapting to the needs of on-set filmmakers.

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation will be included in the Oscar® telecast.

The 89th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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(Source: oscars.org)

2017 Oscar Nominations: Live Stream

Posted by Larry Gleeson

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences along with several Oscar-winning and Academy nominated members including Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Emmanuel Lubezki, Jason Reitman and Ken Watanabe as they join Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs to reveal the 89th Oscars® Nominations, on Tuesday, January 24, beginning at 5:18 a.m. PST/8:18 a.m. EST/1:18 p.m. GMT/9:18 p.m. CST. Come and celebrate the nominees here with HollywoodGlee!

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 7,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film.  In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

(Source: oscars.org)

10 CONTENDERS REMAIN IN VFX OSCAR RACE

Posted by Larry Gleeson

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 89th Academy Awards®.

Actual Oscar statuettes to be presented during the 79th Annual Academy Awards sit in a display case in Hollywood

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

“Arrival”

“The BFG”

“Captain America: Civil War”

“Deepwater Horizon”

“Doctor Strange”

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”

“The Jungle Book”

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

“Passengers”

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist.  All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 7, 2017.  Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar® consideration.

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Nominations for the 89th Oscars® will be announced on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

(Source:www.oscars.org)