Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences News

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

Pre-OSCAR News

Academy Awards (the day of the OSCAR Ceremony)

Jeffrey Kurland, an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences governor representing the Art Directors Branch, will chair the Governors Ball, the celebration that will follow the 84th Academy Awards® on Oscar® Sunday, February 26, 2012. This will be his third year as the chair of the event.

"This year's Governors Ball re-envisions the celebration. We will offer a radical departure from the traditional sit-down affair, reinforcing the Academy's commitment to originality and excellence," said Kurland.

The open format, created by Ball producer Cheryl Cecchetto, will allow the Ball's 1,500 guests to circulate among a variety of seating configurations while enjoying the cuisine created specifically for the event by master chef Wolfgang Puck. Guests will include Academy Award® winners and nominees, show presenters and other telecast participants.

In addition to overseeing the décor, menu and entertainment planning for the Ball, Kurland will design the attire to be worn by the evening's staff. He received an Oscar nomination for Costume Design for "Bullets over Broadway."

Kurland's other feature credits include "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Radio Days," Crimes and Misdemeanors," "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Erin Brockovich," "Ocean's Eleven," "Collateral," "Law Abiding Citizen," "Inception" and the upcoming "The Dictator."

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

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now accepting entries for the 2012 Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. As many as five $35,000 fellowships will be awarded through the program in November.

The Nicholl Fellowships competition is open to any individual who has not earned more than $5,000 from the sale or option of a screenplay or teleplay, or received a fellowship or prize of more than $5,000 that includes a "first look" clause, an option or any other quid pro quo involving the writer's work. To enter, writers must submit a completed application online, upload one PDF copy of their original screenplay in English and pay the entry fee before 11:59 p.m. PT on May 1, 2012. The regular entry fee is US$52; an early-bird entry fee of US$35 is available for those who enter by 11:59 p.m. PT on March 15, 2012.

Online applications, rules and other details are available at www.oscars.org/nicholl.

Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a new feature-length screenplay during the fellowship year. The Academy acquires no rights to the works of Nicholl fellows and does not involve itself commercially in any way with their completed scripts.

Last year's competition drew a record 6,730 entries. Since the program's inception in 1985, 123 fellowships have been awarded.

Among the recent achievements by Nicholl fellows: Destin Daniel Cretton wrote and directed “I Am Not a Hipster,” which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival; Andrew Marlowe created and executive produces and Terri Miller serves as a writer-producer on the ABC series “Castle”; and Jeffrey Eugenides published his third novel, The Marriage Plot, which is a National Book Critics Circle award nominee.

Robin Roberts, Tim Gunn, Louise Roe, Jess Cagle and Nina Garcia will host "Oscars Red Carpet Live" for the 84th Academy Awards®, pre-show executive producers Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare announced today.  In the hour immediately preceding the ceremony, "Oscars Red Carpet Live" will be the only broadcast from the red carpet.

This will be Roe and Garcia's first time hosting the Oscars red carpet show and the third stints for Roberts, Gunn and Cagle. "We couldn't be more excited to be working with this red carpet team," said Haykel and Hare. "Each brings something unique and different that will contribute to the show's overall dynamic and creative direction."

Roberts is co-anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America" and has traveled the globe extensively, covering breaking news events and conducting countless headline-making interviews. Prior to joining "Good Morning America," she was a commentator and contributor to ESPN, where she hosted "Sports Center" and covered the LPGA, NCAA women's basketball and the WNBA. The news anchor and journalist will be conducting interviews with celebrities from the main pre-show stage on Oscar Night®.

Gunn is chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne Inc. and currently stars in the ABC Network's new daytime talk show "The Revolution."  He is the author of the New York Times bestselling Gunn's Golden Rules and is well known for his participation on the Emmy®-nominated program "Project Runway."  Gunn will interview celebrities and share red carpet fashion commentary with fellow "Runway" castmate Garcia.

Garcia, who is also well known for her role on "Project Runway," is the fashion director for Marie Claire. Prior to her work at Marie Claire, Garcia was fashion director at Elle. She is also the author of four books on style: The Little Black Book of Style, The One Hundred, The Style Strategy and Nina Garcia's Look Book.

Roe is the fashion editor-at-large for Glamour and hosts her own makeover show, "Plain Jane," on MTV International. She hosted E!'s live coverage of the Royal Wedding in 2011 and has hosted red carpet shows for the Video Music Awards and European Music Awards. Roe will interview celebrity guests as they arrive on the red carpet for the evening's festivities.

Cagle is editor of Entertainment Weekly. In his 25-year career covering Hollywood for People, Time and EW, he has interviewed some of the world's most famous celebrities, including Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. He is also a frequent commentator on television and has appeared on "Good Morning America," "Today," "20/20," E! and CNN. On Oscar Sunday, he will be stationed backstage where he will conduct exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews as the 84th Academy Awards unfolds.

Oscar telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer also serve as executive producers for "Oscars Red Carpet Live," which will air on the ABC Television Network at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and OnTheRedCarpet.com today announced that the winners of the On The Red Carpet (OTRC) College Journalist Contest is a team of students from Hofstra University – Jackie De Tore (reporter), Beth Laschever (camera) and Melanie Rubin (producer). The Hofstra team was selected from more than 200 entries from around the country.

The winners will be flown out to Los Angeles to cover Oscar Week events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award press event, the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium and the Governors Ball preview. Additionally, they will have the exclusive opportunity to work with KABC-TV's OTRC team and report live during the "On The Red Carpet at the Oscars" pre-show (1:30–4 p.m. PT).

Teams were evaluated by KABC and the Academy based on their skills as journalists and their ability to represent OTRC at the Academy Awards®.

For the complete contest rules, go to www.redcarpetjournalist.com.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network starting at
4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and OnTheRedCarpet.com today announced that the winners of the On The Red Carpet (OTRC) College Journalist Contest is a team of students from Hofstra University – Jackie De Tore (reporter), Beth Laschever (camera) and Melanie Rubin (producer). The Hofstra team was selected from more than 200 entries from around the country.

The winners will be flown out to Los Angeles to cover Oscar Week events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award press event, the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium and the Governors Ball preview. Additionally, they will have the exclusive opportunity to work with KABC-TV's OTRC team and report live during the "On The Red Carpet at the Oscars" pre-show (1:30–4 p.m. PT).

Teams were evaluated by KABC and the Academy based on their skills as journalists and their ability to represent OTRC at the Academy Awards®.

For the complete contest rules, go to www.redcarpetjournalist.com.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network starting at
4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

During the week leading up to the 84th Academy Awards® ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present five public events celebrating this year’s nominees. Oscar Week events will feature screenings, film clips and discussions with filmmakers and artists whose work has garnered nominations in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Short Film categories. All events will take place at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Oscar Week schedule

Tuesday, February 21, 7:30 p.m.
Shorts!  The 2011 Animated and Live Action Short Film Nominees
Hosted by director, writer and animator Brad Bird. Bird is a two-time Oscar winner in the Animated Feature Film category, for "The Incredibles" (2004) and "Ratatouille" (2007).

Shorts! features screenings of all of the 2011 Oscar-nominated films in the Animated and Live Action Short Film categories, plus an onstage discussion with the filmmakers (schedules permitting). 

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/shorts.html

Wednesday, February 22, 7:30 p.m.
Docs!  The 2011 Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature Nominees
Hosted by Michael Moore, Documentary Branch governor and 2002 Oscar winner for "Bowling for Columbine."  He was also nominated in 2007 for "Sicko."

Docs! will include film clips from each of the nominated documentary features and short subjects, and panel discussions with the nominees (schedules permitting).

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/docs.html

Thursday, February 23, 7:30 p.m.  
Animated Feature Symposium
Hosted by actor Patton Oswalt, who voiced Remy in "Ratatouille" (2007) and co-starred in "Young Adult" (2011).

