The unapologetic story about a white quadriplegic millionaire and a black man fresh out of jail could be the movie experience you’ve been waiting for all year. Directors/screenwriting team Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano were inspired by the real life story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his caretaker Abdel Sellou to make the moving tale of a friendship created from the most unlikely situation.

Philippe is bound to a wheelchair and leads a fairly isolated but high brow existence. He is dependent on his staff to do everything for him, but is frustrated by the exaggerated sensitivity of professionals. While interviewing for yet another assistant, Driss shows up. Driss is fresh out of jail and only looking to get a paper signed so he can qualify for benefits. Philippe is intrigued by the roughness of Driss’ personality and decides to hire him for a trial period.

This is the beginning of an intriguing friendship. Nakache and Toledano have molded their story around this young man from the slums and the privileged but physically helpless cripple. It does not necessarily woo you with social relevance, but draws a wonderful portrait of two men’s very different abilities to sympathize without pitying, and pushing each other to become a better person.

Philippe is played by the French film and theater actor François Cluzet, who the English-speaking audience may remember as Bob from the 90’s romantic comedy ‘French Kiss.’ Cluzet won a César Award in 2007 for his part in the French thriller ‘Ne le dis á Personne,’ but you may also recognize him for his uncanny resemblance to Dustin Hoffman. His interpretation of a man who has everything but the ability to enjoy it is eloquent and subtle– and convincing. The characterization of Philippe has an obvious upper-class air to it, and his seemingly aloof smiles keep the audience wondering what really goes on in his mind.

The only person who really seems able to reach behind Philippe’s dissociating facade is Driss. The lead in ‘Intouchables’ is pretty much split right down the middle between François Cluzet and Omar Sy, and it is their interaction that becomes the core achievement of Nakache and Toledano’s work. Omar Sy plays Driss: a down-on-his-luck immigrant with a complicated past and no future in sight. Even though you would categorize Driss at a glance as a thug, he is not a bad person. He possesses unique qualities as a human that, not even in his wildest fantasies lands him the job at Philippe’s house.

Omar Sy has received widespread praise for his portrayal of a cocky smartass of a hoodlum who really just wants what is best for the people he cares about. His blunt and childlike approach to the care of Philippe is both heartwarming and hilarious. Omar Sy has previously had small parts in French cinema, and has been part of a comedy duo with humorist Frédéric Testot as well. He became the first black actor to win the César Award for Best Actor this year, and was also nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actor.

The film itself received eight nominations at the César Awards 2012 and was announced in September to be the French entry for the Foreign Language category at the 85th Academy Awards.

‘Intouchables’ rests very much on the brilliant interaction between Philippe and Driss, helped by a wonderful supporting cast, particularly Anne Le Ny. The pace of the film is as much an advantage as a disadvantage; it builds upon the experience of how two men would go on with their day if one of them were paralyzed from the neck down, but it also loses some of its momentum when the audience has to sit through yet another piano solo.

Grade: 3/5 – Beautiful performances, wrapped in a beautiful story, tied with the ribbon of beautiful cinematography. However, although you fall in love with their friendship, you can quickly forget the whole experience again. As beautiful as it is, the ease with which Driss slips into the life of Philippe makes this film too good to be true- despite being based on a true story.

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The newly Oscar awarded ‘The Artist’ is Michel Hazanavicius’s third film with director of photography Guillaume Schiffman, who shot both of Hazanavicius OSS comedies. “With Guillaume, it’s more than just collaboration,” Hazanavicius remarks. “We’ve done films together, we’ve done ads together, and we know each other very well.

As soon as I had the idea of ‘The Artist’, I talked to him about it. I gave him tons of films to watch and he did a lot of professional research about the techniques, cameras and lenses of the time. The idea was the same for all us, on both sides of the camera: do some research; nourish ourselves; understand the rules thoroughly in order to be able to forget them at the end.”

Hazanavicius had storyboarded the entire screenplay for ‘The Artist’, and during preproduction he and Schiffman spent countless hours looking at these blueprints and discussing their options. In a black and white silent movie, lighting and color scale become critical tools of the storytelling, Schiffman points out.

“Because there’s no dialogue, light has to tell you something, the shadows have to tell you something. Michel told me how he envisaged the story, how he was going to play with the blacks and whites, shadow and light, and a lot of grays. What is fascinating about Michel is that he never loses sight of the story he wants to tell. You can’t produce only beautiful images and lose the audience in the process. The goal isn’t to make the audience go ‘Wow!’ at each shot but to captivate them and, in this case, to move them.”

Schiffman describes the film as a rare creative opportunity. “A black and white movie; 1.33 format; 20s and 30s style: it’s a dream come true for a cinematographer. What a pleasure to revisit this moment of cinema history, particularly today, when we are moving towards digital supremacy.”

As pre-production got underway in Los Angeles, news of ‘The Artist’ spread quickly in the film community. The black and white style and period setting offered interesting and unusual work for all the industry’s trades: set design, costume design, hair and makeup, camera, electric, etc. Hazanavicius was delighted to find himself surrounded by some of best and most experienced professionals in Los Angeles, all of them eager to contribute.

“Everyone got very excited,” the filmmaker smiles. “I think people appreciated the fact that this was a movie about their profession. People from the camera department offered to make special lenses, old projectors were pulled out of closets … it was very special.”

One of the earliest hires was production designer Laurence Bennett, who has worked extensively with writer/director Paul Haggis on films including the Oscar-winning ‘Crash’. Hazanavicius notes that he had very specific elements he wanted to incorporate into the film’s design, responsibilities that Bennett took on.

“The Artist’ is about the fall of an actor, so I was always looking for locations with stairs. I wanted the actors to go down, and down, and down, sequence after sequence,” says Hazanavicius. “It’s the same with mirrors; it’s the idea of representation because George is an actor. There are always many George Valentins in the frame. Larry brought his own sensibility to the production design, while achieving all the very precise effects I asked him to create. He did a great job.”

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Having never written a silent film, ‘The Artist’ creator Michel Hazanavicius immersed himself in the genre to gain an understanding of what did and didn’t work. “At the very beginning I watched movies from all over: America, Germany, Russia, France, England. I observed that as soon as the story starts to grow unclear — too many new developments, too many characters — you lose interest,” he says.

“Very soon I focused on the last four or five years of the silent era, especially in America. I think those were the best movies, and also the ones that aged best. The way the stories are told in American silents isn’t so different than the way the stories are told today.” Along with watching films, the director read cinema histories as well as memoirs and biographies of silent era directors, producers and stars. He looked at photographs and other archival materials and listened to music of the period.

He drew inspiration from the work and lives of such stars as Douglas Fairbanks, Joan Crawford, Gloria Swanson, John Gilbert and Greta Garbo. “Research is very important,” he comments. “Not so much to be strictly realistic — that’s not what I’m after — but as a springboard for the imagination. The research fed the story, the context, the characters.  The more research you have done, the more you can play with it all.”

Unfolding during a four year period, 1927-1931, ‘The Artist’ introduces its titular character, the action-adventure hero George Valentin, at the peak of his popularity. Fans flock to see George in films tailored to his dashing persona: exotic tales in which he triumphs over evil with wit, panache and the aid of his devoted sidekick, a Jack Russell terrier with impeccable timing.

When sound arrives, George resists the upstart format (as did Chaplin, among others). He stakes his career on his belief that the talkies will remain a novelty, and sets out to prove that he can succeed on his own terms, as an artist of the silent cinema.

Though ‘The Artist’ is set over 80 years ago, George’s circumstances, and the powerful emotions attached, are as current as ever. Says Hazanavicius, “To me, it’s interesting to think of George’s story in terms of a human being in a transition period. The world is always moving, and you might be looking in another direction.

