Waldo picks the Oscar winners

According to my friend Anonymous, this basically means I will say the same thing everyone else does. Here we go.

Best Visual Effects- Iron Man
Best Art Direction- The Dark Knight
Best Makeup- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Animated Short Film- Presto
Best Live Action Short Film- New Boy
Best Sound Editing- Iron Man
Best Sound Mixing- The Dark Knight
Best Costume Design- The Duchess
Best Cinematography- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Documentary Short Subject- The Final Inch
Best Film Editing- The Dark Knight
Best Original Song- Jai Ho Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Score- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Documentary Feature- Man on Wire
Best Foreign Film- Waltz with Bashir
Best Actor- Mickey Rourke The Wrestler
Best Supporting Actor- Heath Ledger The Dark Knight
Best Actress- Kate Winslet The Reader
Best Supporting Actress- Taraji P. Henson The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Animated Feature- Wall-E
Best Original Screenplay- Milk
Best Adapted Screenplay- Frost/Nixon
Best Director- David Fincher The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Picture- Slumdog Millionaire

Oscar®-Nominated Shorts to Play in L.A.

Oscar®-Nominated Shorts to Play in L.A.

Beverly Hills, CA — To kick off Oscar Week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present “Shorts!,” a program featuring screenings of all the 2008 Academy Award®-nominated films in the Animated and Live Action Short Film categories, on Tuesday, February 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The program will feature onstage discussions with the nominated filmmakers (subject to availability).

The 2008 Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film nominees are:

Animated Short Film
“La Maison en Petits Cubes,” Kunio Kato, director
“Lavatory-Lovestory,” Konstantin Bronzit, director
“Oktapodi,” Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand, directors
“Presto,” Doug Sweetland, director
“This Way Up,” Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes, directors

Live Action Short Film
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line),” Reto Caffi, director
“Manon on the Asphalt,” Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont, directors
“New Boy,” Steph Green, director, and Tamara Anghie, producer
“The Pig,” Tivi Magnusson, producer, and Dorte Høgh, director
“Spielzeugland (Toyland),” Jochen Alexander Freydank, producer-director

Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, or at the Academy’s box office during regular business hours beginning Monday, February 2, at 9 a.m.

The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. For more information, please call the Academy at (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Makeup Nominees To Add Glamour To Oscar® Week Event

Makeup Nominees To Add Glamour To
Oscar® Week Event

Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Symposium, a program spotlighting the work of the 2008 Academy Award® nominees in the Makeup category, on Saturday, February 21, at 2:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The program, moderated by Academy governor Leonard Engelman, will feature a discussion of the nominees’ creative process as well as present film clips, photographs and models of their work.

The 2008 Makeup nominees are:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Greg Cannom, special makeup creator and applicator

“The Dark Knight,” John Caglione, Jr., Heath Ledger’s makeup artist; Conor O’Sullivan, prosthetic supervisor

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” Mike Elizalde, creative and makeup effects designer; Thom Floutz, Abe Sapien makeup artist

Admission is free, but advance tickets are required and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets can be obtained online at www.oscars.org, by mail, or at the Academy’s box office during regular business hours beginning Monday, February 2, at 9 a.m.

The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. For more information, please call the Academy at (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org/.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

10 Semifinalists Named in Academy/ mtvU “Oscar® Correspondent Contest"

10 Semifinalists Named in Academy/ mtvU “Oscar® Correspondent Contest”

Voting Begins Online Today; Grand Prize Winners to Earn Red Carpet and Backstage Press Credentials for 81st Academy Awards®

Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, today announced ten teams of college journalists as semifinalists in the first-ever “Oscar Correspondent Contest,” each vying for a coveted position on the red carpet at the 81st Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Video entries from the semifinalist teams are posted online at http://oscars.mtvu.com, where students and other viewers can vote for their favorite college journalists until February 6. The semifinalists are (listed in alphabetical order by university):