The Animated Feature Symposium celebrates the nominated achievements in the Animated Feature Film category. The nominees (schedules permitting) will discuss their creative processes and the development of their films, and present clips illustrating their techniques.

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/animated.html

Saturday, February 25, 10 a.m.
Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium
Hosted by Mark Johnson, Oscar-winning producer ("Rain Man," 1988) and Foreign Language Film Award Committee chair.

The Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium brings together the directors of the motion pictures nominated in the Foreign Language Film category to discuss their work as well as related topics such as art, politics and the challenges of their profession (schedules permitting).

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/foreign.html

Saturday, February 25, 2:30 p.m.
Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium
Hosted by Leonard Engelman, Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch governor.

Oscar Week’s culminating public event celebrates the nominated achievements in the Makeup category with film clips, photographs, models and onstage discussions with the nominees (schedules permitting).

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/makeup.html

Tickets will be available starting Friday, February 3, online at www.oscars.org and by mail. Tickets to Shorts!, Docs! and the Animated Feature Symposium are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets to the Saturday events – the Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium and the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium – are free. Doors open one hour prior to the event. All seating is unreserved.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Producer credits for 84th Academy Awards® Best Picture nominee "The Tree of Life" have been determined by the Producers Branch Executive Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The official nominees for the film are Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner and Grant Hill.

Academy rules allow for no more than three producers to be nominated and to potentially receive Oscar® statuettes. The executive committee called a meeting to determine if "The Tree of Life" represented a "rare and extraordinary circumstance," as described by the rules, and if any additional producer would be eligible. The committee determined that Green, Pohlad, Gardner and Hill functioned as genuine producers of the film and would be cited in the nomination.

Producers for the eight other motion pictures nominated in the Best Picture category – "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," "The Help," "Hugo," "Midnight in Paris," "Moneyball" and "War Horse" – were announced on January 24 and remain unchanged.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Six actresses – Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig – from the hit comedy “Bridesmaids” will be presenters at the 84th Academy Awards, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced today.  McCarthy received her first Oscar® nomination this year for her supporting role in the film, and Wiig also became a first-time nominee for the film’s original screenplay.   All six will be making their first Oscar show appearances.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has entered into an agreement with Everyone Counts Inc. to exclusively develop an electronic voting system for the 85th Academy Awards®, to be held in 2013.

Everyone Counts will work with PwC, the Academy's accounting firm of record, whose role in tabulating Academy members' votes will remain unchanged. Over the next year, the Academy will undertake a rigorous security and user-acceptance testing process.

"This is the first of many steps that we'll be taking toward developing a secure and convenient electronic voting system, beginning with next year's ballot," said Academy Chief Operating Officer Ric Robertson. "We're excited to have found great partners in the people who do this best."

The selection of Everyone Counts is the result of an 18-month search conducted by the Academy. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in election administration and computer security and its voting platform is a global leader in the election industry. Built into its technology and processes are multiple layers of security that include military-grade encryption techniques. The company's other clients include the United States Department of Defense; the United Kingdom's Ministry of Justice; the state of New South Wales, Australia; and the states of Oregon, Florida, and Washington.

"We are honored to have earned the trust of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in bringing online voting to the Oscars starting next year," said Lori Steele, Chairman and CEO of Everyone Counts Inc. "Our company was founded to set a new standard of security, accessibility, and transparency in elections. We're proud to be working with the Academy, an organization that also represents the highest standards in its field."

"We look forward to working with Everyone Counts for next year's 85th Academy Awards and beyond," said Brad Oltmanns, balloting leader, PwC. "We are excited about the new electronic voting system, which will enable us to conduct the tabulation process with the same high level of precision, trust and integrity that we have for the past 78 years."

This year's official Oscars App is now live on the App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, providing fans unparalleled access to the 84th Academy Awards®.

Developed by the Academy and Disney/ABC Television Group's Digital Media Team, the Oscars App is designed to be the ultimate complement to the live telecast, giving fans premier access to the most memorable moments of the night through exclusive live cameras strategically placed on the Red Carpet, throughout the Kodak Theatre, and even in the Governors Ball, which is the official Oscar party of the night. Special cameras include the Thank You Cam -- offering winners an extended opportunity to thank their supporters; Backstage Cam -- capturing sound bites, backstage action, short interviews and behind-the-scenes footage; Control Room Cam – allowing users to watch the show's director in action; and Press Room Cam – featuring moments of winners in the press area.

"Many iPad, iPhone and iPod touch owners use their device daily while watching TV to look for show-related information," said Karin Gilford, SVP of Digital Media for ABC.com. "Our goal is to utilize the best digital technologies to make sure those fans are having a really full, immersive experience leading up to, during and after the Oscars. We want this to be the next best thing to attending the show itself."

"We love the level of interaction this app provides our fans," said Christina Kounelias, chief marketing officer, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "It pulls back the curtain and takes viewers on a backstage experience that is fun and engaging. It allows fans access and vantage points that guests in the theater don't have."

The app debuted last year as an integral part of the Oscar Digital Experience, which won an Emmy for Creative Achievement in Interactive Arts. This year, the team has built on that success with a few key enhancements, including:

• A much larger pre-show presence in a new magazine-style format. Fans who download the app between nominations and the live show will have access to original video from last year's show, photos and – utilizing new iOS 5 Twitter integration - the latest social media buzz.

• All video views are tracked through iCloud so viewers can keep track of what video they've watched regardless of the iOS device they are on.

• Access to the hugely popular "Oscar My Picks," an interactive play-along game that offers fans a chance to test their Oscar prediction skills. Once they fill out their ballot they can share and view their friends picks on Facebook. On Oscar Sunday, users play along during the show and predict category winners ahead of the opening of the envelopes. The app will refresh and calculate your results as categories are won.

• Viewers can watch the live experience in two different modes: Watch or Direct. In Watch mode, the viewer will be guided through the live behind-the-scenes show. In the Direct mode, the viewer can select the cameras they want to use.

• This year's app will have a live video grid so the viewer can watch all available cameras at once or zero in on one that looks the most interesting to them.

• Once in a camera view, a ticker will display over the video to tell viewers what is happening on other cameras. That way, if a fan's favorite actor enters another view, they can jump to it quickly and easily.

"Our team really listened to what fans had to say last year, and made a huge effort to build on the things that worked to make them even better," added Gilford.

The 84rd Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network.

The Oscars App is available for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and OnTheRedCarpet.com today announced the On The Red Carpet (OTRC) College Journalist Contest, inviting college students from around the country to compete for a chance to report live from the red carpet at the 84th Academy Awards®.

From today through Sunday, February 5, college students are invited to submit a three minute video to redcarpetjournalist.com, showcasing their interviewing skills and proving why they deserve to represent future broadcast journalists at the Oscars®.  All videos submitted must be from teams made up of one reporter, one producer and one videographer. Two teams will be selected from each of the ABC-owned television stations' markets – Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh and San Francisco – for a total of 16 finalist teams. These 16 teams will then be judged by an expert panel composed of representatives from the Academy and KABC-TV who will determine the contest winner.

The winning team will be flown out to Los Angeles to cover Academy Awards pre-events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award press event, the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium and the Governors Ball preview.  Additionally, the winning team will have the exclusive opportunity to work with KABC-TV's OTRC team and report live during the "On The Red Carpet at the Oscars" pre-show (1:30–4 p.m. PT).

For the complete contest rules and online entry form, go to www.redcarpetjournalist.com.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

In anticipation of the 84th Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences has launched "Celebrate the Movies," a digital exhibition spotlighting iconic moments from 84 films.