One day, the world says to you, ‘you’re part of the past.’ It can happen in your own office, in your factory, in your relationship. It’s a feeling any person can understand.” But before he begins his descent from Hollywood heights, George meets the energetic young actress Peppy Miller.

The famous actor and the effervescent unknown are irresistibly drawn to one another, but are kept apart by chance and circumstance, unable to give voice to their feelings. It’s a classic scenario of star-crossed romance, intense yet chaste. “It’s an old-fashioned vision of love, very pure, and it also holds with the form of silent movies,” comments Hazanavicius. “Some of the masterpieces of silent cinema are simple love stories. They inspired me to take the film in a direction that was lighter, more optimistic and joyful.”

By the time he finished writing, Hazanavicius felt confident that he had constructed a story that could sustain a silent format. Hazanavicius believed ‘The Artist’ — steeped in Hollywood cinema history, sensibility and technique — had to be shot in Los Angeles.

And a Franco-American production in Los Angeles would mirror yet another aspect of silent movie history: many of the most renowned directors of the American silent cinema were native Europeans, including Charlie Chaplin, Erich von Stroheim, F.W. Murnau, Ernst Lubitsch, Josef von Sternberg and Victor Sjöström.

To Hazanavicius’s delight, Langmann agreed the film belonged in Los Angeles. “If Thomas had said to me, ‘Okay, we’ll make the film but we’ll shoot it in the Ukraine!, I would have gone to the Ukraine to shoot it,” the filmmaker remarks. “Thomas did everything within his power to allow us to shoot ‘The Artist’ where it should be shot, where the action took place.”

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A strong sense of place has always been a hallmark of director Alexander Payne‘s work but with ‘The Descendants’ it would become even more central. From the beginning, he and his crew of frequent collaborators were acutely aware that they were going where few filmmakers have gone before by following an intimate family drama into the lush fabric of Hawaii.

All of the conflicting juxtapositions of contemporary Hawaiian culture — modern and ancient, urban and wild, growth and preservation — became wrapped into the film‘s design, from the photography to the sets. The newest of the U.S. states, Hawaiian history goes back 1500 years, when Polynesian explorers first sailed canoes by the light of the stars to the fertile string of volcanic islands. Later, settlers arrived from across Polynesia – Tahiti, Samoa and Tonga – forging a distinctive matriarchal culture with its own language, customs, art forms and legends.

In 1810, King Kamehameha, Chief of the Big Island, united all the islands into one Hawaiian Kingdom. Soon after, Christian missionaries began to arrive, followed by colonialists from mainland United States. In 1893, a group of American businessmen overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy, paving the way for annexation. Meanwhile, the culture continued to evolve and adapt, merging elements of American values with native Hawaiian ways.

When Hawaii became a U.S. state in 1959, it was dubbed the ‘Aloha‖ state’, reflecting the impossible-to-translate Hawaiian word that conveys an open-hearted spirit rooted in a love of the land.

“My grandfather, he really loved this place. So did your mother. So does your mother.”

– Matt King.

To capture the islands as they are today — as rife with developers and suburbia as they are with laid-back surfers and Polynesian traditions — with a fresh eye, Payne reunited with director of photography Phedon Papamichael, who previously worked with him on ‘Sideways’. As soon as he read the script, Papamichael knew it was going to be something different. “It was a very dialogue-driven story, which usually means the film will be less visual,” he begins.

“But in the case, the opposite was true. Because of the way the Hawaiian setting is juxtaposed with the King family‘s struggles, the visuals take on a major role. It was going to be very important to capture the beauty and nature of the surrounding environment so you can understand the conflict Matt feels over selling his family‘s land.”

Papamichael divided the film between two Hawaiis: the more hectic, citified Hawaii of Honolulu and the stunning, natural Mecca of Hanalei Bay on the island of Kauai, draped with verdant, tropical rain forests and surrounded by sapphire seas. “We really wanted to give a feeling for the community in Honolulu but also the beauty of the coast so you understand what could be lost and the connection to history that is there.

That‘s why we decided to shoot wide-screen, which Alexander has only done once before, on ‘Election’,” he explains. “We decided that it would be a lot of fun to have that epic frame with these small, human figures confronted with the majesty of the landscape.”

At the same time, both men wanted the film to stay true to Payne‘s distinctively unadorned style, which is almost an anti-style. “I like to bring an almost documentary style to fiction filmmaking,” says Payne. “It gives the story a sense of reportage.” Papamichael concurs.  “With Alexander, one of the biggest assignments is always to make sure the photography doesn‘t get in the way of the story. He really loves realism, to the point that if we go

to a location and there are tree trimmers working nearby, he says ‘great‘ and he embraces that as part of what‘s going on in the scene,” he explains. “Or, for example, when we shot in the bar where George Clooney meets Beau Bridges, it was very important to Alexander to have the real locals who frequent the place be in there to get that feel of reality. The same goes for lighting. It‘s always very natural, to the point that the audience should never realize that they‘re watching a crafted film.”

He continues, “We really want the audience to be taken in by the characters without distraction. The emotions are so intense and the writing so strong, we don‘t need to add visual drama.” Hawaii, however, often brought its own drama. “The light there is challenging because it is constantly changing,” notes Papamichael.

“It can go from overcast to sunny in the time frame of one shot. Fortunately, both Alexander and George, being a filmmaker himself, are very good at reacting in the moment so you can switch scenes around. It gave us a lot of flexibility.”

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The 20th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party hosted by Sir Elton John and David Furnish raised $5.25 million for the fight against HIV/AIDS. The gala, which took place on Sunday, February 26, at West Hollywood Park in Los Angeles, was co-sponsored by Chopard, Neuro, and Wells Fargo; American Airlines serves as the Foundation’s official sponsoring airline.

Attendees included Academy Award winning Best Actor Jean Dujardin, Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani, with her band No Doubt, Quincy Jones, Heidi Klum, Katy Perry, Kim &Kourtney Kardashian, Aziz Ansari, Anna Paquin & Stephen Moyer, Neil Patrick Harris, Dave Grohl, Smokey Robinson, Matthew Morrison, Chace Crawford, Ian Somerhalder & Nina Dobrev, Adam Lambert, Marisa Miller, Alessandra Ambrosio, Whoopi Goldberg, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Jessica Lowndes, Mischa Barton, Billie Jean King, Brooklyn Decker, Chris Colfer, Colton Haynes, Darren Criss, Dianna Argon & Sebastian Stan, Dita von Teese, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Karolina Kurkova, Kyle MacLachlan, Liam Hemsworth, Lorraine Bracco, Ted Danson & Mary Steenburgen, Mehcad Brooks, Mena Suvari, Michelle Rodriguez, Miley Cyrus, Natasha Henstridge, Natasha Bedingfield, Paul Stanley, Paz Vega, Petra Nemcova, Ryan Kwanten, Joel McHale, Taye Diggs & Idina Menzel, Paul Wesley, Torrey DeVitto, Michael B. Jordan, Rebecca De Costa, Sandra Lee, Kat Graham, Sarah Hyland, Sky Ferreira, Anika Noni Rose, Gina Carano, Kelly Osbourne and Ziyi Zhang.

Guests arrived at the Academy Awards Viewing Party for cocktails followed by a gala dinner and viewing of the 84th Academy Awards® telecast. This year, Chef Cat Cora, the first and only female Iron Chef on The Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” prepared an exquisite 5-course meal for guests that included sesame encrusted lamb meatballs with harissa yogurt, sauteed sea bass with lemon couscous and piquillo pepper saffron sauce, and chocolate budino with whipped cream and fresh berries.

