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Unveiled Special Edition Commemorative Poster Celebrates Oscar History with Olly Moss Design

Original Poster on Display at Gallery1988 in Hollywood

February 11, 2013 — BEVERLY HILLS, CA – In celebration of The Oscars® on February 24, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled today the newest addition to its show poster collection.

The commemorative poster was designed by English artist, graphic designer and illustrator Olly Moss in collaboration with Gallery1988.  The special edition piece features 85 Oscar statuettes, each one distinctly inspired by the Best Picture winners from 1927 to 2012.  The poster images can currently be viewed in a digital gallery athttp://oscar.com/best-pictures-tribute.

Moss, a graduate of the University of Birmingham, is best known for such works as the “Thor” cast poster for Marvel Entertainment, the cover artwork for the “Resistance 3” video game, and his recent book Silhouettes from Popular Culture.  One of the most sought-after screen print artists working today, Moss has created illustrations for The New York Times and The Guardian, and is commissioned by Empire magazine to design a new movie poster illustration every month.

The commemorative poster, along with a special edition T-shirt by DabsMyla, is now available for purchase at oscars.org/posters or by calling 1-877-335-8936.

The original poster will be on display beginning February 14 as part of “For Your Consideration,” the Academy’s collaborative exhibition with Gallery1988 Melrose, at 7020 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.  For information about the exhibition, visit nineteeneightyeight.com or follow Gallery1988 on Twitter (@galleries1988) and Facebook (gallery1988).  Fans outside the Los Angeles area can find out about special giveaway opportunities by following the Academy on Twitter (@TheAcademy) and Facebook (TheAcademy).

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane.  The Oscar presentation will be televised live on the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries worldwide.  For more information go to Oscar.com or download the official Oscars app.

About The Academy:
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. For more information about The Academy visit www.oscars.org

Multicultural Motion Picture Association Oscar Luncheon is not one of the 85th Academy Awards charities Oscar Experience

The Oscar® Experience To Be Shared In 45 Cities Across The U.S.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – On Oscar Sunday, February 24, charities in 45 cities will bring the Oscar experience to life at viewing parties in each city. The Oscar Experience: Benefits is the Academy’s grassroots outreach program that allows charities across the country to host official Oscar parties while raising money for their causes.

In 2012, the Oscar Experience: Benefits raised more than $3.1 million in 49 cities. Since its inception in 1994, as Oscar Night® America, the program has brought in more than $36.6 million, with all of the funds staying in the communities where they were raised.

All of the parties will feature a live broadcast of the 85th Academy Awards®; many will integrate Hollywood-style glamour elements, including red carpets, local celebrities, “paparazzi” and predict-the-winners contests.

“The Oscar Experience: Benefits is a natural extension of the philanthropic work the Academy does year-round,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We are thrilled to share a part of the Oscar experience with movie fans nationwide while supporting charities across the country.”