• Bowling Green State University Senior Nicole Lovince (anchor) and Senior Chad Courtney (videographer)
• Drexel University Senior Dylan Steinberg (anchor) and Senior Bruce Pinchbeck (videographer)
• Duke University Junior David Distenfeld (anchor) and Junior Lawrence Chen (videographer)
• Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Senior Chantell Black (anchor) and Senior Guy Lemonier (videographer)
• Fordham University Senior Justin Shackil (anchor) and Senior Garry VanGenderen (videographer)
• New York University Freshman Diana Snyder (anchor) and Freshman Mike Ren (videographer)
• Rice University Senior Faheem Ahmed (anchor) and Junior Anish Patel (videographer)
• San Diego State University Sophomore Megan Telles (anchor) and Junior Andrew Huse (videographer)
• University of Cincinnati Senior Rachel Alig (anchor) and Senior Kathryn Jeffries (videographer)
• University of Miami Senior Nick Maslow (anchor) and Senior David Marcus (videographer)

On February 9, the three teams with the most online votes, and as agreed upon by the Academy and mtvU, will advance to the final round of competition, with online voting from February 9 to February 20 at 12:00 pm PT/ 3:00 pm ET. All three finalist teams will be flown to Los Angeles to cover Academy Awards® pre-events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium, the Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Symposium and the Governors Ball preview.

The Grand Prize team will be revealed on Friday, February 20, at an Academy press conference, and awarded a spot on the red carpet for the 81st Academy Awards arrivals as well as credentials for access to backstage press rooms. The two other teams will receive bleacher seats along the red carpet and admission to an Oscar viewing party.

The ten semi-finalist teams were selected by the Academy and mtvU from videos submitted for the competition. These entries were judged based on equally weighted criteria including originality, creativity, and by which entries were most compelling. The competition was open to teams of two college students, one anchor and one videographer, residing in the United States. For a complete list of rules and regulations for the “Oscar Correspondent Contest,” please visit http://oscars.mtvu.com.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Oscar® Is Center Stage in 81st Academy Awards® Poster

Oscar® Is Center Stage in
81st Academy Awards® Poster

Beverly Hills, CA —The iconic Oscar statuette is spotlighted center stage among the bright, glowing lights of the Kodak Theatre in the official poster of the 81st Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences announced today. The poster is now available for purchase.

The artwork presents the point of view that host Hugh Jackman and Academy Award® winners, presenters and performers will experience from the stage of the Kodak on February 22.

The posters will be ready to ship in late January with distribution of more than 50,000 posters worldwide. The poster will only be available on the Academy’s Web site at www.oscars.org or by calling 1-800-554-1814.

The 27x40-inch color poster is printed on premium quality, Forest Stewardship Certified paper. This is the only 81st Academy Awards commemorative item available for sale to the public.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Final 2008 Oscar® Ballots Mailed to Academy Members

Final 2008 Oscar® Ballots
Mailed to Academy Members

Beverly Hills, CA — Final ballots for the 81st Academy Awards® were mailed today (January 28) to the 5,810 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Completed ballots must be returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers by 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 17. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.

Listed on the ballots are nominees in 19 Awards categories. Separate ballots for 5 categories (Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film) will be distributed after verification of mandatory member attendance at screenings.

Following the tabulation of the votes, the winners’ names will be placed in sealed envelopes to be opened on Oscar Night®, Sunday, February 22.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Producer Credits Determined for Best Picture Nominee

Producer Credits Determined for
Best Picture Nominee

Beverly Hills, CA — Producer credits for Academy Award® Best Picture nominee “The Reader” 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 Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris.

Because four producers were listed on the credits form submitted for Oscar® consideration and Academy rules allow for only three producers – except in “a rare and extraordinary circumstance” – to be nominated and potentially receive Oscar statuettes, a meeting of the executive committee was necessary. In the end, the committee determined that the circumstances of “The Reader” – in which the two original producers (Minghella and Pollack) both died partway through the process – met its definition of “rare and extraordinary” and that all four submitted individuals should be named as nominees.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Cecchetto to Produce Academy’s 2009 Governors Ball

Cecchetto to Produce
Academy’s 2009 Governors Ball

Beverly Hills, CA — For the 20th consecutive year, special events producer Cheryl Cecchetto has been chosen to produce the Governors Ball, the celebration following the 81st Academy Awards® presentation on Sunday, February 22, 2009.

Cecchetto, along with her Sequoia Productions team, will work with Governors Ball Chair Cheryl Boone Isaacs to manage every detail pertaining to the event, including decor, entertainment, food and personnel.

