Among the big winners at last Sunday’s 84th Annual Academy Awards was Belfast-born director Terry George, whose short film ‘The Shore‘ won for Best Live Action Short Film.

George has previously been nominated twice at the Academy Awards, once in 1994 for Best Adapted Screenplay for ‘In The Name of the Father‘, and again in 2005 for Best Original Screenplay for ‘Hotel Rwanda‘. His win for The Shore, however, represents the culmination in a long labour of love which sought to depict Northern Ireland in a brand new light to the world.

The Shore stars Ciarán Hinds, Conleth Hill, Maggy Cronin and Kerry Condon, and centres around a man (played by Hinds) who returns to Northern Ireland after a long absence with his daughter (played by Condon) and forges a reconciliation with an old friend and an old lover (played by Hill and Cronin, respectively). The theme of reconciliation is an important one for George, who served as both writer and director on the project, with him stating in his acceptance speech:

Our little film was inspired by the people of Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, who, after 30 years of war, sat down, negotiated a peace, and proved to the world that the Irish are great talkers. I want to dedicate this to them.

George accepted the award with his co-producer – and daughter – Oorlagh, showing how much this film was a family affair. George shot the majority of The Shore in Killough, a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, where many of the George family still reside and where George will be making a triumphant return later this week.

The film’s Academy Award success could not have been predicted when it made its initial premiere last April at the Belfast Film Festival, however, since then it has gone on to secure both an international distribution deal and cinema run, a television airing in the UK, and has even been made available for purchase on iTunes for just £1.49.

The success of the film will potentially result in a boom in tourism, but the main hope is that it will lead to an increase in activity for Northern Ireland’s film and television industry. Already this year, American cable dramas Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy have shot on location in the country, while the BBC’s upcoming crime drama The Fall, starring Gillian Anderson, has been confirmed to be shooting a significant part of its five-episode order in Belfast in the coming weeks.

All of this would have deemed unimaginable just a decade or so ago, when Northern Ireland was still in the throes of The Troubles. Yet, political advancements in the peace process and George’s own admitted fatigue with the ‘Hollywood’ way of making films all led to The Shore being made possible, and to a potential revision to the outside view of 21st century life in Northern Ireland.

Image Courtesy of   http://theshorefilm.com/

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Martin Scorcese’s magical tale of the orphan Hugo who tries to make sense of his father’s death is currently sweeping the stakes at the 84th Academy Awards. Below are the speech of the winners so far.

Winner in Cinematography: Robert Richardson

I can’t believe somebody put cinematography up first because it can only go up from this point. I want to thank you all. Marty, you’re a genius as usual and Graham, sticking in there all the way. I’d love to thank Ian, Chris, Gregor, Kanchan, Maya, Beauty, you’re all my family. And to all the past, future and present filmmakers, this is for you.

Winner in Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo

Dante Ferretti: Thank you to the Academy for this prestigious award. A great thank you goes to the producer Graham King and Tim Headington, to all my art department, but the most of all my very special thank you to a eccezionale director who guide us though this wonderful journey: Martin Scorsese. Thank you, thank you, thank you very much. Grazie, Martin.

Francesca Lo Schiavo: This is for Martin and for Italy.

Backstage, Ferretti and Schiavo answered a few questions to the Oscar news corps.

A. (Dante Ferretti) Today is my birthday and I think this is the most incredible gift I’ve ever been given.

A. (Francesca Lo Schiavo) Happy birthday, Dante.

Q. I was taken to task by Robert Richardson for the simple question that given your track record of working with Scorcese, what was different working in this film, obviously except for the fact there was such a larger component of green screen digitally involved compared to your past movie. How did that make it different?

A. I did eight movies so far with Martin and this is the first time that not only for me but for everybody who worked on this film, for Martin, for Bob Richardson, for everybody. And it was also when we started the movie the movie was supposed to be in normal 2D, but then they decided to do it in 3D. And then we started we did many research with it and we understood to do it in 3D, we have to take more attention for all the detail, for everything, for foreground, for more depth. So anyway, it’s like now, we are in 3D, you work in the middle of the 3D, you see people in front and behind and the end, on the back. So it’s good. I think the work is good enough to be exaggerated. It has to be what I think in HUGO, what Marty did and Marty and Bob Richardson. When you sit in theater, you are, like, inside the screen. This is what I feel, what I saw. This is it.

Q. When you were on stage you mentioned the fact that this was for Italy, and I was wondering for you, do you feel like this award is for your country?

A. (Francesca Lo Schiavo) Yeah.

Q. When did you decide that this profession was for you?  What made you decide?

A. (Francesca Lo Schiavo) Listen, I decide many, many, many years ago and of course I was in Italy, and I was so deeply interested about the decoration and I work in interior design studios, and then, I mean, at the same time I love so much movies. So when I understood that it was possible to do both, I mean, the decoration, movies, so that was the start for of my job, to make decisions about to do this job.

Q. Dante, Francesca, congratulations. This is your third nomination for your third Oscar. What has changed? The nominations are the same year after year, you keep winning everything, you keep doing incredible good work. What does it change in your work and also approach to your winning another Oscar?

A. (Dante Ferretti) Nothing changed, actually. Tomorrow morning I have to wake up very early, I have to go back to work and anyway, it’s good. For me it doesn’t change because this is something important for your work, but for me every time I start a new film it’s like my first one. So for this, when the people ask me when do you go on vacation, for me, I go on vacation when I start a new movie, and this feels very important for me.

Q. And you, Francesca?

A. (Francesca Lo Schiavo) For me, it doesn’t change anything because because just, I mean, I have more enthusiasm for to keep going, keep going.