Beginning today, January 23, the exhibition will appear on digital billboards in Los Angeles, and on ABC's digital "SuperSign," an electronic landmark in New York's Times Square. It will also be showcased on an online gallery on Oscar.com, and extend to youtube.com/Oscars, where fans can share their most memorable movie-going experiences through video or text.

Images will debut in groups of 20 within the next two weeks. The 84 films represented span eight decades, beginning with "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) and culminating in "Avatar" (2009). Highlights from each decade include "Gone with the Wind" (1939), "Casablanca" (1942), "The Killers" (1946), "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), "True Grit" (1969), "The Exorcist" (1973), "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), "Apollo 13" (1995), "Shrek" (2001), "Ray" (2004), and "The Dark Knight" (2008).  The exhibition highlights all of Hollywood's major genres, as well as independent, animated, foreign-language, and documentary films.

Included in the first 20 images are the eight that were featured in the key art campaign, which was unveiled in late December.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

 
9 Foreign Language Films Vie for Oscar®
 

Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®. Sixty-three films had originally qualified in the category.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

- Belgium, "Bullhead," Michael R. Roskam, director;
- Canada, "Monsieur Lazhar," Philippe Falardeau, director;
- Denmark, "Superclásico," Ole Christian Madsen, director;
- Germany, "Pina," Wim Wenders, director;
- Iran, "A Separation," Asghar Farhadi, director;
- Israel, "Footnote," Joseph Cedar, director;
- Morocco, "Omar Killed Me," Roschdy Zem, director;
- Poland, "In Darkness," Agnieszka Holland, director;
- Taiwan, "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale," Wei Te-sheng, director.
 

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2011 are again being determined in two phases.

The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 63 eligible films between mid-October and January 13. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.

The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles. They will spend Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 22, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Oscar.com Kicks Off Oscar® Season

with the Return of its Emmy-winning Digital Experience
Site Launches with Exclusive Billy Crystal Video
 

Upcoming Features Will Include Award-Winning Second Screen Experience That Gives Movie Fans Unparalleled Live Behind-The-Scenes Access, Exclusive Original Video Series, Popular My Picks Game, Photos and Insider Commentary

Oscar.com, the official online home of the 84th Academy Awards®, is launching its award-winning Oscar Digital Experience today with a first look at Billy Crystal's return to Oscar's stage. One of America's most beloved funny men, Billy starts the official countdown to the show talking about what the Oscars mean to him and setting the stage for weeks of extensive coverage on Oscar.com.

The site kicks off with an interactive timeline and Oscar's official Blog, which will feature daily content including red carpet fashion trends from stylists and tips from master chefs and lifestyle experts on hosting the best Oscar viewing party. Oscar Buzz, the site's social media page, will track real-time comments from fans using #Oscars and #OscarBuzz.

On Oscar Sunday, February 26, Oscar.com will have live cameras strategically placed everywhere from the red carpet to backstage, and even the Governors Ball, providing the ultimate insiders view before, during and after the show. The cameras will broadcast online, as well as on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

"Last year our team set the bar high in terms of interactive second screen experiences," said Karin Gilford, senior vice president Digital Media, ABC.com. "This year we are taking the best of what we learned and are building on it. Beginning today we'll take visitors on an unparalleled journey all the way through Oscar Sunday."

"Oscar.com is for the movie fan in all of us," said Christina Kounelias, chief marketing officer, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "The site not only allows us to share the latest Oscar news, but also connects fans everywhere with 84 years of unforgettable Academy moments."

Straight from the Academy's photo and video archives, Oscar.com presents "Oscar History," an interactive timeline that includes:

- Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American to win the Oscar for Best Actor for LILIES OF THE FIELD
- Elizabeth Taylor with her Oscar for Best Actress in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
- Muhammad Ali surprises Sylvester Stallone with an onstage sparring session the night ROCKY wins Best Picture
- Tom Hanks takes home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in PHILADELPHIA.
- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck charm audiences the night they win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for GOOD WILL HUNTING.

- Hobbits, Hobbits Everywhere. Peter Jackson is accompanied on stage by cast and crew members of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING when he accepts the Academy Award for Best Picture.

On Nominations morning, January 24, Oscar.com welcomes back Internet personality Shira Lazar who will kick off the first video installment of "Oscar Buzz" by covering reactions from the social media world. "My Oscar Picks" will also go live. This interactive play-along game offers fans a chance to test their Oscar prediction skills. On Oscar Sunday, users will have the opportunity to play along during the telecast and predict category winners ahead of the opening of the envelopes.

On January 29, "Oscar Buzz" kicks off "Oscar Talks," a four-part video series focusing on the Actor, Actress, Directing and Best Pictures categories.

Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger returns on February 1 to Oscar.com with "Nominated...with Dave Karger." The 10-episode series will provide the ultimate film buff's analysis of the Best Picture race.

It's all glamour and glitz beginning February 11. "Best Dressed" launches with Rachel Smith, host of On The Red Carpet, doing interviews with stylists, makeup artists and hair stylists, as well as covering live events, and of course, offering post show analysis of Oscar Night® fashion.

The 84th Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network.

ABOUT OSCAR.COM
Oscar.com, the official site of the Academy Awards, is a joint production of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Disney/ABC TV Group’s digital media team. Oscar.com provides movie fans exclusive Oscar coverage, featuring nominee biographies, style and fashion news, plus original video commentary.

Visual effects technologist Jonathan Erland has been voted the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The award – a medallion – will be presented at the Scientific and Technical Awards presentation on Saturday, February 11, at the Beverly Wilshire.

Erland began his professional training in the entertainment industry studying theater at the Central School in England and film at the London Film School. His knowledge of theater technology made him a desirable asset to the team building the audio-animatronic puppet theaters for the I.B.M. Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

After moving to Los Angeles, Erland maintained dual careers in both the entertainment and the industrial exhibit design fields. He joined the newly created Industrial Light & Magic to work on the visual effects for the 1977 film "Star Wars." He continued in the burgeoning visual effects field as director of research and development for Apogee Productions, where he received patents for a reverse bluescreen traveling matte process, the Blue-Max flux projector and a method for making front projection screens. The innovations, along with the development of a digital traveling matte system, also earned Academy Scientific and Technical Awards.

In 2007 Erland received an Award of Commendation for "his leadership and efforts toward identifying and solving the problem of High-Speed Emulsion Stress Syndrome in motion picture film stock."

An Academy member since 1984, Erland was instrumental in establishing Visual Effects as a separate Academy branch in 1995. He has served 11 years on the Academy’s Board of Governors and many years on the Executive Committees of both the Visual Effects Branch and the Scientific and Technical Awards. He also is a founding member of the Academy’s Science and Technology Council.

Named in honor of the late director of special projects at Warner Hollywood Studios, the John A. Bonner Medal is awarded for "outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards presentation will be included in the Oscar® ceremony.

Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has voted the Gordon E. Sawyer Award to Douglas Trumbull, a visionary filmmaker who has worked as a designer, director, inventor and entrepreneur, for his lifetime of technical contributions and leadership in the motion picture industry.

The award, an Oscar® statuette, will be presented to Trumbull at the Scientific and Technical Awards presentation on Saturday, February 11, at the Beverly Wilshire.

Trumbull has distinguished himself as a visual effects pioneer with major contributions to such films as "2001: A Space Odyssey," "The Andromeda Strain," "Silent Running," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Star Trek – The Motion Picture," "Blade Runner" and "Tree of Life."

In the course of his work, Trumbull created, developed or improved numerous filmmaking techniques and tools. These include slit-scan photography, process photography, miniature compositing, interpositive matte painting, large-format filming, high frame rate photography and projection, synchronized multiscale filming, motion control photography, virtual reality systems, interactive motion simulators and digital cinema. He has been awarded more than a dozen related patents.

In 1975 Trumbull founded Future General Corporation, a research and special effects house that not only served as a training ground for many leading filmmakers and visual effects artists, but fostered several related companies as well.