“This year’s Governors Ball will be a marriage of simplicity and beauty that will reflect the Academy’s tradition of elegance as well as its contemporary style,” said Cecchetto.

The Academy’s 2009 Governors Ball will be held in the Grand Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center®.

In 2009 Sequoia Productions will produce events for numerous clients, including the recent G’Day USA Black Tie Gala Los Angeles presented by Penfolds, Ausfilm and Qantas Airways, and the 61st Annual Emmy® Awards Governors Ball.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Wolfgang Puck to Create 2009 Governors Ball Menu

Wolfgang Puck to Create
2009 Governors Ball Menu

Beverly Hills, CA — For the 15th consecutive year, master chef Wolfgang Puck has been selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create the menu for the Governors Ball, the celebration immediately following the 81st Academy Awards® presentation on Sunday, February 22, 2009.

“The Governors Ball is the highlight of the season,” said Puck. “Our menu will have star-quality ingredients each dish showcasing the essence of seasonal flavor. With locally grown, sustainable and organic ingredients, guests will enjoy an award-worthy culinary experience.”

Wolfgang Puck Catering will be serving the Academy’s 1,500 Ball guests, which will include Oscar® winners, nominees, presenters and telecast participants.

The menu created by Puck and chefs Lee Hefter and Matt Bencivenga will feature several Ball favorites, including Tuna Tartare in Sesame Miso Cones; Chopped Chino Farms Vegetable Salad with Ginger Soy Vinaigrette, Maine Lobster and Caviar; and Pastry Chef Sherry Yard’s gold-dusted chocolate Oscars®.

Working in a state-of-the-art kitchen adjacent to the Grand Ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Center®, Puck will lead a team of chefs, pastry chefs and culinary artists who will be responsible for the cooking, presentation and execution of the menu.

Wolfgang Puck Catering, established in 1998, provides restaurant-quality catering and operates premiere cultural, corporate and entertainment settings in thirteen markets across the country. The Wolfgang Puck Companies – which comprise 16 fine dining restaurants, more than 80 Gourmet Express fast-casual restaurants, premium catering services in over 32 exclusive venues nationwide, and quality kitchen and food merchandise – constitute a brand standing for a culinary passion for eating and dining well.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs to Chair Academy’s 2009 Governors Ball

Cheryl Boone Isaacs to Chair
Academy’s 2009 Governors Ball

Beverly Hills, CA — Cheryl Boone Isaacs, an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences governor representing the Public Relations Branch, will chair the Governors Ball, the celebration that will follow the 81st Academy Awards® presentation on Sunday, February 22, 2009.

“Oscar® season culminates with the Governors Ball,” said Boone Isaacs. “It’s wonderful when the anticipation and suspense give way to pure celebration, and everyone can relax and reflect on the achievements of the past year.”

In her seventh year as chair, Boone Isaacs will manage the overall planning of the decor, menu and entertainment for the Ball.

The Ball’s 1,500 guests, who include Academy Award® winners and nominees, show presenters and telecast participants, will celebrate in the Grand Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center® immediately following the telecast.

Boone Isaacs heads CBI Enterprises, Inc., a strategic marketing company. She was previously president of theatrical marketing at New Line Cinema, and prior to that executive vice president of worldwide publicity at Paramount Pictures.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Oscar nominees announced

Ok so I got four out of five on best picture.

81st Academy Awards®
Nominations Announced

Beverly Hills, CA — Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards were announced today (Thursday, January 22) by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Oscar® winner Forest Whitaker.

Ganis and Whitaker, who won an Academy Award® for his lead performance in “The Last King of Scotland” (2006), announced the nominees in 10 of the 24 categories at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. Lists of nominations in all categories then were distributed to the news media in attendance and via the Internet on the official Academy Awards Web site, 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, nominations are selected by vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Nominations ballots were mailed to the 5,810 voting members in late December and were returned directly to Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, the international accounting firm, for tabulation.

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members this weekend at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Screenings also will be held at the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood and in London, New York and San Francisco.