The dinner was followed by a lively auction. Auction items included a tennis lesson with 10 time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal that sold for $190,000 twice; an in-home cooking class for up to ten people with Chef Cat Cora which sold for $100,000 to Steve Tisch, owner of the NFL champion New York Giants;

The opportunity to join Elton John and David Furnish at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party that sold for $230,000and a surprise auction lot – a bite from “Vampire Diaries” stars Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerholder, set visit to the show and lunch with Elton John and David Furnish went for $80,000. Following the auction, Foster the People took the stage to perform several songs including their hits “Pumped Up Kicks”, “Helena Beat” and “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” much to the crowd’s delight.

The HIV/AIDS virus was first observed by physicians in American patients 30 years ago and while tremendous strides have been made in our understanding of this terrible disease, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done and many challenges to overcome.

Twenty years ago, Sir Elton John pledged to the Hollywood community that he would hold this event every year until a cure for HIV/AIDS had been found.  Today, the Hollywood community is still standing with Sir Elton John, showing their support for the Foundation and this worthy cause.

Follow the Elton John AIDS Foundation on Facebook:  http://apps.facebook.com/causes/5321. And on Twitter @ejaforg.

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Gore Verbinski was celebrated last night for his first animated venture ‘Rango’, taking home the golden statue for Best Animated Feature. “Someone asked me if this film was for kids and, I don’t know, but it was certainly created by a bunch of grownups acting like children and we just had the best time,” the director and screenwriter said in his acceptance speech.

Verbinski is best known as the man behind the successful ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ -trilogy and his working relations with Johnny Depp, who depicted the swashbuckle galore of Captain Jack Sparrow, has led to the colorful collaboration for Rango. “I want to thank the real-world chameleon, Mr. Johnny Depp,” said Verbinski, “and the entire cast for coming out and playing.”

It doesn’t get any better than this, thank you.

After leaving the stage, the eager Oscar press corps were ready to ask about the win.

Q. So you developed this movie completely outside of the studio system completely by design. I’m wondering if you feel like there’s a message in that for other people who are trying to do really off the wall pictures?

A. It helps when you’re friends with Johnny Depp. I mean, we needed money and, you know, once Johnny said he was in, it was things started to happen. But we didn’t go right to a studio we went to Graham Graham King who gave us enough money to do the story reel. So for the first 18 months we were just out of our house, seven artists and John Logan, long walks you know, barbecues in the backyard. It was great.

Q. What is the takeaway for you as a filmmaker having done this and gone back and forth now between live action and animation?

A. This it’s a pretty profound question. I mean they’re two completely different hats. I suppose underneath all of it it’s just, you know, finding a story you want to tell in the same way you would as you were if you were sitting around a campfire or something. But completely different. I mean there’s no there are no gifts in animation. We have to fabricate everything including the anomalies, you know, and yet now I’m two days into shooting a live action picture. I actually go back tomorrow to shoot, and you know, there’s chaos and you can’t you can’t orchestrate things exactly how you want them, but when events happen, they’re set in stone and you’re done. So completely different hat. I mean, I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s just every every aspect of it is so different.

Q. You did something a little unorthodox in this film. You actually put all the actors in the same room and had them act. How much do you think that contributed to the success of the film?

A. Well, I don’t know about the success, but I don’t know any other way to direct actors. I mean, it’s I want them to act and react. I suppose it I think it made it feel like it was occurring and we encouraged line overlaps and we encouraged people to be out of breath. So we really were kind of paranoid of the computer making things clinical, and it so lends itself to perfection. So suddenly you had the feeling I guess in the soundtrack that there was a tortoise talking to a lizard, because Johnny was talking to Ned Beatty and they were actually playing the scene together. So I think there’s there’s something in there. There’s some sort of DNA underneath it all. But ultimately it was just a fear of having somebody sit with a bit of text in front of a microphone. I mean, I haven’t done that since I was selling sugar water, Budweiser, you know, or whatever, doing commercials, but that’s so distant from, you know, getting a performance.

Q. Gore, if you ever allowed yourself to dream of winning an Oscar, did you hope that it was going to be for a live action or for animation?

A. I don’t know. I feel like I’m dreaming right now, so I don’t I don’t think it matters. I mean, it’s here. It’s in my hand. It’s very heavy. It feels good.

Q. All right. As a friend of Johnny Depp, can you possibly describe what makes him fascinating? What makes him deliver even in an animated film, something more than any other actor could?

A. Well, I think every actor has a different process. He just, you know, really is brave in kind of pursuing the sort of awkward moment in trying to find something that’s not really rehearsed, or to try to find a way to approach something. If the lines are in one way, he’ll always come at it a different way. So I just, I think we have something in common in that sort of pursuit of trying to find working it until it’s genuinely a little off.

Image Courtesy of  84th Annual Academy Awards Awards®

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The heartbreaking tale of acid violence in Pakistan and the women victimized by the heinous practice won the category of Best Documentary (Short Subject) at this years Academy Awards, celebrated at the Hollywood and Highland Center last night.

Directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge followed the work of Dr. Mohammad Jawad in his native Pakistan where he performed reconstructive surgery on survivors of acid attacks. The film explores the problem as the women struggle for justice and the return of a dignified life.

Credit: Greg Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Daniel Junge took the word at first by saying “it’s more important that the Pakistani on the stage speak instead of me” to which Obaid-Chinoy responded:

Daniel and I want to dedicate this award to all the heroes working on the ground in Pakistan including Dr. Mohammad Jawad who’s here with us today, the plastic surgeon working on rehabilitating all these women, Rukhsana and Zakia who are our main subjects of the film whose resilience and bravery in the face of such adversity is admirable, and to all the women in Pakistan who are working for change, don’t give up on your dreams. This is for you.

The brief but beautiful speech was met by applause and the Oscar press corps welcomed the shaky, but thrilled winners afterwards.

A. (Daniel Junge) This is only a third less nerve racking than being up there. But still all the same. I think it’s important to note that this is the first Pakistani director nominated and now winning an Academy Award, which is really worth yeah, applaud. Thank you.

Q. Sharmeen, in an interview with Voice of America, you said that winning an Oscar was never a destination, it was never a goal in front of you. What does Oscar mean for you?

A. (Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy) Well, I think that it reinforces the fact today that you can be anyone and come from anywhere, but if you put quality work out there, that it will be judged on just that; the work that you put out there. And I think that some of the choices that the Academy’s made today an Irani film has won, a Pakistani film has won shows that, yes, the Academy does value good work that’s put out across the world, not just in North America.

Q. What would you like for Americans to know about Pakistan that we probably don’t know?

A. (Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy) That it’s possible that women like myself are born and raised there, emancipated, educated women, who return back to Pakistan to give back to that country. I lived in the United States for ten years. I went to college here and worked here, and I chose to go back because people like myself need to go back to create change in Pakistan.

Q. When you look back at the challenges that you have to go through while making this movie and, obviously, you overcame them, how do you feel about that now that you’ve won the Oscar?

A. (Daniel Junge) Any and all films are challenging, especially for we documentary filmmakers and even more so when you are documenting such dark, difficult subject matter. But I think that the fact that we were able to find redemption within the film and the fact that such that inklings that a hint of change happened while we were in the film is really as valuable as this, but not quite.

Q. Being the first filmmaker from Pakistan to win, can you tell us what kind of film industry you have in Pakistan? Is it thriving or is it also affected by the worldwide trend?

A. (Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy) In the fifties and sixties we had a vibrant film industry. Unfortunately, after that, it sort of died down. And now my generation, there are a number of filmmakers, we are trying to revive that, but it’s few and far between. And I hope that this will be an impetus to getting a more flourishing film industry in Pakistan.