Trumbull has earned three Academy Award® nominations for Visual Effects and received a Scientific and Engineering Award in 1992 as part of the design team for the CP-65 Showscan Camera System for 65mm motion picture photography.

Established in 1981, the Gordon E. Sawyer Award is presented to "an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry." Trumbull will be the 23rd recipient of the award.

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards presentation will be included in the Oscar ceremony.

Nominations for the 84th Academy Awards® will be announced on Tuesday, January 24, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and Academy member and Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence.

Sherak and Lawrence will unveil the nominations in 10 of the 24 categories at a 5:30 a.m. PT news conference at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, where hundreds of media representatives from around the world will be gathered. Nominations information for all categories will be distributed simultaneously to news media in attendance and via the Internet on the official Academy Awards website, www.oscar.com.

Last year, for the 83rd Academy Awards, Lawrence received a nomination for her lead performance in "Winter's Bone." She will be seen next in "The Hunger Games" and recently completed work on "The Silver Linings Playbook." Lawrence's other film credits include "The Burning Plain," "Like Crazy," "The Beaver" and "X-Men: First Class."

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has produced its trailer for the 84th Academy Awards in conjunction with Funny Or Die. The trailer features host Billy Crystal and celebrity cameo appearances by Robin Williams, Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, William Fichtner and Vinnie Jones.

"We wanted to try something a little bit different this year instead of a traditional, clip-based piece," said Academy Chief Marketing Officer Christina Kounelias. "The trailer has a fun twist that conveys how excited everyone is to have Billy back."

Crystal has one of the most distinguished track records of any host in Oscar® history. His upcoming appearance will mark his ninth turn hosting the Academy Awards. The enthusiastic response to the announcement of his return was the inspiration for the trailer.

"Our team had a great time working with the Academy and joining forces with Billy again," said Mike Farah, Funny Or Die's president of production. "We think the trailer really speaks to the excitement around this year’s Oscars®, and Funny Or Die was honored to be a part of it."

The trailer will have a one-month run in more than 2,000 theaters beginning January 6 and can be viewed online at Oscars.org/trailer.

Oscar Night America (ONA), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' grassroots program that enables local charities to host Oscar® viewing parties and raise money for their organizations, kicks off its 19th year in 2012.

On Sunday, February 26, 49 cities will host official Oscar viewing parties during the 84th Academy Awards® ceremony. All events will feature the live broadcast of the Awards presentation on the ABC Television Network.

"Oscar night is an event meant to be a shared with others. This network of fundraising parties across the nation is a natural extension of that experience, and also represents the year-round philanthropic work the Academy does," said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. "This February we are thrilled to be able to celebrate the movies with fans nationwide while supporting charities around the country."

The ONA 2012 locations are Albuquerque, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Charlottesville, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Grand Rapids (MI), Greensboro/Winston-Salem, Greenville (SC), Hartford, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Springfield (MO), Tampa and Tucson.

Most parties are black-tie affairs, though some are less formal. Some partygoers dress up as famous couples and some events feature limousine arrivals and red carpets complete with local celebrities, paparazzi and press interviews for arriving guests.

To set these parties apart from the thousands of other events taking place on Oscar Night, each ONA party receives from the Academy copies of the official commemorative poster and the official Oscar show program, among other items.

Only one charity party in a given media market may participate in ONA. Events are entirely produced by local nonprofit organizations, with the active participation of the local ABC-TV affiliate station.

Last year 51 charities hosted viewing parties for the 83rd Academy Awards, raising more than $3.5 million, all of it remaining in local communities. With 17,332 guests attending nationwide, ONA 2011 benefitted such charities as the American Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, United Way, Starlight Children's Foundation and the Ellie Fund (breast cancer support services).

Since its inception in 1994, the program has generated nearly $33.5 million in funding for a wide spectrum of charitable organizations – every cent staying within the community where it was raised.

For the 19th consecutive year, Concept Marketing Development of Santa Barbara, California, will assist the Academy in coordinating the program.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the poster for the 84th Academy Awards®. The art features the iconic Oscar statuette alongside memorable images from eight films spanning eight decades: "Gone with the Wind" (1939), "Casablanca" (1943), "Giant" (1956), "The Sound of Music" (1965), "The Godfather" (1972), "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), "Forrest Gump" (1994) and "Gladiator" (2000). All the films featured on the poster won the Academy Award® for Best Picture, except "Giant," for which George Stevens won the Oscar for Directing.

Supported by the tagline "Celebrate the movies in all of us," the design is meant to evoke the emotional connections we all have with the movies. "Whether it's a first date or a holiday gathering with friends or family, movies are a big part of our memory," said Academy President Tom Sherak. "The Academy Awards not only honor the excellence of these movies, but also celebrate what they mean to us as a culture and to each of us individually."

The public is encouraged to download the poster image to use as wallpaper and profile icons, and to share with friends. The image is available on the Academy's website, www.oscars.org/poster.

The artwork was created by award-winning graphic designer Anthony Goldschmidt, and Mark and Karen Crawford of the design firm Blood&Chocolate.

Posters will be available to theaters in the U.S. and internationally, along with a theatrical trailer, which will begin screening on January 6.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Two hundred sixty-five feature films are eligible for the 2011 Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

To be eligible for 84th Academy Awards® consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category.

The “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 84th Academy Awards” is available at http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/rules/reminderlist.html.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Thirty-nine songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 84th Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film and song title:

• "The World I Knew" from "African Cats"

• "Lay Your Head Down" from "Albert Nobbs"

• "Star Spangled Man" from "Captain America: The First Avenger"

• "Collision of Worlds" from "Cars 2"

• "Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu" from "DAM999"

• "DAM999 Theme Song" from "DAM999"

• "Mujhe Chod Ke" from "DAM999"

• "Rainbird" from "Dirty Girl"

• "Keep On Walking" from "The First Grader"

• "Where the River Goes" from "Footloose"

• "Hello Hello" from "Gnomeo & Juliet"

• "Love Builds a Garden" from "Gnomeo & Juliet"

• "Bridge of Light" from "Happy Feet Two"

• "The Mighty Sven" from "Happy Feet Two"

• "Never Be Daunted" from "happythankyoumoreplease"

• "Hell and Back" from "Hell and Back Again"

• "The Living Proof" from "The Help"

• "Coeur Volant" from "Hugo"

• "It's How We Play" from "I Don't Know How She Does It"

• "When the Heart Dies" from "In the Land of Blood and Honey"

• "Ja Nao Estar" from "José and Pilar"

• "The Keeper" from "Machine Gun Preacher"

• "Life's a Happy Song" from "The Muppets"

• "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets"

• "Pictures in My Head" from "The Muppets"

• "Summer Song" from "The Music Never Stopped"

• "Imaginary Friends" from "Olive"

• "Sparkling Day" from "One Day"

• "Taking You with Me" from "Our Idiot Brother"

• "The Greatest Song I Ever Heard" from "POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold"

• "Hot Wings" from "Rio"

• "Let Me Take You to Rio" from "Rio" 

• "Real in Rio" from "Rio"

• "Shelter" from "Take Shelter"

• "Gathering Stories" from "We Bought a Zoo"

• "Pop" from "White Irish Drinkers"

• "Think You Can Wait" from "Win Win"

• "The Backson Song" from "Winnie the Pooh"

• "So Long" from "Winnie the Pooh"

On Thursday, January 5, the Academy will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the Music Branch in Los Angeles.  Following the screenings, members will determine the nominees by an averaged point system of voting.  If no song receives an average score of 8.25 or more, there will be no nominees in the category.  If only one song achieves that score, it and the song receiving the next highest score shall be the two nominees.  If two or more songs (up to five) achieve that score, they shall be the nominees.  A DVD copy of the song clips will be made available to those branch members who are unable to attend the screening and who request it for home viewing.  A mail-in ballot will be provided.