Q. Congratulations.

Image Courtesy of  Paramount/Jaap Buitendijk

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On Sunday, February 26, charities in 49 cities will host official Oscar viewing parties during the 84th Academy Awards ceremony as part of Oscar Night America (ONA), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ grassroots outreach program.

The Academy sanctions charities across the country to host celebratory viewing parties on Oscar Night with proceeds directly benefiting the charities. All parties will feature the live broadcast of the Awards presentation; many will integrate Hollywood-style party elements, including red carpet arrivals, local celebrities, “paparazzi” photographers, predict-the-winner contests and live entertainment.

The 2012 Oscar Night America charities and cities are (alphabetical by city):

• KiMo Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
• The Center for Family Resources, Atlanta, GA
• AIDS Interfaith Residential Services (AIRS), Baltimore, MD
• 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
• Ashtabula County Medical Center Foundation, Cleveland, OH
• USA Film Festival, Dallas, TX
• Denver Film Society, Denver, CO
• Southgate Community Players, Detroit, MI
• Waterfront Film Festival, Grand Rapids, MI
• Community Theatre of Greensboro, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC
• Junior League of Greenville, Greenville, SC
• Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition, Hartford, CT
• Hawaii International Film Festival, Honolulu, HI
• American Cancer Society, High Plains Division, Houston, TX
• United Way of Central Indiana, Indianapolis, IN
• Variety – The Children’s Charity of Eastern Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
• Variety – The Children’s Charity of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
• Wolfe Street Foundation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
• MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity, Los Angeles, CA
• WHAS Crusade for Children, Louisville, KY
• Ronald McDonald House of Memphis, Memphis, TN
• Miami Beach Film Society, Miami, FL
• COA Youth & Family Centers, Milwaukee, WI
• Aegis Foundation, Minneapolis, MN
• Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN
• American Red Cross, Southeast Louisiana Chapter, New Orleans, LA
• Ronald McDonald House of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, OK
• Alzheimer’s Association, Midlands Chapter, Omaha, NE
• Variety – The Children’s Charity of Florida, Orlando, FL
• Palm Beach International Film Festival, Palm Beach, FL
• Volunteers of America Delaware Valley, Philadelphia, PA
• Arthritis Foundation, Greater Southwest Chapter, Phoenix, AZ
• Rhode Island International Film Festival, Providence, RI
• Theatre In The Park, Raleigh, NC
• Central Virginia Film Institute, Richmond, VA
• Capital City AIDS Fund, Sacramento, CA
• Cinema St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
• Utah AIDS Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT
• Special Olympics Texas, San Antonio, TX
• Community Campership Council, Inc., San Diego, CA
• California Film Institute, San Francisco, CA
• Starlight Children’s Foundation Northwest, Seattle, WA
• Isabel’s House, Springfield, MO
• Tampa Theatre, Tampa, FL
• Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation, Tucson, AZ

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 with 17,332 guests in attendance nationwide. More than $3.5 million was raised, all of it remaining in local communities. 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, 2010, 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.

Image Courtesy of   Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer and Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams will serve as music consultants for the 84th Academy Awards, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced. This will be the first time the composers have worked on the Oscar show.

“Hans is one of the most accomplished and creative film composers of our time, and Pharrell is a phenomenal songwriter with an amazing list of credits,” said Grazer and Mischer. “This is an exciting and prestigious collaboration that promises to take the audience on a musical journey.”

“It is a great privilege to serve the Academy in this role and to help celebrate and honor this year’s incredible artistry,” stated Zimmer. ”I am honored to work with my mentor and teacher, Hans Zimmer and I have wanted to collaborate with Brian Grazer on something for years,” said Williams. “I cannot believe I will be joining them and their teams on the most prestigious show of the year, the Academy Awards.”

Zimmer won an Oscar in 1994 for Original Score for “The Lion King” and has received eight additional nominations for Original Score. He has earned 10 Grammy nominations and won four.

Williams is a prolific producer-singer-songwriter who has also written for feature films. He has been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards and has won three. Williams’ songs have appeared on the soundtracks of such films as “Any Given Sunday,” “Kiss of the Dragon,” “Zoolander,” and “Knocked Up.” He wrote the original song score for “Despicable Me.”

Other news about the biggest night for Hollywood – Denny Clairmont, John Hora, Bob Lambert and Milt Shefter have accepted invitations to join the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, bringing the Council’s 2011–2012 membership roster to 24.

Clairmont, one of the industry’s premier motion picture camera technologists, co-founded Clairmont Camera, a camera rental company that has grown into one of the largest in the world. In 2010 he received the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation for “outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.”

A member of the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards Committee since 1993, Clairmont also has served for several years on numerous subcommittees. He has been an Academy member since 2002. Hora has been a member of the Academy’s Cinematographers Branch since 1986.

As a senior executive of The Walt Disney Company for more than 20 years, Lambert has been a leader in the transition to digital technologies in film, television, gaming, social media and emerging consumer media. He initiated the company’s successful collaboration with Pixar and oversaw the development of new digital production processes such as the “CAPS” system for feature animation, which was recognized with a Scientific and Engineering Award in 1991. Lambert has been an Academy member since 1999.

Shefter, a film preservationist and president of Miljoy Enterprises, is best known for the creation, design and management of the extensive Paramount Pictures Asset Protection Program, including construction of state-of-the-art archival facilities worldwide. He was the project lead for the Academy reports The Digital Dilemma and the upcoming Digital Dilemma 2, due out next month. He has been an Academy member since 1989.

Established in 2003 by the Academy’s Board of Governors, the Science and Technology Council provides a forum for the exchange of information, promotes cooperation among diverse technological interests within the industry, sponsors publications, fosters educational activities and preserves the history of science and technology of motion pictures.

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.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/n-r-t/

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