Image Courtesy of   Matt Brown / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Credit: Greg Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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It was the documentary of the struggle of a high school football team which found its way to the winners podium at last nights celebration of the 84th Academy Awards. The feature, directed by Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin, follows the Manassas Tigers of Memphis as the three main protagonists, three underprivileged student-athletes make an attempt to beat the odds and turn years of losses into a winning season.

Climbing the stage to accept the statue, Dan Lindsay joked “A year ago today we were sitting in our editing room, depressed thinking nobody was ever going to see this movie and a friend said, ‘don’t worry, next year you’ll be at the Oscars’ and we said, ‘you’re an idiot.’ So we’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to him and say you’re a lot smarter than we thought.”

Credit: Greg Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

His fellow winner T.J. Martin added “We would also like to acknowledge our fellow nominees. They have inspired us in so many ways.” After the acceptance speech, the Oscar press corps received the elated winner backstage.

Q. How do you feel right now after, you know, with the Oscar on your hand is like?

A. (T.J. Martin) Surreal? I need someone to come up and pinch me. Thank you, Rich, this is really happening. Oh, my God.

A. (Daniel Lindsay) It was funny. I said to we went out into the lobby area right before the awards and had some champagne and just gave each other a hug and said, look, win or lose, this is incredible, I don’t know what happened, but and we just said, you know

A. (T.J. Martin) Win or lose, just getting nominated is, like, a phenomenal achievement for us, and again, like, so much of this, we can’t we could not thank the community of North Memphis enough for, like, we should not be the ones standing up here. They are the ones who actually their trust in us in telling their story is what enabled our success.

A. (Daniel Lindsay) Someone else is being way funnier than TJ.

Credit: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q. One of the things I’ve been saying is, this is one of the few categories that people get behind, get excited about. Can you talk about why documentary is such an invigorating category this year?

A. (Daniel Lindsay) First of all, I think there’s an unbelievable grouping in films. I mean, ‘Paradise Lost’, they freed three people out of jail, and that’s incredible. ‘Hell And Back Again’ is one of the most cinematic documentaries I’ve ever seen in my entire life. ‘Pina’ is pushing boundaries. Pushing boundaries is beautiful. ‘If A Tree Falls’ is intelligent and inspiring. Documentaries, I think it’s partly because of the technology, there’s a

A. (T.J. Martin) It democratizes it.

A. (Daniel Lindsay) Yes. There is a way to make films that you couldn’t make before and you can tell stories that you couldn’t tell before, and I think people just, you know, look, I don’t know if, like, people are clamoring for something genuine. And I don’t know, I think we’re sick of manufactured stuff, but I’m not going to make a statement.

Q. Congratulations, guys. I watched the film the other day and I loved it, but I wanted to ask you, there’s been a lot of questions about the whole issue of race with this, and the fact that once again we have the white coach and the black players, and I was just wondering for you, when you set out to make it, was it at all an issue, and I noticed since Mr. Combs is in back of the room, if he wanted to come up and address that issue as well with you?

A. (T.J. Martin) I’ll address it happily. When we first discovered the community of North Memphis, that’s what really, when we felt the absolute need to tell the story because I think between the three of us we’ve done a fair amount of traveling within the U.S., and I don’t think we’ve ever seen poverty on that level. So, once we got there and recognized that race and class was not an issue for both the volunteer coaches and the players, they didn’t see each other, the players didn’t see Coach Bill as their white coach and Coach Bill did not see his players as his, you know, African American players. So, for us, it was not our duty to bring in that element of it, if it wasn’t a reality for their, you know, for their day to day.

With that said, there was no way we were going to shy away from the socio economic, kind of, dynamics of the stage of the film and of the community, and at the end of the day I actually really appreciate that question because the whole point of it is what really inspires the conversation about race and class. It’s just the beginning of the conversation. We’d never say that we’re an authority figure on that, but we’d say it’s time to actually talk about it.

Credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q. Your film was situated in North Memphis, and West Memphis Three, which is ‘Paradise Lost 3’, was in West Memphis. Was there any coincidence that you guys might have crossed each other’s paths as documentarians and also both films look at issues of race and poverty from a completely different perspective, but was there any kind of bond or something when you were in North Memphis at the same time?

A. (Daniel Lindsay) I think the fact that you asked that question kind of relates to the question before, the fact that those aren’t just issues, class, poverty, it doesn’t have to do with anything with race, they’re two stories that deal with two different races, but it’s class and what that means to our society. But no, we never we met Joe for the first time in the nominees lunch and he’s been a hero of ours forever. I think I’ve seen ‘Brother’s Keeper’ 40 times. But we didn’t even know they were doing that film while we were there, which is kind of crazy. But no, I guess Memphis breeds good stories, I don’t know.

A. (T.J. Martin) We should add that we never set out to make a social issues based film. Our whole intention was to tell a wonderful human interest story, really a coming of age film, and that hopefully, once again, inspired a greater conversation and a greater dialog.

Image Courtesy of   Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S. (Top Image)

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The seeds of a memorable film most often comes from the craftsmanship of a well-written screenplay. For the Oscars 2012, the winners in the categories Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay were equally expected as they were surprising.

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash were awarded for their delicate adapted drama ‘The Descendants’, capturing the inner turmoil of a fractured family and personal chaos of an estranged father and betrayed husband. Backstage, the Oscar press corps caught up with them.

Credit: Greg Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q. I was wondering, from their first draft, what did you keep, what did you like, because I’m under the impression that you just rewrote everything and shot with your version of the script. And I’m just wondering what you kept from what Jim and Nat did.

A. (Alexander Payne) They paved a path for me because they had been through the book quite a few times, they had done a number of drafts. I think the main things you know, I’ve got to say in all honesty it was helpful for me to read their drafts both for what I kept and what I didn’t keep. I was able to sort of they gave me the luxury to be able to pick and choose what I personally responded to. What I didn’t keep, for example, was more screen time with the younger daughter rather than with the older daughter. For example, I was much more interested in the relationship with the older daughter. Two items in particular which I did keep, neither of them, sadly, made it in the final film, the girl singing “that shit is bananas.” Anyway, in one scene, you have to read the script, it’s not interesting to talk about.

And at the very end something also maintained, carried over from the novel, which was kind of a joke at the end of the what became in the film we hope a poignant spreading of the ashes, there was a joke which punctuated that. We shot that, that didn’t make it into the final film. But the [unintelligible], it’s just a matter of taste what one picks and chooses from a novel.

Credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q. I recently saw you were at the Spirit Awards. And you talked a lot about taking original work and making it your own, so I was just curious about what you took from the book and how you put your own original spin on it.

A. (Jim Rash) Well, I think, you know, after our first draft, actually I’m meeting with Alexander and our producer, Jim Burke, and getting some notes, that was sort of a thing that Alexander said to us to put the book aside for a second and get ourselves into understanding this character better. So I think it was more to sort of be able to put that away for a second and expand on it and let the scenes and the emotions there carry us through it, you know, and brighten that story.

Credit: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q. Mr. Payne, like the novelist William Kennedy’s ties to Albany, you have very profound and deep ties to Nebraska. And now that this Hawaiian story is over, what is the next part of your Nebraska identity, Nebraska roots, cultural ties and moves, and where does Nebraska fit into your future, sir?

A. (Alexander Payne) It’s been ten years thanks for the question. It’s been ten years since I’ve shot there and I haven’t shot there since ’01 since ‘About Schmidt’ and I’m anxious to go back. If I can cast it right, the next screenplay I’m involved in directing is a father son road trip from Billings, Montana to Lincoln that gets waylaid in a small town in central Nebraska. I’m from Omaha, so in a way my trying to interpret small town Nebraska is as exotic an endeavor as going to Hawaii. But I’m anxious to do so. I’m having trouble casting it, quite frankly, but I hope it works out.

Credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q. Why?

A. (Alexander Payne) Because the characters I didn’t write the script, by the way, I rewrote it, but I didn’t originate it. They’re very specific. I’m having trouble finding specifically people to fill those roles.

For Best Original Screenplay, Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ ran off with the glory. The quirky romantic comedy about the protagonist Gil, who is swept away in the magic of the Parisian night as he is caught up in a professional, and personal crisis, is cited as one of Allen’s best films in recent years.

The 76-year-old was not present to claim his awards, having consistently avoided the Academy Awards and his recognition within it throughout his career. The Academy accepted the statue on his behalf.

Image Courtesy of  Fox Searchlight (Top Image)

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The 2012 Oscars was a spectacular night, reminiscent of more succesful Oscar eras past as well as making history for foreign artists. Jean Dujardin became the first French actor to win Best Leading Actor, ‘Saving Face’ marked the first win by a Pakistani director, and the breathtaking drama ‘A Separation’ ran off with the award for Best Foreign Language film, gaining the extinguished pleasure of being the first Iranian movie to do so.

Director Asghar Farhadi is known for his admirable ability to convey the details of modern Iranian society and made an unfaltering portrayal of a family, struggling to come to terms with their disagreements, their responsibilities and the constraints of their culture.

Credit: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S

It was a politically tinted acceptance speech that followed the win; director Farhadi noted the immense joy that his achievement would bring his nation. “They are happy not just because of an important award or a film or a filmmaker, but because at the time when talk of war, intimidation, and aggression is exchanged between politicians the name of their country, Iran, is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics.”

He continued, “I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment.”

Backstage, the Oscar press corps caught up with the director and asked him in depth about the obvious geo-political facets of his win.

Q. Congratulations. You’re the first winner from Iran. Obviously the Iranians are so happy for you right now; they’re excited all around the board. What is your message to the people and how this award can impact their lives, especially in such a difficult time?

A. I’m very happy about this award and I believe that Iranian people are also very happy, and this is what really matters to me. I don’t think this would have any specific message to the Iranian people other than the fact that cultural activities are the most important factors that we need to stick to in the world. I will be very happy to know that the image that the world gets from our country, Iran, is a very clear image, that it’s not a vague image. If people around the world try to find the image of one another through the prism of culture, I believe that image would be a more real and a more clear image.

Credit: 84th Annual Academy Awards®

Q. Many congratulations to you. What is it about A Separation which has made it connect with so many people around the world?

A. It is difficult for me to point my finger to a specific thing, but I think what matters is that even though this film was a local film, it could still relate to all people around the world because it is about human relations. What happens in this film is not specific to a region or a geography and perhaps this is the reason why this film is understandable by people throughout the world like Australia, America, Middle East.

Q. Hi, I’m from Israel. And I wanted to know particularly does Iran follow the Oscars at all, and does it mean anything that Iran was nominated with Israel?

A. People in Iran follow the Oscars a lot more than you think they do, and I know for a fact that right now as the event is happening, it’s in the middle of the night in the middle of the morning and people are not sleeping, and I know that they’re following. And perhaps the reason why they follow it this year so closely is because by every means it is a cultural event for them and they would like to hear the name of their country through culture.

Credit: Darren Decker / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q. I’m from Polish television. Congratulations. You won over ‘In Darkness’. I wonder whether you saw Agnieszka Holland’s movie and if you could please comment on it.

A. Yes, I have seen the film and more than the film I am very much honored by the director herself, and I love her work and believe in her not just for her work but for her humanity, and I saw her a few weeks ago and she told me that even though her film was nominated in the same category, she voted for my film, and to me this was the ultimate greatness of a human being. I believe that your country should be very proud of such a great director who is a great filmmaker and a great human being.

Q. Can you give us an update on how Iranian government has officially reacted to the claim that your movie has won and how you think they’ll react to this Oscar?

A. I really don’t know and I can’t predict what’s going to happen so I’m just going to wait and see how they respond. The Iranian government is not unanimous at all. When this film was nominated some were very happy, some were excited, and some were not as happy, so it’s not like you have the same level of people in the system. To me what matters is that the people of Iran are happy.

Q. Congratulations. The issue of tension, especially nuclear tension between Iran and the United States is very strong right now and frankly a lot of people in this country don’t know what to think of Iran, so what kind of message does your film want to send as you try to communicate between people and not government?

A. What you refer to is what’s happening between the governments, and I don’t have any message for the governments because I believe that this film is communicating with the people and I don’t think that government people are really into cinema.

Image Courtesy of  Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S. (Top Image)

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Immediately following the Academy Awards show, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosts its traditional Governors Ball, an exclusive evening event where presenters, nominees, winners, and Hollywood insiders come together to celebrate the conspicuous end of the years most esteemed film award show. Those in attendance will enjoy Moet and Chandon Champaign and will be catered for by the master chef himself, Wolfgang Puck. We tried the food and beverages offered at the event and here are our conclusions.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

Wolfgang Puck forgoes the traditional main course formality for this year’s menu in an attempt to create a more simplistic and youthful theme. With over 50 dishes, there’s truly something for everyone. Standing out among the many bits of treasure are one-bite hors d’oeuvres such as the miniature Kobe beef burgers and small-plate entrees, like the more down to earth macaroni and cheese. We asked Wolfgang Puck about his inspiration for the theme behind this year’s gala. “Lots of small pieces, almost Japanese-like. It’s more of a lounge kind of party this year, not a formal dinner,” he said.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

Over 300 Wolfgang Puck chefs will be firing off a powerful array of hors d’oeuvres for the nights 3,000 or so attendees. Seafood will be one of the principle ingredients in the Governors Ball menu this year. A nicely crafted smoked salmon resting on an Oscar-shaped flatbread drizzled with caviar also lent itself to the event. The nights guests will also be offered delicious gold wrapped baked potatoes with caviar and crème fraiche, interesting pizza combinations, lobster tacos, and chicken potpie topped with shaved black truffles, to name a few. Puck’s intention to create a wide variety of items for this menu works because it encourages everyone to just have fun.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

3-D glasses are given out for guests to appreciate a chocolate based placard with the 3-D image of the Oscars imposed on it, which we assume many will have fun with as they watch those on their table consume three dimensional chocolate desert placards. However, in this the Oscars theme particularly stands out. Not necessarily because the 3-D, Oscar inspired white-chocolate placard standing atop a decadent staircase of red chocolate mousse and chiffon cake isn’t a wonder to look at, which it really was. Rather, it was the sheer amount of differently sized gold-dusted chocolate Oscar statues serving as a constant reminder of the significance of film in the background, bouncing nicely off the surrounding red and golden hues, that helps make this menu a true creation for the Oscars, worthy of the nights daringness.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

As the exclusive champagne of the Academy Awards, Moet and Chandon will also be offering its own Academy Award inspired, rose-pedal garnished cocktail, appropriately called the “Moet Red Carpet Glamour”.  The excellent cocktail pairs the famous Champaign with earthy ingredients such as ginger and cardamom, combined with sour mix and Hum botanical spirits.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

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It was a tearful Octavia Spencer who made her way to the stage after Christian Bale pronounced her the winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She was helped up the stairs in her tight dress and delivered a heartfelt and sincere speech, marked by her surprise for the win. As the emotions started rolling over her, she hugged the oscar tightly to her chest and tried her best to make sense of her gratefulness. Spencer’s fellow cast members were visibly thrilled about the win and fellow nominee Viola Davis has teary eyes of her own.

credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Octavia Spencer won for her portrayal of the defiant help Minny Jackson who strikes up an unusual friendship with Jessica Chastain’s Celia Foote, as both of them are deemed outcast in the local community by the cold and calculated Hilly Holbrook.