Under Academy rules, a maximum of two songs may be nominated from any one film.  If more than two songs from a film achieve a score of 8.25 or more, the two songs with the highest scores will be the nominees.

To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film.  A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits.   

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network.  The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Ninety-seven scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 84th Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

The eligible scores along with the composer are listed below in alphabetical order by film title:

• "The Adjustment Bureau," Thomas Newman, composer
• "The Adventures of Tintin," John Williams, composer
• "African Cats," Nicholas Hooper, composer
• "Albert Nobbs," Brian Byrne, composer
• "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
• "Anonymous," Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser, composers
• "Another Earth," Phil Mossman and Will Bates, composers
• "Answers to Nothing," Craig Richey, composer
• "Arthur Christmas," Harry Gregson-Williams, composer
• "The Artist," Ludovic Bource, composer
• "@urFRENZ," Lisbeth Scott, composer
• "Atlas Shrugged Part 1," Elia Cmiral, composer
• "Battle: Los Angeles," Brian Tyler, composer
• "Beastly," Marcelo Zarvos, composer
• "The Big Year," Theodore Shapiro, composer
• "Captain America: The First Avenger," Alan Silvestri, composer
• "Cars 2," Michael Giacchino, composer
• "Cedar Rapids," Christophe Beck, composer
• "Conan the Barbarian," Tyler Bates, composer
• "The Conspirator," Mark Isham, composer
• "Contagion," Cliff Martinez, composer
• "Coriolanus," Ilan Eshkeri, composer
• "DAM999," Ousepachan, composer
• "The Darkest Hour," Tyler Bates, composer
• "The Debt," Thomas Newman, composer
• "Dolphin Tale," Mark Isham, composer
• "Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark," Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers
• "Dream House," John Debney, composer
• "The Eagle," Atli Orvarsson, composer
• "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," Alexandre Desplat, composer
• "Fast Five," Brian Tyler, composer
• "The First Grader," Alex Heffes, composer
• "The Flowers of War," Qigang Chen, composer
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers
• "The Greatest Miracle," Mark McKenzie, composer
• "Green Lantern," James Newton Howard, composer
• "Hanna," Tom Rowlands, composer
• "Happy Feet Two," John Powell, composer
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Alexandre Desplat, composer
• "The Help," Thomas Newman, composer
• "Hop," Christopher Lennertz, composer
• "Hugo," Howard Shore, composer
• "I Don’t Know How She Does It," Aaron Zigman, composer
• "The Ides of March," Alexandre Desplat, composer
• "Immortals," Trevor Morris, composer
• "In Search of God," Rupam Sarmah, composer
• "In the Land of Blood and Honey," Gabriel Yared, composer
• "In Time," Craig Armstrong, composer
• "Insidious," Joseph Bishara, composer
• "The Iron Lady," Thomas Newman, composer
• "J. Edgar," Clint Eastwood, composer
• "Jane Eyre," Dario Marianelli, composer
• "The Lady," Eric Serra, composer
• "Like Crazy," Dustin O’Halloran, composer
• "Margaret," Nico Muhly, composer
• "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol," Michael Giacchino, composer
• "Mr. Popper’s Penguins," Rolfe Kent, composer
• "Moneyball," Mychael Danna, composer
• "Monte Carlo," Michael Giacchino, composer
• "New Year’s Eve," John Debney, composer
• "Norman," Andrew Bird, composer
• "One Day," Rachel Portman, composer
• "Puss in Boots," Henry Jackman, composer
• "Rampart," Dickon Hinchliffe, composer
• "Real Steel," Danny Elfman, composer
• "Rebirth," Philip Glass, composer
• "Red Riding Hood," Alex Heffes and Brian Reitzell, composers
• "Restless," Danny Elfman, composer
• "Rio," John Powell, composer
• "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," Patrick Doyle, composer
• "The Rite," Alex Heffes, composer
• "The Rum Diary," Christopher Young, composer
• "Sanctum," David Hirschfelder, composer
• "Sarah’s Key," Max Richter, composer
• "Senna," Antonio Pinto, composer
• "Shame," Harry Escott, composer
• "The Skin I Live In," Alberto Iglesias, composer
• "The Smurfs," Heitor Pereira, composer
• "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," Rachel Portman, composer
• "Super 8," Michael Giacchino, composer
• "Take Shelter," David Wingo, composer
• "The Thing," Marco Beltrami, composer
• "Thor," Patrick Doyle, composer
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Alberto Iglesias, composer
• "Tower Heist," Christophe Beck, composer
• "W.E.," Abel Korzeniowski, composer
• "War Horse," John Williams, composer
• "Warrior," Mark Isham, composer
• "Water for Elephants," James Newton Howard, composer
• "The Way," Tyler Bates, composer
• "We Bought a Zoo," Jon Thor Birgisson, composer
• "We Need to Talk about Kevin," Jonny Greenwood, composer
• "Win Win," Lyle Workman, composer
• "Winnie the Pooh," Henry Jackman, composer
• "X-Men: First Class," Henry Jackman, composer
• "Young Adult," Rolfe Kent, composer
• "Your Highness," Steve Jablonsky, composer

A Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Score category shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Music Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.

To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards®. One hundred seven pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

• "Je Pourrais Être Votre Grand-Mère (I Could Be Your Grandmother)," Bernard Tanguy, director-producer (Rézina Productions)

• "Love at First Sight," Michael Davies, director and Sandra Gorel, producer (Spellbound Films)

• "Pentecost," Peter McDonald, director (EMU Productions)

• "Raju," Max Zähle, director and Stefan Gieren, producer (Hamburg Media School/Filmwerkstatt)

• "The Road Home," Rahul Gandotra, director-producer and Ameenah Ayub, producer (London Film School)

• "The Roar of the Sea," Ana Rocha Fernandes and Torsten Truscheit, directors (Niama Filmproduktion GmbH)

• "Sailcloth," Elfar Adalsteins, director-producer (Berserk Films)

• "The Shore," Terry George, director-producer (All Ashore Productions Limited)

• "Time Freak," Andrew Bowler, director and Gigi Causey, producer (Team Toad)

• "Tuba Atlantic," Hallvar Witzø, director (The Norwegian Film School/Den Norske Filmskolen)

The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in Los Angeles.  

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January 2012.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.         

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

BOB IGER TO CHAIR

FILM MUSEUM CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

ANNETTE BENING, TOM HANKS TO CO-CHAIR

Academy President Tom Sherak announced today that Walt Disney Co. President and CEO Bob Iger will serve as chairman of the capital campaign for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Actress Annette Bening and actor-producer Tom Hanks will join as co-chairs. "With Bob, Annette, and Tom's leadership, our dream of finally opening a world-class film museum in Los Angeles will become a reality," Sherak said.

As Academy CEO Dawn Hudson noted, "The momentum has been building for a long time, and with the enthusiasm Bob, Annette, and Tom all bring—and the respect they are accorded throughout the industry—we have marked the beginning of a new chapter for this project."

Earlier this fall, the Academy and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced their intention to work together in establishing the Academy-run museum in the historic May Co. building, currently known as LACMA West. With permanent and rotating exhibitions, the museum is intended to provide an interactive experience that will explore how motion pictures have evolved and how they continue to change.

"The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures represents a bold new way of saving and presenting film history," said Iger. "It will innovate not only the museum experience, but also the public's relationship to the art form."

"I am thrilled to be part of this crucial phase in what will be an extraordinary landmark," Bening remarked. "It will give so much to our city, to historians, and to visitors from all over the world, who love movies."