All active and life members of the Academy are eligible to select the winners in all categories, although in five of them – Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject and Foreign Language Film members can vote only if they have seen all of the nominated films in those categories.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

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Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
• Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
• Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
• Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
• Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
• Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
• “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

• “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

• “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

• “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature

• “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
• “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
• “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
• “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
• “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

• “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
• “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
• “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
• “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

• “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
• “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
• “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
• “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
• “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
• “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat
• “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

• “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
• “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
• “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam
  

Best motion picture of the year

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
• “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

• “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
• “Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
• “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
• “Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
• “This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

• “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
• “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
• “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
• “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
• “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
• “Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
• “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
• “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

• “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
• “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
• “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Don't forget about the best picture showcase

My predictions for the Best Picture Nominees

Forest Whitaker to Join Academy President Sid Ganis for Oscar® Nominations

Forest Whitaker to Join
Academy President Sid Ganis
for Oscar® Nominations

Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards® will be announced on Thursday, January 22, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Oscar-winning actor and Academy member Forest Whitaker.

Ganis and Whitaker will unveil the nominations in 10 of the 24 award categories at a 5:30 a.m. 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 Web site, www.oscar.com.

In 2006 Whitaker took home the Leading Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland.” He recently completed work on “My Own Love Song” and will be seen next in “Hurricane Season.” Whitaker is not only an accomplished actor, he is also director of several films, including “First Daughter,” “Hope Floats” and “Waiting to Exhale.” His other acting credits include “Vantage Point,” “The Great Debaters,” “Phenomenon,” “Smoke,” “The Crying Game,” “Bird,” “Good Morning, Vietnam” and “Platoon.”

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Fellini Exhibit

Fellini’s Book of Dreams to
Come to Life in Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills, CA — Making its United States premiere, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ new exhibition “Fellini’s Book of Dreams” will delve into legendary writer-director Federico Fellini’s writings and drawings of his dreams and fantasies on Saturday, January 24, in the Academy’s Grand Lobby Gallery in Beverly Hills. Admission is free.

Featuring two original notebooks and more than 100 reproductions of original pages from Fellini’s Book of Dreams, the exhibition will include many images that inspired his most celebrated films.

Fellini began the notebooks in the 1960s and continued adding to them until 1990, three years before his death at the age of 73. The exhibition also will showcase numerous self-portraits, celebrity caricatures and film clips.

A 12-time Oscar® nominee (four nominations for directing, eight for writing) and a 1992 Honorary Award recipient, Fellini directed four films that won Academy Awards® in the Foreign Language Film category: “La Strada” (1956), “Nights of Cabiria” (1957), “8½” (1963) and “Amarcord” (1974). He was widely known for exploring facets of his subconscious through his art; by actively embracing his dream life, he gave himself the opportunity to explore themes that later played out in his films, including eroticism, religion, terror and love.

The exhibition is being presented in collaboration with the Fondazione Federico Fellini and the Fondazione Cinema per Roma.

“Fellini’s Book of Dreams” will be on display through Sunday, April 19. The Academy’s Grand Lobby Gallery, located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends, noon to 6 p.m.

For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org

2009 NYC Oscar Party at the Carlyle

2009 NYC Oscar® Party to
Be Held at The Carlyle

New York, NY— On Oscar Night®, Sunday, February 22, 2009, New York-area members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will celebrate the 81st Academy Awards® at The Carlyle, the legendary Manhattan hotel that stands at the corner of East 76th Street and Madison Avenue.

Since 1990, the Academy has hosted a New York Oscar Night celebration for its East Coast members, many of whom are previous winners and nominees.

“This is an encore performance at The Carlyle for the Academy’s New York Events Committee,” said Bud Rosenthal, the committee’s chair. “Last year’s Oscar Night party at this cultural landmark drew so many rave reviews from our members that we're back by popular demand and looking forward to another gala evening.”

A familiar venue for New York’s entertainment elite since the 1930s, The Carlyle has served as a home away from home for countless movie stars, U.S. presidents and international artists, and has been the site of several film productions.

The evening’s festivities will begin with a cocktail reception in the Café Carlyle, which since its original opening in 1955 has earned a reputation for intimate cabaret and jazz performances by legendary performers. Following cocktails, the invited guests will adjourn to the Trianon Suite for a multi-course dinner and live viewing of the Academy Awards telecast. Executive chef James Sakatos will create the menu.