The Oscar press corps grabbed the stunned Spencer after her win.

Q. Are you disappointed that perhaps the film didn’t include that more tragic ending for your character, although it had some low points, it had some, you know, a little bit of a light hearted feel at the end?

A. Well, I think that’s all in your perception. No, I’m not disappointed that that scene was deleted. I think that we wanted to make the movie that Kathryn Stockett had envisioned when she wrote the book. I don’t think there’s anything light hearted about the Civil Rights movement, but somehow it makes it palatable when you see that type of strife. So if you can have a laugh every other ten minutes while you watch the struggle then, you know, I have no problem with it. But no, I’m not disappointed with any aspect of the film.

Q. What will you do? The plans after this movies?

A. Well, tonight I am going to find my cast mates and we’re going to, you know I’m actually going to have a quarter of a glass of champagne and hang out and and I think we all start projects, you know, within the next couple of days. But I’m just going to live in this moment because it’s never happened and lord knows it may never happen again.

Q. There’s something that stuck out to me in your acceptance speech and you thanked your ‘Help’ cast for how they helped you to transform into your character.
A. I said that? I don’t even remember what I said. I’m sorry.

Q. Can you explain how did they help you to do that or you know what your cast really meant to you when you said your family really meant to you?

A. Well, it’s very rare that you have the type of ensemble that we had. You know, you don’t get all the Academy Award nominee winners and Cecily Tyson, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Viola Davis coming together to do a project. And then you have the collaboration of Academy Award nominees behind the scenes. We just left our egos at the door and worked together as one beautiful unit from Emma, Viola, Bryce, Allison Janney. I mean, it was an award winning cast. So to be a part of that and to just sort of dissolve into the world that we were representing is something that we’re supposed to do as actors but it was rare that we did it without judgment with each other.

Q. You originally spoke about overcoming fear in playing your role in The Help. What would you say to a young man or woman about to start in the Army and overcoming their fears?

A. Well, I haven’t really overcome mine. I’m scared to death right now. You know, I don’t take what men and women in uniform do lightly. You guys provide us with the freedoms and the protection that we as citizens sometimes take for granted, so I don’t know that I’m the person that can say because I I’ve not served in that capacity. What I will say is I think I guess I’m reminded of Emerson: Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. That’s what you guys do for us every day.

Q. Would you sum up this award season for us and tell us about the love affair you had with The Help?

A. Well, the word I want to use I can’t, it’s a word in the well, I want to say fan effing tastic. But we’ll just leave the effing out. Fantastic. It is it is humbling. It is the love affair I’ve had with The Help, I am I’m a benefactor of all of the riches that the real life Minnys, Aibileens, Constantines, Skeeters, Celias, that they basically repeated. And so I am I’m very humble because I get to stand here and accept this award and I haven’t really done anything. So I don’t know. That’s a tough question to answer. Sorry.

Q. My question to you is, is that when you were walking up those stairs and by the time you got up there, a heartfelt standing ovation was given to you and you went into strictly emotions. What were you feeling at that moment and what would you say to any young girl who would aspire to be in your shoes tonight?

A. Well, get a great designer because you don’t know if you’re going to be on TV or not. And really and truly I was just trying not to fall down because I had an incident where I fell at an awards show. This is one of those evenings in my life that I’ll never forget. I hope it’s the hallmark of more for young aspiring actresses of color, and by color I don’t mean just African American. I mean Indian, Native American, Latin American, Asian American. I hope that in some way that I can be some sort of beacon of hope, especially because I am not the typical Hollywood beauty. You guys are supposed to go, oh, no, you are.

[Laughter]

There’s crickets, guys, work with me here. Work with me.

No, I don’t know. I just think that you have to believe in yourself and you have to work very hard. You can’t ever think that you’re the best thing since sliced bread because I promise you, there are going to be Viola Davises and Jessica Chastains and Emma Stones who are the best thing since sliced bread. So take it seriously, but don’t take it too seriously.

Q. The outpouring of emotion tonight for you and for your movie has been overwhelming, especially considering that you’re a relative newcomer.

A. Well, it depends on who you ask. Fifteen years, I’m a newcomer. Okay, I’ll take it.

Q. Congratulations. This is going to open so many doors for you. In your wildest dreams what is the one role that you want to play?

A. I don’t have one role that I want to play. I guess you know what, I want to be a producer. I want to be an activist. I want to be proactive in bringing about work for men, women, boys, girls, everybody who is good at what they do and deserve a shot at it. So I think my role, I want to have a presence both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. So I can’t say on one particular thing, so I’ll just name them all. I’ll be the jack of all trades and hopefully decent at one of them.

Thank you. Thank you, guys.

Credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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The impressive French-American silent movie ‘The Artist’ by director Michel Hazanavicius, will be remembered not just for its unusual way of interpreting the beauty and wistful grace of the end of one of Hollywood’s most precious eras, the silent films, but also for its achievement at this years Oscars.

The French star Jean Dujardin was ecstatic as he accepted the Oscar for Best Leading Actor, making him the first French actor to receive the honor. Michel Hazanavicius can celebrate his own success in winning the price for Best Director and the overall film, which despite its critical acclaim has done meagerly at the box office, will receive a deserved boost by the prestigious Best Picture award.

Of other notable wins were Best Original Score which underlines the tremendous work and power that The Artist held in conveying the drama, comedy and intensity of its story without spoken lines. Ludovic Bource was interviewed by the Oscar Press corps and its translators shortly after winning the golden statue for his work.

A. It’s unbelievable for me.

Q. [Speaks in French]

A. So he said he’s he’s incredibly impressed to be here and the first prize he ever got for The Artist was at the EFA awards, the European Film Awards, and the statue is a woman and so his little boy said, Papa, you need to bring me the man, the Oscar, so that they can kiss each other.

Q. [Speaks in French] It was very moving tonight, your speech, because you said at one point, Well, actually I would like that people accept me here in Hollywood. Why, because I have so much love to give. Can you please explain to us, because I know that actually to make it here in Hollywood you have to love and even be in love.

A. All of the work I did on The Artist was a declaration of love to American culture, American cinema.

Q. [Unintelligible] is a tribute to the American composer. [Unintelligible] the next step for you is in Hollywood.

A. If Hollywood accepts me, it’s my dream to be here. So yes, I would love to give you my love and be part of Hollywood now.

Q. Hi. This is a silent film, and I just wondered for you, the music plays so much a part of this. Do you feel like this was a character in the film?

A. Yes. Music is it’s a character in the movie and it’s a unique language and I’m so honored to have been able to have made this movie thanks to Michel Hazanavicius.

Image Courtesy of  Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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The enigmatic Christopher Plummer gracefully accepted the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal as a closeted gay man who takes the leap and owns up to his identity when diagnosed with terminal cancer. The announcement, however, comes as a shock to his grown son, played by Ewan McGregor.

The 82-year-old actor was immortalized after appearing in the Oscar-winning ‘The Sound of Music’, which made cinematic history in 1965. Since then, Plummer has enjoyed a diverse career, including ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ (1975), ‘The Silent Partner’ (1978), ‘Malcolm X’ (1992), ‘The Insider’ (1999), ‘Syriana’ (2005) and ‘The Last Station’ (2009).

The Oscar press corps were ready to ask the elated winner about his win.

Q. The obvious question: How does it feel to be the oldest Oscar winner ever?

A. I don’t believe that for a second. I think that Charlie Chaplin, even though it was an honorary Oscar wasn’t he 83? I mean, an honorary Oscar after all is an Oscar, we hope.  I’m not sure, but it feels pretty good anyway.