Added Hanks, "I was very excited to be asked to play this role in establishing the museum. The movies have done so much to shape world culture and our own lives. Preserving and sharing their history with the public should be an important undertaking for us all."

The museum, to occupy a 300,000 square-foot space, is expected to be the first in the nation dedicated to the art, craft, business, and history of film on such a large scale. The Academy anticipates that the museum will represent a significant addition to the cultural landscape of the city most associated with motion pictures.

2012 Student Academy Awards® Competition

Now Underway

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now accepting entries for its 2012 Student Academy Awards competition. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards, along with cash prizes, may be presented to student filmmakers in the following categories: Alternative, Animation, Narrative, Documentary and Foreign Student Film.

The rules and online application forms are available at: http://www.oscars.org/saa

The U.S. competition is open to all full-time college and university students at accredited institutions, whose films are made within the curricular structure of a film program or class at their respective schools. For 2012, the Academy has limited the list of accepted accreditation agencies for U.S. institutions to the following: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; New England Association of Schools and Colleges; North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. U.S. entries must be submitted by Monday, April 2, 2012.

In the Foreign Student Film category entries are accepted only from full-time college and university students attending schools that are members of the international film school organization known as CILECT (cilect.org), and located outside the borders of the United States. The deadline to submit a foreign student film for consideration is Friday, March 23, 2012.

The 39th Annual Student Academy Awards presentation will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2012, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 43 Oscar® nominations and have won or shared eight awards. At the 83rd Academy Awards earlier this year, 2010 Student Academy Award winner Luke Matheny took home the Oscar for his Live Action Short Film "God of Love." Tanel Toom, another 2010 Student Academy Award winner, also was nominated in the Live Action Short Film category for "The Confession," and John Lasseter, a 1979 and 1980 Student Academy Award winner, was a nominee in the Adapted Screenplay category for "Toy Story 3."

10 Animated Shorts Move Ahead in 2011 Oscar® Race
 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards®. Forty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

- "Dimanche/Sunday," Patrick Doyon, director (National Film Board of Canada)
- "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, directors (Moonbot Studios LA, LLC)
- "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat," Matthew O'Callaghan, director and Sam Register, executive producer (Warner Bros. Animation Inc.)
- "La Luna," Enrico Casarosa, director (Pixar Animation Studios)
- "Luminaris," Juan Pablo Zaramella, director (JPZtudio)
- "Magic Piano," Martin Clapp, director and Hugh Welchman, producer (BreakThru Films)
- "A Morning Stroll," Grant Orchard, director and Sue Goffe, producer (Studio AKA)
- "Paths of Hate," Damian Nenow, director (Platige Image)
- "Specky Four-Eyes," Jean-Claude Rozec, director and Mathieu Courtois, producer (Vivement Lundi!)
- "Wild Life," Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, directors (National Film Board of Canada)

The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in New York and Los Angeles.

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January 2012.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

15 Documentary Features Advance

in 2011 Oscar® Race
 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards®. One hundred twenty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

"Battle for Brooklyn" (RUMER Inc.)
"Bill Cunningham New York" (First Thought Films)
"Buck" (Cedar Creek Productions)
"Hell and Back Again" (Roast Beef Productions Limited)
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" (Marshall Curry Productions, LLC)
"Jane's Journey" (NEOS Film GmbH & Co. KG)
"The Loving Story" (Augusta Films)
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" (@radical.media)
"Pina" (Neue Road Movies GmbH)
"Project Nim" (Red Box Films)
"Semper Fi: Always Faithful" (Tied to the Tracks Films, Inc.)
"Sing Your Song" (S2BN Belafonte Productions, LLC)
"Undefeated" (Spitfire Pictures)
"Under Fire: Journalists in Combat" (JUF Pictures, Inc.)
"We Were Here" (Weissman Projects, LLC)

The Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed all the eligible documentaries for the preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded $455,000 to 25 U.S. film festivals for the 2012 calendar year.

The Cleveland International Film Festival will be the recipient of a multiyear grant for its Focus on Filmmakers program. It will receive a total of $150,000 over a three-year period. The Chicago International Film Festival is in its second year of a multiyear grant, receiving $150,000 in total for its World Cinema Spotlight program.

While the grants are awarded for a variety of festival programs, organizers are encouraged to submit proposals intended to make festival events more accessible to the general public, provide greater access to minority and less visible filmmakers, and help strengthen the connection between filmmakers and the general public.

The 2012 film festival grants allocations are as follows:

$50,000

• Chicago International Film Festival – World Cinema Spotlight program

• Cleveland International Film Festival – Focus on Filmmakers

$30,000

• Los Angeles Film Festival – Free Screenings program

• San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival – World Cinema Spotlight program

$20,000

• Ann Arbor Film Festival (MI) – 50th Anniversary Archival program

• Chicago International Children's Film Festival – Directors in the Schools, Educational
  Curriculum Development and free tickets

• Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (Durham, NC) – Thematic program

• Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival – "30 Years of Outfest" retrospective program

• Palm Springs International ShortFest – Filmmaker Forums

• Santa Barbara International Film Festival – Field Trip to the Movies program

• True/False Film Fest (Columbia, MO) – Visiting Filmmaker program; SWAMI Mentoring program; Film Academy Student Track; Outreach to Students and Minorities

• Virginia Film Festival (Charlottesville) – Community Outreach and Education program

$15,000

• RiverRun International Film Festival (Winston-Salem, NC) – 2010 Spotlight program: Landmark Science Fiction Films

• St. Louis International Film Festival – Women in Film Sidebar

$10,000

• Athens International Film and Video Festival (Ohio) – "Let's Talk About Water" screening and seminar program

• Berkshire International Film Festival (Great Barrington, MA) – Talent Campus

• Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (Missoula, MT) – Retrospective Programming and the
  Reel Sounds Sidebar

• Cucalorus Film Festival (Wilmington, NC) – Voices program

• Indie Memphis Film Festival – Visiting Filmmakers and Community Outreach

• Maryland Film Festival (Baltimore) – New Waves in World Cinema program

• Pan African Film Festival (Los Angeles) – StudentFest

$5,000

• New York Arab and South Asian Film Festival (New York City) – Retrospective Program

• South East European Film Festival (Los Angeles) – Audience Development

• Tallgrass Film Festival (Witchita, KS) – Filmmaker Hospitality

Since its establishment in 1999, the Academy's Festival Grants Program has distributed 277 grants totaling $4.85 million in funding. For more information on the grants program, visit http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/grants/.

The Academy Foundation – the Academy's cultural and educational wing – annually distributes more than $1 million to film scholars, cultural organizations and film festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad. The Foundation also presents the Academy's rich assortment of screenings and other public programs each year.

Academy President Tom Sherak announced today that Academy Award®-winner Brian Grazer will join Don Mischer as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards. This will be the first time Grazer has produced the Oscar® telecast.

"Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work," said Sherak. "He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars®."

"I am thrilled to welcome Brian Grazer as my partner and that we will be  collaborating to produce an outstanding show," echoed Mischer.

"It’s very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career," said Grazer. "Don is a legend, and I am excited to work with him."

"I too am delighted that Brian will join Don in producing the Academy Awards and I am looking forward to our producers delivering the movie event of the year," commented Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.

Grazer has earned four Academy Award nominations. He won a Best Picture Oscar in 2001 for "A Beautiful Mind." In 1984, Grazer was nominated in the writing category for "Splash," and he received Best Picture nominations in 1995 and 2008 for "Apollo 13" and "Frost/Nixon," respectively.  His other film credits include "Spies Like Us," "Kindergarten Cop," "The Nutty Professor," "Liar Liar," "8 Mile" and "Cinderella Man."  His current projects include the about to be released "J. Edgar" and the just released "Tower Heist."

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced that Eddie Murphy has withdrawn as host of the 84th Academy Awards. "I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well," said Sherak.