The 2013 Oscar Experience: Benefits charities and cities are (alphabetical by city):
The New Mexico BioPark Society, Albuquerque, NM
The Center for Family Resources, Atlanta, GA
The Ellie Fund, Boston, MA
Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY
Virginia Film Festival, Charlottesville, VA
Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
People Working Cooperatively, Cincinnati, OH
KidFilm Festival, Dallas, TX
Denver Film Society, Denver, CO
Southgate Community Players, Detroit, MI
AIDS Connecticut (ACT), Hartford, CT
Hawaii International Film Festival, Honolulu, HI
American Cancer Society, High Plains Division, Houston, TX
United Way of Central Indiana, Indianapolis, IN
Variety of Eastern Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Variety Children’s Charity of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
Wolfe Street Foundation, Inc., Little Rock, AK
MEND Meet Each Need with Dignity, Los Angeles, CA
WHAS Crusade for Children, Inc., Louisville, KY
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis, Memphis, TN
COA Youth & Family Centers, Milwaukee, WI
Aegis Foundation, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN
American Red Cross Southeast Louisiana Chapter, New Orleans, LA
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, OK
Alzheimer’s Association Midlands Chapter, Omaha, NE
Variety – The Children’s Charity of Florida, Inc., Orlando, FL
Palm Beach International Film Festival, Palm Beach, FL
Volunteers of America Delaware Valley, Philadelphia, PA
Pacific Region of the Arthritis Foundation, Phoenix, AZ
Community Theatre of Greensboro, Piedmont Triad area, NC
Rhode Island International Film Festival, Providence, RI
Central Virginia Film Institute, Richmond, VA
Utah AIDS Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT
Special Olympics Texas, San Antonio, TX
Community Campership Council, Inc., San Diego, CA
California Film Institute Education Program, San Francisco, CA
Starlight Children’s Foundation Northwest, Seattle, WA
Robinson Film Center, Shreveport, LA
Isabel’s House, Crisis Nursery of the Ozarks, Springfield, MO
Cinema St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Tampa Theatre, Tampa, FL
Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation, Tucson, AZ
DC Shorts, Washington, DC
Waterfront Film Festival, Western Michigan (Grand Rapids)

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

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

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

About The Academy:
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. For more information visit http://www.oscars.org/

 Source: The Academy

Editor’s Note: Read about Five and More Holiday Scams to Avoid and Non Legit Charities on Diversity News Magazine http://diversitynewsmagazine.com/2012/12/five-and-more-holiday-scams-to-avoid-and-non-legit-charities/#.UMxEmm99LSg

Also please read Statement from Esteban Escobar aka Steven Escobar in regards to The Multicultural Motion Picture Association and The Diversity Awards! published on Saturday, December 15, 2012. “This is nothing personal, I (We are) just doing our duties in reporting, informing and education you the consumer to make the right decision when giving! 

We do not want you to be taken advantage by organizations that claims to be affiliated with The Academy and they are not up today with their non profit status.” Read more about our editor’s investigation and statement on the Multicultural Motion Picture Association and it’s founder Jarvee Elton Hutcherson at http://stevenescobar.blogspot.com/2012/12/steven-escobar-statement-about.html

Read what http://turbotax.intuit.com says about Tax Year: 2012

Charitable donations

You can deduct charitable donations only if you itemize your deductions. Add up the money you donated to organizations like the Red Cross, churches, synagogues, mosques and other nonprofit organizations.

If you donated things like clothing, furniture or other household items, you need to determine their value. One way is to find out what your local thrift shop is charging for similar items, or you could use a software program like ItsDeductible that does this work for you.

Make sure you use good judgment and that you don’t overvalue your donations.

Also, note that the law now demands more substantiation than in the past to back up charitable deductions. Under the old rules, taxpayers needed a receipt to back up any charitable contribution of $250 or more (a cancelled check was not sufficient). That’s still the case for contributions of $250 or more. But now you also need a receipt or a cancelled check to back up deductions for smaller donations as well.

Remember to check with your tax accountant, lawyer or State IRS regarding what amounts are considered tax deductible in your business or personal income taxes.

‘Lincoln’ Tops Oscar List; 85th Academy Awards Nominations Announced

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® were announced today (Thursday, January 10) by this year’s Oscar host, Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone.

MacFarlane and Stone announced the nominees at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Academy Awards website,www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominees are selected by vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members on Saturday, January 19, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Screenings will also be held at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood and in London, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all categories.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

---

 

Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards

 

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln”
• Hugh Jackman in “Les Misérables”
• Joaquin Phoenix in “The Master”
• Denzel Washington in “Flight”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Alan Arkin in “Argo”
• Robert De Niro in “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Master”
• Tommy Lee Jones in “Lincoln”
• Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty”
• Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Emmanuelle Riva in “Amour”
• Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
• Naomi Watts in “The Impossible”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Amy Adams in “The Master”
• Sally Field in “Lincoln”
• Anne Hathaway in “Les Misérables”
• Helen Hunt in “The Sessions”
• Jacki Weaver in “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Brave” Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
• “Frankenweenie” Tim Burton
• “ParaNorman” Sam Fell and Chris Butler
• “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” Peter Lord
• “Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore

Achievement in cinematography

• “Anna Karenina” Seamus McGarvey
• “Django Unchained” Robert Richardson
• “Life of Pi” Claudio Miranda
• “Lincoln” Janusz Kaminski
• “Skyfall” Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design

• “Anna Karenina” Jacqueline Durran
• “Les Misérables” Paco Delgado
• “Lincoln” Joanna Johnston
• “Mirror Mirror” Eiko Ishioka
• “Snow White and the Huntsman” Colleen Atwood

Achievement in directing

• “Amour” Michael Haneke
• “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Benh Zeitlin
• “Life of Pi” Ang Lee
• “Lincoln” Steven Spielberg
• “Silver Linings Playbook” David O. Russell

Best documentary feature

• “5 Broken Cameras”
  Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
• “The Gatekeepers” 
  Nominees to be determined
• “How to Survive a Plague” 
  Nominees to be determined
• “The Invisible War” 
  Nominees to be determined
• “Searching for Sugar Man” 
  Nominees to be determined

Best documentary short subject

• “Inocente” 
  Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
• “Kings Point” 
  Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
• “Mondays at Racine”
  Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
• “Open Heart” 
  Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
• “Redemption” 
  Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

Achievement in film editing

• “Argo” William Goldenberg
• “Life of Pi” Tim Squyres
• “Lincoln” Michael Kahn
• “Silver Linings Playbook” Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
• “Zero Dark Thirty” Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg

Best foreign language film of the year

• “Amour” Austria
• “Kon-Tiki” Norway
• “No” Chile
• “A Royal Affair” Denmark
• “War Witch” Canada

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

• “Hitchcock”
  Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel
• “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
  Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane
• “Les Misérables”
  Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• “Anna Karenina” Dario Marianelli
• “Argo” Alexandre Desplat
• “Life of Pi” Mychael Danna
• “Lincoln” John Williams
• “Skyfall” Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

• “Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice”
  Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
• “Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from “Ted”
  Music by Walter Murphy; Lyric by Seth MacFarlane
• “Pi’s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi”
  Music by Mychael Danna; Lyric by Bombay Jayashri
• “Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
  Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
• “Suddenly” from “Les Misérables”
  Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Best motion picture of the year

• “Amour” Nominees to be determined
• “Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
• “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
• “Django Unchained” Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
• “Les Misérables” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
• “Life of Pi” Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
• “Lincoln” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
• “Silver Linings Playbook” Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
• “Zero Dark Thirty“ Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

Achievement in production design

• “Anna Karenina”
  Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey“
  Production Design: Dan Hennah; Set Decoration: Ra Vincent and Simon Bright
• “Les Misérables” 
  Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Anna Lynch-Robinson
• “Life of Pi” 
  Production Design: David Gropman; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
• “Lincoln” 
  Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Best animated short film

• “Adam and Dog” Minkyu Lee
• “Fresh Guacamole” PES
• “Head over Heels” Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly
• “Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”" David Silverman
• “Paperman” John Kahrs

Best live action short film

• “Asad” Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
• “Buzkashi Boys” Sam French and Ariel Nasr
• “Curfew” Shawn Christensen
• “Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)” Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
• “Henry” Yan England

Achievement in sound editing

• “Argo” Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
• “Django Unchained” Wylie Stateman
• “Life of Pi” Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
• “Skyfall” Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers
• “Zero Dark Thirty” Paul N.J. Ottosson

Achievement in sound mixing

• “Argo”
  John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
• “Les Misérables” 
  Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
• “Life of Pi”
  Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
• “Lincoln” 
  Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins
• “Skyfall”
  Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson

Achievement in visual effects

• “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” 
  Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White
• “Life of Pi”
  Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
• “Marvel’s The Avengers” 
  Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
• “Prometheus”
  Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
• “Snow White and the Huntsman”
  Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