Q. I’m getting married soon, so I would love to talk about your wife. You’re so romantic when you thanked her for rescuing you. What does that mean and tell me about your wife?

A. What do you think it means? I thought it was abundantly clear. Of course, I’m a naughty boy. I’ve been bad all my life, and she always puts me in line. I think it’s great what she’s done. It’s extraordinary. But it doesn’t strike you when you hear the phrase, “She rescues me every day of my life”? What could be clearer?

Q. Good evening. Congratulations, and I’m curious how you look back at awards of any kind, specifically, the two nominations and now the first Oscar win. In terms of a measure of a career, because it’s, obviously, not the reason you do things, but what kind of dessert topping does it put on a distinguished career?

A. That’s absolutely a wonderful phrase. It is a le creme on top, and it’s lovely to be sort of accepted, because you know that beyond the pleasure of working in front of a live audience, particularly, it’s a general acceptance of your work. So it’s thrilling, and I don’t pretend not to poo poo awards, although there’s so many of them, I can’t keep up. I mean, they’re inventing a new one every day.

Q. Mr. Plummer, congratulations. Congratulations, on your role, it was very charming and lovely. And the Academy has a long history of awarding straight actors for gay roles. Do you think there’s a double standard for the public supporting gay actors in real life as opposed to on film?

A. Well, I think of actors as being universally the same, gay or straight. We’re all actors, and a gay actor can play a straight guy beautifully and vice versa. It’s wonderful, because it cancels out all of the sexual differences and all the sort of preconceived misunderstandings of a sexual existence.

Q. Hello, Mr. Plummer, congratulations. I just wanted to ask you, for you, is this a beginning for you tonight and what do you think it’s the beginning of?

A. Well, it is sort of a renewal, it’s not a beginning exactly, but it has recharged me and I hope I can do it for another ten years at least. I’m going to drop dead wherever I am, on stage or on the set. We don’t retire in our profession, thank God.

Q. You always do a good job. In your long and illustrious career, who stands out as your favorite actor besides yourself? Who did you look up to?

A. No, not myself. Tons of actors for different reasons. In the French cinema we had when I grew up, I saw a lot of French film, because I lived in Quebec from France, great actors and Pierre Brasseur, Lewis Gilbert, and people who are just extraordinary stage actors, particularly although they did do film. And the great classical actors that inspired me when I was quite young [inaudible], and then later the whole new school of Marlon Brando. I lived through all of those various changes, and they all had their made their mark upon me, thanks.

Q. I’m so excited. I see you’re wearing your Order of Canada pin. I wanted to know why you decided to wear that tonight?

A. I do because I sort of feel that I’m in a way representing my country here tonight, just as Max was representing Sweden. And I feel that my country gave me the highest this is the highest civil honor that a Canadian can get and I’m very proud of it and I think an evening like this deserves to have all the medals and awards showing, so that’s why I did it.

Q. You were born in 1929?

A. Yes.

Q. The same year as the Oscar?

A. Yes.

Q. And you won the award for being an old man, at the age of 70. So I wondered if it mattered to have a naked man in your own hands. Are you brave enough to say that you love him?

A. The question is I’m sorry do I love the Oscar?

Q. Yeah.

A. Well, if the Oscar is gay, yes, of course.

Q. Just another Canadian question.

A. Oh, God.

Q. Can you bring back anything during the war, growing up during the war that gave you so much strength? Canada is so much a part of your life and it was such a strength, you know, [inaudible].

A. Yeah, it was great to grow up in Quebec, particularly, because Quebec never closed.  Montreal stayed open 24 hours a day, even jaded New Yorkers would come up and enjoy the night life in Montreal. I’m glad I grew up in a really racy town, and it was marvelous and the cabaret was so important. Piaf, Chevalier, we had a young Julie Garland, Frank Sinatra, and you can see these people for nothing, just sitting at a bar and having a beer.  It was a glorious time in Montreal and I was lucky enough to be there. The courage that you talk about was from my mother who was in the first Great War as a nurse, and anything that she lived through a pretty horrific time. I don’t know if that’s funny to some of you. Oh, there’s two things going on here, all right. Does that answer your question a little bit?

Image Courtesy of  Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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The film ‘Hugo’ has proven technically strong at this year’s Academy Award ceremony, winning over other technically visionary films without problems. Tom Fleischman and John Midgley won for their work in Sound Mixing and afterwards, the Oscar press corps had a chat with the two happy first-time winners.

Tom Fleischman: Wow, this is an incredible honor. Thanks to the Academy; thanks to Graham King and Tim Headington for producing “Hugo”; many thanks to my fellow nominees who inspire me and you do inspire me for years; Marty and Thelma, what a joy and privilege it’s been to work with you; and my wife Priscilla for her unending love and support. Everyone back in New York at Soundtrack and C5. Thank you to Dede Allen and Dick Vorisek, you couldn’t be here tonight but I know you are both smiling.

John Midgley: This is such an honor, thank you so much. Thank you to my crew, Mike and Charlotte, and thank you so much to Martin Scorsese. Thank you.

Q. It’s your first win. Just tell us how you’re feeling right now and what it means to you.

A. (Eugine Gearty) We’re feeling pretty darn good, I’d say.  It means a lot to us to be here. Pretty great.

A. (Philip Stockton) Absolute honor.

Q. So, Hugo just won for visual effects as well?

A. (Eugine Gearty) Yes.

Q. So, do you think this reflects, perhaps, the Academy’s embracing of the whole ethos of silent cinema and everything that Hugo kind of represented?

A. (Philip Stockton) In a word, yes. I mean, obviously, a lot of technical skills went into this. I’m actually a little disappointed that there weren’t any actor and actress nominations for this. Obviously it was a technical masterpiece to pull off. Obviously, the tech award to have that recognized makes a lot of sense.

Q. Hi guys, I’m wondering if while you’re making the movie, are you able to look at each other at some point and say, you know, this is really good, I mean, we might win an Oscar for this. Is that something that goes through your mind?

A. (Eugine Gearty) Yes, that definitely has gone through our mind.  When you work for Martin Scorsese, there’s always a chance you’re going to be nominated for an Oscar. So, yes [inaudible].

A. (Philip Stockton) I think we would have been nominated for ‘Shutter Island’ if it came out in the right year.

Q. Scorsese films have a distinct sound to them, especially with soundtracks, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, especially ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Casino’. Given that legacy, what was the challenge here and did you fight that trend or what how did it work as a sound editor knowing how rich his music is in his prior films?

A. (Eugine Gearty) We actually worked on all of those films, so we I guess we just had to sort of

A. (Philip Stockton) Yeah, it’s actually a really good question. It’s incredibly difficult to work with the situation where Marty is very the most important thing is dialogue, the narration and then the soundtrack, as is music. And rightfully so. When you the films you mentioned have great soundtracks, rock and roll and everything. What was great on this was Howard Shore’s score was such a masterpiece and we were very fortunate to be able to work early on together and it intertwined. Forgive me, but I think there were only two source cues on this film as opposed to the films you mentioned that have a lot more source cues.

After winning the Oscar for Best Cinematography, Robert Richardson also spoke to the waiting Oscar press corps.

Q. You did make a comment on stage about the cinematography award being first. Were you serious? Is that something that’s bothering you or do you have strong feelings about that?

A. No. It’s a fear factor. Yeah, of course. Cinematography. We are behind the lens. We are not in front of the lens. So, it made it a little complex for me to walk up there.

Q. So, what was it like for you DP’ing on Scorsese film that’s every bit as much rendering green screen as it is actually staged?