Commented Murphy, "First and foremost I want to say that I completely understand and support each party's decision with regard to a change of producers for this year's Academy Awards ceremony. I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I'm sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job."

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

This morning, Brett Ratner submitted his resignation as a producer of the 84th annual Academy Awards to Academy President Tom Sherak. Ratner then issued an open letter to the entertainment industry in which he explained his decision.

"He did the right thing for the Academy and for himself," Sherak said. "Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent."

Eighteen features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®.

The 18 submitted features are:

"The Adventures of Tintin"
"Alois Nebel"
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked"
"Arthur Christmas"
"Cars 2"
"A Cat in Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Gnomeo & Juliet"
"Happy Feet Two"
"Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Mars Needs Moms"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"
"Rio"
"The Smurfs"
"Winnie the Pooh"
"Wrinkles"

Several of the films listed have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying runs. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and meet all of the category's other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process. At least eight eligible animated features must be theatrically released in Los Angeles County within the calendar year for this category to be activated.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS UNITE
IN SUPPORT OF IMPRISONED IRANIAN FILMMAKERS
 

In September 2011, the Iranian government arrested six independent filmmakers for allegedly working with the BBC, on charges including espionage and treason. Along with the ongoing house arrest of director Jafar Panahi and the prior arrest of actress Marzieh Vafamehr, who was later sentenced to one year in prison and 90 lashes, the arrests sparked outrage from filmmaking communities within Iran and around the world. Prior to the release of two of the filmmakers, all six were denied access to their lawyers and families, who were forced to remain silent.

The following entertainment industry organizations stand united in their support for the rights of these artists and call for their immediate release.

Statement from the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
As an international organization representing over 6000 artists in 35 countries, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is deeply concerned whenever and wherever the rights of filmmakers are threatened. The recent arrest of six Iranian filmmakers, the sentence of "one year in jail and 90 lashes" to an actress just for playing a role in an acclaimed film, and the continued house arrest of Jafar Panahi, among others, is a situation that demands our serious attention. These filmmakers - and others - are artists, not political combatants. We join our colleagues around the world in calling unequivocally for these filmmakers' safety, release, and return to filmmaking. They deserve the same, full freedom of expression that the overwhelming majority of our members enjoy every day, no matter where they are from, no matter where they work, no matter what their beliefs.

Statement from the Board of Directors of American Cinema Editors
The American Cinema Editors is an organization of more than 500 professional film editors in the United States and around the globe. We join with the other members of the filmmaking community in expressing our deep concern whenever and wherever the basic human rights of free expression are threatened.

As storytellers, we feel that the arrest of fellow artists for expressing their beliefs, revealing truths and pursuing creative freedom, no matter how controversial, is a story that should no longer have to be told in the 21st century.

Statement from the Board of Governors of the American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an organization of more than 300 professional directors of photography in the United States and throughout the world. We foster the collaboration of cinematographers and the creative exchange of ideas and issues of mutual concern to our members and to the global filmmaking community. We are deeply concerned whenever and wherever the rights of filmmakers are threatened. We share these concerns with our fellow guilds and film organizations: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), The Directors Guild of America (DGA), The Producers Guild of America (PGA), The Screen Actors Guild (SAG), The Writers Guilds of America East and West (WGA), the American Cinema Editors (ACE) and the International Documentary Association (IDA).

We are deeply concerned regarding the recent arrest of six Iranian filmmakers. The sentence of "one year in jail and 90 lashes" to an actress just for playing a role in an acclaimed film, and the continued house arrest of Jafar Panahi, among others, is a situation that demands our serious attention. These filmmakers - and others - are artists, not political combatants. We join our colleagues and cinematographers around the world in calling unequivocally for these Iranian filmmakers' safety, release, and return to filmmaking. They deserve the same, full freedom of expression that the overwhelming majority of our members enjoy every day, no matter where they are from, no matter where they work, no matter what their beliefs.

Statement from the Directors Guild of America
The Directors Guild of America joins our colleagues and fellow artists around the world in condemning the baseless and cruel imprisonment or detainment of filmmakers by the Iranian government.

We first raised this issue last year immediately after the sentencing of prominent Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. We are extremely concerned that not only does Panahi remain under arrest, but the Iranian government continues to detain filmmakers and other artists without cause.

As an organization representing 14,500 directors and members of the directorial team who live and work all over the world, it is our belief that for a society to flourish, artists must have the freedom to live and work without fear of imprisonment, retribution or censorship. Creative freedom is an essential building block of liberty, culture, civil and human rights, and we join the world community in opposing any attempt to suppress the rights of artists to engage in creative expression. We hope the Iranian government will release these filmmakers and recognize that their creative works can only strengthen and enrich Iranian society.

Statement from the International Documentary Association
The International Documentary Association believes that the power and artistry of film is vital to cultures and societies globally, and we fiercely defend the rights of filmmakers and artists everywhere to practice their art and to seek and reveal truth in their work, however provocative that truth may be. We strenuously uphold the principles of free speech and freedom from censorship. The expression of truth should never be silenced by the exercise of power by a State or system of authority that may feel threatened by the content of the artistic or journalistic work–both essential elements of democracy.

Together with our entire international community of documentary filmmakers, The International Documentary Association calls for the release and fair treatment of Iranian filmmakers, artists, and actors. These artists, and other filmmakers, actors and journalists like them, must be immediately released and allowed to continue their artistic and journalistic work without restriction or penalty. We stand united with them, as do artists across the globe. And we will continue to fight for their fundamental human right of self-expression.

Statement from the Producers Guild of America
As supporters of creative freedom, the Producers Guild of America, on behalf of its more than 4,800 members, wishes to express its profound dismay over the treatment of producer Katayoun Shahabi, directors Jafar Panahi, Naser Saffarian, Hadi Afarideh, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and Shahnam Bazdar, and journalist and documentarian Mohsen Shahrnazdar at the hands of their Iranian government. The silencing of these voices and others via arrest, coercion and political pressure is unacceptable, and we stand steadfast with our colleagues within the industry and around the world in calling for their release. We look forward to the day when these storytellers are permitted to resume their callings, and hope that even in their captivity, these artists know that they have the sympathy, respect and support of our creative community.

Statement from Screen Actors Guild
Iran has a strong tradition of artistic expression reaching back thousands of years. That tradition is under attack in a contemporary Iran that has seemingly turned against its own artists. Screen Actors Guild deeply deplores the persecution of actor Marzieh Vafamehr and the filmmakers and other entertainment and media industry representatives now under attack in Iran. We add our voices to the thousands of artists worldwide calling on the Iranian government to immediately free Marzieh and the other artists and filmmakers imprisoned because of their artistic and cultural endeavors. We urge Iran to refrain from stifling the artistic expression of its citizens and to let their unique and valuable voices be heard once again.

Statement from the Writers Guilds of America, West and East
The Writers Guilds of America West and East add their voices to the calls for the release of writer/director Jafar Panahi, now under house arrest, and all other members of Iran's creative community unjustly imprisoned or detained.

The art of Iran is one of the great treasures of humankind. Its cinema has a long and vibrant history--and in recent years, the Iranian cinema has been one of the very brightest lights illuminating the art form for the rest of the world. Its filmmakers represent the richness of Iranian culture and the extraordinary imagination of the Iranian people. All of us are poorer when their voices are stilled.

We urge the government of Iran to remember that these are artists, not political enemies, that they have, as all free people do, the right to hold and express opinions. And we urge the government of Iran to remember that their work is the most powerful ambassador of understanding between the people of Iran and the people of the world.

Nothing is more dangerous to a society than the silencing of art. Therefore, we ask the government of Iran to release its filmmakers and to allow them to live and to work freely, as they have previously done in their country and as most of their fellow artists do in the rest of the world.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 84th Academy Awards® has been narrowed to eight films, of which three to five will earn Oscar® nominations.