Adapted screenplay

• “Argo” Screenplay by Chris Terrio
• “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
• “Life of Pi” Screenplay by David Magee
• “Lincoln” Screenplay by Tony Kushner
• “Silver Linings Playbook” Screenplay by David O. Russell

Original screenplay

• “Amour” Written by Michael Haneke
• “Django Unchained” Written by Quentin Tarantino
• “Flight” Written by John Gatins
• “Moonrise Kingdom” Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
• “Zero Dark Thirty” Written by Mark Boal

# # #

About The Academy:
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. Follow The Academy at:www.oscars.org, www.facebook.com/TheAcademy, www.youtube.com/Oscars
and www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

Source: A.M.P.A.S.

Seth MacFarlane to Host 85th Oscars® Airs February 24 on ABC

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – October 1, 2012, Seth MacFarlane will host the 85th Academy Awards®, telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. This will be MacFarlane’s first appearance on Oscar’s stage. The 85th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, on the ABC Television Network.

“We are thrilled to have Seth MacFarlane host the Oscars. His performing skills blend perfectly with our ideas for making the show entertaining and fresh,” said Zadan and Meron. “He will be the consummate host, and we are so happy to be working with him.”

“It’s truly an overwhelming privilege to be asked to host the Oscars,” said MacFarlane. “My thoughts upon hearing the news were, one, I will do my utmost to live up to the high standards set forth by my predecessors; and two, I hope they don’t find out I hosted the Charlie Sheen Roast.”

“Seth is unbelievably talented,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “We couldn’t be happier with the creative team we’ve assembled. With Craig, Neil, and now Seth, we’re off to a great start.”

MacFarlane made his feature directorial debut this summer with the box office success “Ted. “He also co-wrote and produced the film, and voiced the title character. “Ted” has brought in over $420 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

MacFarlane is the creative force behind the television series “Family Guy” and co-creator of “American Dad!” and “The Cleveland Show. “In September he hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the first time, for the show’s 38th season premiere. An accomplished live performer, MacFarlane has played to sold-out audiences at London’s Royal Albert Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall.In 2011 he released his debut album, “Music Is Better Than Words,” which earned two Grammy® nominations. He also has earned 13 Emmy® nominations and won two for his work on “Family Guy.”

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®. Don Mischer will direct the telecast for the third consecutive time. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

About The Academy:
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–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.

Source: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Photo credit to: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Win Tickets To The OSCAR Fan Experience and be An Insider

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – September 24, 2012,  Movie fans can soon vie for seats at the most glamorous spot on Hollywood Boulevard, Oscar’s Red Carpet.

Beginning on Monday, September 24, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT fans from around the world may enter online for a random drawing for bleacher seats along the 85th Academy Awards red carpet.

There are only 700 seats available on the 500-foot-long walkway that leads into the DolbyTM Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®. Those who are selected will watch and cheer Oscar nominees, presenters and other ceremony guests as they arrive at the 85th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 24, 2013. In addition to seats, winners of the Oscar Fan Experience will be invited to watch the Academy Awards® at a nearby theatre and will receive a fan gift bag.

The entry form will be available at www.oscars.org/Insider. The application process will close on Friday, November 16, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. In previous years, as many as 20,000 fans have entered the drawing for the limited number of red carpet seats.

To be eligible for the drawing, an individual must complete the entry form in its entirety. Entries must be submitted online; they may not be returned via any other method. Duplicate entries will not be accepted.

Those whose names are selected in the random drawing will be notified in November. They will then be required to submit additional information for security purposes prior to final approval. Eligible attendees will receive a confirmation letter in early January with information pertinent to the event. The Academy will not be responsible for securing travel and/or hotel accommodations for winners of the Oscar Fan Experience.

Only those individuals who have been pre-approved by the Academy will have access to the bleachers.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

About The Academy:
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–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.

Source: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Photo credit to: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Announces Key Dates for the 85th Academy Awards

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – September 18, 2012, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced key dates for the 85th Academy Awards season.