New York's Oscar Night party is open to all Academy members who reside on the East Coast or who might be visiting at that time. For more information about the event, Academy members may call (212) 821-9255.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Douglas Fairbanks Exhibit

The First “King of Hollywood” to
Resume Reign in Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills, CA – In celebration of the life and career of one of Hollywood’s earliest movie stars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will premiere its new exhibition, “Douglas Fairbanks: The First King of Hollywood,” on Saturday, January 24, at the Academy’s Fourth Floor Gallery in Beverly Hills. Admission is free.

The exhibition will illuminate Fairbanks’s multifaceted life as a movie star, studio founder, philanthropist and civic leader through film clips, movie posters, props, costumes, original documents and stunning photographic imagery. The exhibition spans from his earliest days in silent films through his transition into talkies, delves into his famous marriage to Mary Pickford and spotlights his friendships with such fellow Hollywood legends as Charlie Chaplin.

In the 1920s, Fairbanks’s success in such films as “The Mask of Zorro,” “The Thief of Bagdad,” “The Black Pirate” and “Douglas Fairbanks as The Gaucho” sealed his action-hero status around the world.

In addition to being regarded as one of silent Hollywood’s greatest stars, Fairbanks also was one of its most respected citizens. He served as the Academy’s first president, was a founder of United Artists, and along with his wife Mary Pickford, was the first to be immortalized in the Grauman’s Chinese Theater footprint ceremony. Fairbanks’s enormous popularity and far-reaching success cemented his status as the first “King of Hollywood.”

“Douglas Fairbanks: The First King of Hollywood” has been organized in conjunction with the publication of the Academy’s new book Douglas Fairbanks. Authored by Jeffrey Vance with Tony Maietta, with Robert Cushman as photographic editor, the book examines Fairbanks’s art and ventures behind his public persona, showcasing more than 200 photographs, some unseen for more than 75 years. Douglas Fairbanks is available for purchase wherever books are sold.

The exhibition is presented in association with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, whose collection includes a number of the artifacts that will be on display.

“Douglas Fairbanks: The First King of Hollywood” will be open to the public through Sunday, April 19, in the Academy’s Fourth Floor Gallery, located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends, noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

9 Foreign Language Films Advance in 2008 Oscar(R) Race

9 Foreign Language
Films Advance in 2008 Oscar® Race

Beverly Hills, CA — Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 81st Academy Awards®. Sixty-five films had originally qualified in the category.

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

Austria, “Revanche,” Gotz Spielmann, director;
Canada, “The Necessities of Life,” Benoit Pilon, director;
France, “The Class,” Laurent Cantet, director;
Germany, “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” Uli Edel, director;
Israel, “Waltz with Bashir,” Ari Folman, director;
Japan, “Departures,” Yojiro Takita, director;
Mexico, “Tear This Heart Out,” Roberto Sneider, director;
Sweden, “Everlasting Moments,” Jan Troell, director;
Turkey, “3 Monkeys,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2008 are being determined in two phases.

The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 65 eligible films between mid-October and January 10. That 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 2008 nominees by specially selected committees in New York and Los Angeles. The committee members will spend this Friday, Saturday and Sunday viewing three of the films each day.

The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.

Meet The Oscars

Meet the Oscars®, Chicago

Beverly Hills, CA — For the first time, Oscar® fans in Chicago will be able to hold an actual Oscar statuette and have their photo taken at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Meet the Oscars, Chicago.” The one-of-a-kind exhibition will open Friday, February 13, at The Shops at North Bridge on Michigan Avenue, and run through Sunday, February 22, the night of the 81st Academy Awards® presentation. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. Chicago is the only city to host a “Meet the Oscars” exhibition this year.

“Meet the Oscars, Chicago” features a display of Oscars in various stages of completion, as they undergo their intricate, weeks-long manufacturing process. Chicago’s own R.S. Owens & Company has manufactured the statuettes each year since 1982. Six of the Oscars on display will be presented at next year’s Academy Awards ceremony.

Also on display will be the historic statuette that actor Clark Gable won for his performance in “It Happened One Night” (1934). In 1996 an anonymous buyer purchased this Oscar at auction for $607,500. Later that year, the Oscar was returned to the Academy, and the buyer was revealed to be Steven Spielberg.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, 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.