Voters from the Academy’s Documentary Branch viewed this year’s 35 eligible entries and submitted their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers for tabulation.

The eight films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company.

• "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement," Purposeful Productions, Inc.

• "God Is the Bigger Elvis," Documentress Films

• "In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt's Unfinished Revolution," Downtown Docs

• "Incident in New Baghdad," Morninglight Films

• "Pipe Dreams," Leslie Iwerks Productions

• "Saving Face," Milkhaus/Jungefilm

• "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom," Supply & Demand Integrated

• "Witness," Buche

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

63 COUNTRIES VIE FOR 2011
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OSCAR®

Sixty-three countries, including first-time entrant New Zealand, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®.

The 2011 submissions are:

Albania, "Amnesty," Bujar Alimani, director;
Argentina, "Aballay," Fernando Spiner, director;
Austria, "Breathing," Karl Markovics, director;
Belgium, "Bullhead," Michael R. Roskam, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina,"Belvedere," Ahmed Imamovic, director;
Brazil, "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within," José Padilha, director;
Bulgaria, "Tilt," Viktor Chouchkov, Jr., director;
Canada, "Monsieur Lazhar," Philippe Falardeau, director;
Chile, "Violeta Went to Heaven," Andrés Wood, director;
China, "The Flowers of War," Zhang Yimou, director;
Colombia, "The Colors of the Mountain," Carlos César Arbeláez, director;
Croatia, "72 Days," Danilo Serbedzija, director;
Cuba, "Havanastation," Ian Padrón, director;
Czech Republic,"Alois Nebel," Tomás Lunák, director;
Denmark, "Superclásico," Ole Christian Madsen, director;
Dominican Republic,"Love Child," Leticia Tonos, director;
Egypt, "Lust," Khaled el Hagar, director;
Estonia, "Letters to Angel," Sulev Keedus, director;
Finland, "Le Havre," Aki Kaurismäki, director;
France, "Declaration of War," Valérie Donzelli, director;
Georgia, "Chantrapas," Otar Iosseliani, director;
Germany, "Pina," Wim Wenders, director;
Greece, "Attenberg," Athina Rachel Tsangari, director;
Hong Kong,"A Simple Life," Ann Hui, director;
Hungary, "The Turin Horse," Béela Tarr, director;
Iceland, "Volcano," Rúnar Rúnarsson, director;
India, "Abu, Son of Adam," Salim Ahamed, director;
Indonesia, "Under the Protection of Ka'Bah," Hanny R. Saputra, director;
Iran, "A Separation," Asghar Farhadi, director;
Ireland, "As If I Am Not There," Juanita Wilson, director;
Israel, "Footnote," Joseph Cedar, director;
Italy, "Terraferma," Emanuele Crialese, director;
Japan, "Postcard," Kaneto Shindo, director;
Kazakhstan, "Returning to the ‘A,’" Egor Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky, director;
Lebanon, "Where Do We Go Now?" Nadine Labaki, director;
Lithuania, "Back to Your Arms," Kristijonas Vildziunas, director;
Macedonia, "Punk Is Not Dead," Vladimir Blazevski, director;
Mexico, "Miss Bala," Gerardo Naranjo, director;
Morocco, "Omar Killed Me," Roschdy Zem, director;
Netherlands, "Sonny Boy," Maria Peters, director;
New Zealand,"The Orator," Tusi Tamasese, director;
Norway, "Happy, Happy," Anne Sewitsky, director;
Peru, "October," Diego Vega and Daniel Vega, directors;
Philippines, "The Woman in the Septic Tank," Marlon N. Rivera, director;
Poland, "In Darkness," Agnieszka Holland, director;
Portugal, "José and Pilar," Miguel Gonçalves Mendes, director;
Romania, "Morgen," Marian Crisan, director;
Russia, "Burnt by the Sun 2: The Citadel," Nikita Mikhalkov, director;
Serbia, "Montevideo: Taste of a Dream," Dragan Bjelogrlić, director;
Singapore, "Tatsumi," Eric Khoo, director;
Slovak Republic, "Gypsy," Martin Sulík, director;
South Africa, "Beauty," Oliver Hermanus, director;
South Korea,"The Front Line," Jang Hun, director;
Spain, "Black Bread," Agusti Villaronga, director;
Sweden, "Beyond," Pernilla August, director;
Switzerland, "Summer Games," Rolando Colla, director;
Taiwan, "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale," Wei Te-sheng, director;
Thailand, "Kon Khon," Sarunyu Wongkrachang, director;
Turkey, "Once upon a Time in Anatolia," Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director;
United Kingdom, "Patagonia," Marc Evans, director;
Uruguay, "The Silent House," Gustavo Hernández, director;
Venezuela, "Rumble of the Stones," Alejandro Bellame Palacios, director;
Vietnam, "The Prince and the Pagoda Boy," Luu Trong Ninh, director.
 

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have taken a step toward realizing a museum dedicated to motion pictures and the creation of a new and unique cultural center for the city of Los Angeles. On Tuesday night (10/4), the Academy's Board of Governors joined their LACMA counterparts in agreeing to sign a memorandum of understanding to work in good faith in establishing the Academy's movie museum in the historic May Company building, currently known as LACMA West. The memo paves the way for the two organizations to discuss details of a future contract and for the Academy to begin developing plans for fundraising, design, exhibitions, visitor experience, and modifications to this historic site.

"It is appropriate and long overdue for the city that is home to the motion picture industry to recognize this art form with a museum of its own. The LACMA Board is delighted to be facilitating this important cultural event, which has special resonance for me, having spent most of my life dedicated to the great art of movies," said co-chair of the LACMA Board of Trustees Terry Semel. "The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will provide a much needed destination for cultural tourists and Los Angelenos to learn more about cinema, and the setting could not be more ideal, nestled next to the largest encyclopedic art museum in the Western United States."

According to Academy President Tom Sherak, "The new museum will be a world-class destination that is a tangible representation of the Academy’s mission. And the idea of our museum being part of a larger cultural center for the arts, in this city that we love, was incredibly compelling to the Academy Board."

Plans by various groups to create a movie museum date back to the mid-1960s, but Tuesday night's vote represents the most significant step yet taken in bringing these hopes to fruition. The Academy hopes to sign a long-term lease for the facility, and will retain autonomy over all aspects of its museum while benefiting from LACMA's experience in managing a premier arts institution.

The Academy will mount a new fundraising campaign for the museum, which will give visitors an entertaining and interactive experience illuminating the way movies reflect culture and the impact they have upon it. The museum is expected to feature both permanent and rotating exhibitions inside the facility's 300,000 gross square feet.

LACMA West, which formerly housed the May Company department store, was built in 1939, one of the greatest years in film history with such releases as "Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz." "Finally, our industry will have a dedicated space where we can inform and excite people about the endless range and possibilities of motion pictures," said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. "This new facility will make our resources and activities – our programming, our archives, and our library – even more visible and accessible all year round." According to LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan, "This represents a seismic shift in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles, and an extraordinary new resource for residents proud of their local history, and for fans of cinema worldwide."

Words of Wisdom:

(for a new quotation refresh the page)

Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved; Cultural Events in Los Angeles  I  Advertising

Anything L.A. Network

Dinner in L.A.   Los Angeles Cars Online   Beverly Hills Home Remodeling   Los Angeles Health Directory   L.A. Professionals Directory

Keywords: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences News, Academy of Motion Picture, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy News, Cultural Events in Los Angeles, L.A. Entertainment Tickets, Art Exhibitions in L.A., Theatre in L.A., Concerts in L.A., Art Exhibitions in L.A., Entertainment in L.A., US Celebrity Blog, Celebrity Blog, Anything L.A.