The key dates are:
Friday, November 30, 2012:		Official Screen Credits due
Saturday, December 1, 2012:		Governors Awards presentation
Monday, December 17, 2012:		Nominations voting begins
Thursday, January 3, 2013:		Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT
Thursday, January 10, 2013:		Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PT, Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater
Monday, February 4, 2013:		Nominees Luncheon
Friday, February 8, 2013:		Final voting begins
Saturday, February 9, 2013:		Scientific and Technical Awards presentation
Tuesday, February 19, 2013:		Final voting ends 5 p.m. PT
Sunday, February 24, 2013:		85th Academy Awards presentation

In an effort to provide members and the public a longer period of time to see the nominated films, the Academy will reveal the 85th Academy Awards nominations on January 10, five days earlier than previously announced.

In addition, this will be the first time the Academy will provide its membership the opportunity to vote electronically. Together with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Everyone Counts, the Academy has been developing an electronic voting process for more than a year. The Academy conducted extensive research and held numerous focus groups with its members to ensure a smooth transition and widespread adoption.

The Academy will make several voting resources available to members during the transition, including the installation of assisted voting stations in Los Angeles, New York and London, a 24-hour telephone help line during voting periods, and paper ballots.

In the pre-Nominations phase, members will continue to vote via paper ballot in eight categories due to specialized screening schedules and processes. Those categories are Animated Feature Film, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling and Visual Effects.

The Academy Awards ceremony will be held at The Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. A 90-minute red carpet show will immediately precede the broadcast.

About The Academy:
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–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.

Source: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Photo credit to: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Don Mischer to Direct 85th Academy Awards® Telecast

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – September 13, 2012, Don Mischer will direct the 85th Academy Awards telecast, telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. This marks the continuation of Don Mischer Productions’ multi-faceted relationship with the Academy, which includes producing the Oscars® red carpet pre-show and producing the annual Governors Awards.

“For a very long time, we had always hoped to work with Don Mischer,” said Zadan and Meron. ‘His talent and reputation are unsurpassed and we’re so happy he will be our collaborator on the 85th Academy Awards.”

“I am so very excited to be directing the Academy Awards again this year and to be working with creative producers like Craig and Neil,” said Mischer. “All of us at Don Mischer Productions are also thrilled to be producing the Oscar® pre-show, and most significantly to continue a wonderfully gratifying relationship with the Academy.”

This will be Mischer’s third consecutive year as director of the Oscars. He has served as producer as well as director on the 83rd and 84th Academy Awards and was nominated for Emmys® for directing both shows. Last year’s Oscars received eight Emmy® nominations, the most for any TV special.

Mischer Productions’ Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare will again produce the Oscar pre-show. The company also returns for the fourth consecutive year to produce the upcoming Governors Awards, alongside Academy governor Cheryl Boone Isaacs.

Mischer’s other credits include “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial,” “The Kennedy Center Honors,” several Super Bowl halftime shows and the opening ceremonies of both Winter and Summer Olympic Games. He has also produced television specials with a wide range of musical performers, including Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Bono, Barbra Streisand, Justin Timberlake and Yo-Yo Ma. Among the many honors Mischer has earned are 15 Emmy Awards, 10 Directors Guild of America Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a Peabody Award, and the Producers Guild’s 2012 Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

About The Academy:
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–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.

Source: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Photo credit to: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

 

Jeffrey Katzenberg, Hal Needham, D.A. Pennebaker and George Stevens, Jr. to Receive Academy’s Governors Awards

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – September 5, 2012, The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted tonight to present Honorary Awards to stunt performer Hal Needham, documentarian D. A. Pennebaker and arts advocate George Stevens, Jr., and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to philanthropist Jeffrey Katzenberg. All four awards will be presented at the Academy’s 4th Annual Governors Awards dinner on Saturday, December 1, at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

Hal Needham is a legendary stunt performer and coordinator who has worked on more than 300 feature films including “The Spirit of St. Louis,” “How the West Was Won,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Little Big Man” and “Chinatown.” A pioneer in improving stunt technology and safety procedures, Needham also co-founded Stunts Unlimited, and is known for mentoring young stunt performers. In 1986, the Academy presented Needham with a Scientific and Engineering Award for the design and development of the Shotmaker Elite camera car and crane, which allows filmmakers greater versatility in shooting action sequences. Needham made his directorial debut with “Smokey and the Bandit.” He went on to direct such features as “Hooper” and the “Cannonball Run” films.

D. A. Pennebaker, a pioneer of modern nonfiction film, has directed more than 20 feature-length documentaries, including “Don’t Look Back,” “Monterey Pop,” “Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,” “Moon over Broadway,” “Kings of Pastry” and “The War Room,” for which he received an Oscar® nomination. During his career of more than six decades, Pennebaker has inspired generations of filmmakers with his “you are here” style. He is considered one of the founders of the cinéma vérité movement, beginning with his collaboration on the seminal 1960 film “Primary.”

George Stevens, Jr. has spent a lifetime celebrating and preserving the heritage of motion pictures. After several years at the United States Information Agency, where he championed the work of young documentary filmmakers and was Oscar-nominated for producing the documentary short subject “The Five Cities of June,” Stevens went on to become the founding director of the American Film Institute. Under his leadership, the AFI established the Center for Advanced Film Studies, created the AFI Life Achievement Award and embarked on a host of educational initiatives. In 1977, Stevens co-founded the Kennedy Center Honors, which he has produced for the past 34 years.

A studio executive, film producer and philanthropist, Jeffrey Katzenberg has been instrumental in raising money for education, art and health-related causes, particularly those benefiting the motion picture industry. During more than two decades as chairman of the board for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, he helped to raise $200 million for the organization, created “The Night Before” event and worked to expand the MPTF campus. He also serves on the boards of such organizations as the California Institute of the Arts, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, AIDS Project Los Angeles, the Geffen Playhouse, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Katzenberg currently serves as CEO of DreamWorks Animation.

The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given to an individual for “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an Oscar statuette, is given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.

The Governors Awards presentation will be produced for the Academy by marketing executive Cheryl Boone Isaacs with the Don Mischer Production team led by Don Mischer, Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare.

Source: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 
Photo credit to: (C) The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to Produce 85th Academy Awards

Beverly Hills, CA – August 23, 2012, Acclaimed motion picture, television and theater producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will produce the 85th Academy Awards, Academy President Hawk Koch announced. This will be the duo’s first involvement with the Oscars. The 85th Academy Awards will air live on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, 2013.

“Craig and Neil are forward thinkers who bring a unique perspective to the Oscar show,” Koch said. “Their enormous collective talent, coupled with their love of film, serves our show perfectly.”

“We are very excited to collaborate with Hawk and everyone at the Academy to produce this year’s Oscars,” said Zadan and Meron. “We hope to utilize our experience in producing features, TV and theater to bring something fresh and special to this incredible awards show. When we filmed ‘The Bucket List,’ we made our own personal bucket list, and producing the Oscars was #1. It’s truly a great honor.”

“Craig and Neil have great talent relationships and bring an infectious energy to the production,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.” They are creative producers in the best sense of the word.”

Zadan and Meron served as executive producers on the 2002 Best Picture winner “Chicago,” which won Oscars® in 6 of the 13 categories in which it was nominated. Their credits also include the features “Footloose” (2011), “Hairspray” and “The Bucket List.”  Zadan also produced the original “Footloose” (1984).

Zadan and Meron’s work in television includes the series “SMASH” and such movies as “A Raisin in the Sun” and the upcoming “Steel Magnolias.”

For Broadway, they recently produced the Tony Award® winning revivals of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Promises, Promises.”

Their work has amassed 73 Emmy® nominations; 12 Tony nominations; and seven Grammy® nominations.

The 85th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Source: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Photo credit to: (C) The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

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