A. Oh, I don’t know if you are absolutely accurate on that part. There was not as much green screen as there was on the production side. Once you get Dante here, I think that’s conversation you should have with him. He might not take well to that one. It was a great deal of practical. The sets were phenomenal. So, I am not appropriate for that one.

Q. All right. I’m wondering if you can talk about working in 3D. This is not the first 3D film to win, but it’s unusual to get recognized with 3D.

A. You’re right. I think the odds of winning are extraordinarily small. I was the crystal ball didn’t work this way. I know it worked that way for Mark Wahlberg, but for me, I didn’t see it. I don’t know [unintelligible] a Mark Wahlberg piece, but his predictions are near two for three. Uhm, yeah, I know it’s very difficult to choose 3D, and I’m surprised by it as well.  And I think it’s not just 3D. It’s a digital aspect versus a film aspect.

Q. Where do we go now, dramatically, with 3D now that you’ve paved the way?

A. That’s a huge question, but I don’t think there’s any limits for it. 3D is a very solid step.  I believe it’s 15, 20 percent, give an arbitrary percentage. The advantage is a tool towards what filmmakers can use, if used, as just that, as a tool, not as a gimmick. There’s an end. I do believe it will alter that, but, technically, I don’t believe we can go into that here, ’cause I could go on for an hour [inaudible].

Q. This is the last year of Kodak sponsoring the venue for the Oscars. Can you talk about shooting digital versus shooting film?

A. Last night, I was at the Kodak dinner at The Bistro. And, of course, it’s a bit painful. I’m shooting currently on film. Uhm, I’m with Quentin Tarantino for ‘Django Unchained’. I don’t think it’s an issue of film versus digital. I’m hoping that film can survive for as long as possible. I hope Kodak sticks here, but it’s not over yet, virtually, every film, is digitized in one way or another, so we have to think about that. The digital media sweep.

Q. I’m curious with such a prominent group of cinematographers that you were nominated with, how does it feel for you now that you were the one that was called and won the Oscar?

A. I’m elated. I didn’t see this as happening. I have to say, personally, I love the work of Chivo in ‘The Tree of Life’. I, also, think he’s well overdue, but that said, I am extraordinarily happy. I do love that man, so, I would like to see that not too far in the future. Thank you all very much.

Image Courtesy of  Rick Salyer / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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Mark Bridges took home the award for Best Costume Design at the 84th Academy Awards. ‘The Artist’ is one of this year’s most highly acclaimed films, and the black and white silent movie have surprised movie goers and critics alike with its charm and passion. Bridges thankfully accepted the award and afterwards spoke with the Oscar press corps about the wonderful honor:

Wow, this is thrilling. I want to thank Michel Hazanavicius for making a beautiful film and having me along for the ride, Thomas Langmann for believing in the film and getting the resources together to make it, and Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company for getting it out to the world. I want to thank my wonderful crew and you know, I was just a kid from Niagara Falls who dreamed, ate, and slept movies and so I want to thank the Academy for this honor and for making a lifelong dream come true. Thank you.

Q. Congratulations. What classic Hollywood films in terms of the visual style of the wardrobe, et cetera, specifically what films inspired what you created for The Artist?

A. There’s a great film called ‘Show People’ starring Marion Davies, which was all shot on the back lot of MGM at the end of the ’20s. Great research. We also watched things like ‘It’, ‘Our Dancing Daughters’, ‘City Girl’, ‘Sunrise’, those were sort of emotional touch spots for touchstones for us. So things like that. Not not a lot, but enough to get the flavor and know how things were worn.

Q. Yes, hello. Can you speak to the difficulties of having costumes that were going to be shot in black and white versus color?

A. Well, we actually filmed it in color because there was a chance that the film would at some markets be shown in color.  Luckily, we were able to finally prevail with it in black and white.  You know, it really comes down to different values and I was very concerned about the graphics, whether the actors would separate from the backgrounds that they’re standing in front of. So and once we got the textures down, we knew textures read beautifully, I could tell a story with textures.

Q. We spoke the other night at the Costume Designers Guild. Congratulations. I’m curious, how do you feel tonight after winning the Oscar?

A. I’m very excited as you can imagine. It hasn’t quite sunk in because we’ve just been led from one thing to another, but I’m thrilled; I’m very proud, I’m so happy.  And as I said in my speech, it really is a lifelong dream come true. I spent a great deal of my childhood where the winters are long and movies are a great escape and it has affected me for my whole life and career choice. And I think it’s amazing that I was given the opportunity to do a movie that is a love letter to Hollywood.

Q. You said that you made the costumes larger in the beginning. Was Jean larger in the beginning?

A. No. What I think what Michel said was, you know, once the character George has his fall, he wanted the costumes just a little bigger to reflect that somehow George is less of a man than he was. And so we did that, hopefully, subtly through the tailoring.

Q. Is Jean as great a guy as we think he is?

A. Yes, and then some. He’s an extraordinary person, yes.

Image Courtesy of  The Weinstein Company

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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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Predictions for tonights Supporting category wins point to Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer. In the first part, we spoke about the difficulty of determining a supporting performance; screen time, age and experience play a tricky part. Here comes the age concerns.

There is well-documented ageism in the Academy; possibly explained through the idea that experience brings award-winning performances, but continuously disproved since acclaimed performers have gone the majority of their careers (if not all) without the Oscars. Gary Oldman, as an example, just broke his circle this year but notable names without nominations include Errol Flynn, Marylin Monroe and Donald Sutherland. However, the trend is more so in the Leading categories than in the Supporting ones, and interestingly enough, also more so for men than women.

To take an example, the youngest winner for Leading Actor was Adrian Brody, age 29, for ‘The Pianist‘. The youngest winner for Supporting Actor was Timothy Hutton, age 20, for ‘Ordinary People’. For actresses it was Marlee Matlin, age 21, winning Leading Actress for ‘Children of a Lesser God’ and Tatum O’Neal, age 10, winning Supporting Actress for ‘Paper Moon’. There is a significant discrepancy between the two categories, and sexes, to suggest that it’s easier to be recognized by the Academy as a young supporting performer than as a lead performer.

When looking strictly at nominations, the age range in the top 10 of youngest actors range from 9 years of age to 27 for the top listed in a leading performance, youngest nominee being Jackie Cooper. But for Supporting Actor, the range is noticeably smaller, with Justin Henry receiving a nomination at age 8 for ‘Kramer vs. Kramer‘ and the age of the top 10 only ranging between 8 and 10. That’s 18 years difference for youngest leading actor and just 2 years for the supporting actor. For the women, it’s nine years difference in the top 10 youngest lead actresses and 4 years for supporting actresses.

The ageism thus applies most to the Leading male category.

It may be a little contrived to break down Academy statistics to determine pattern, but it is obvious that an undefined but recurring set of rules apply for the supporting categories; almost anything goes in terms of screen time and age and in the eyes of a hardcore cynic, the supporting nominations are a motley mix of scene-stealing performances and foundlings which the Academy feel uncomfortable placing anywhere else.

Why was Zach Galifianakis not nominated then?

Maybe some divine truth completely alluded me, but even if I enjoyed myself tremendously watching Kristen Wiig give the bridal party acute diarrhea, I am having a really tough time swallowing that an obscene performance, including pooping in a sink, is Oscar worthy. I see the arguments for it; how refreshing it is to have the Academy come down from their high-brow chair and throw a bone to a fart joke. But does that make you respect the Academy more?

Over and over again, I was coaxed to not miss ‘Bridesmaids‘ because “it’s like The Hangover, but for chicks.” And it truly is; a tale of the battle that friends of the bride — or groom — have to go through. So why was Zach Galifianakis not nominated? Melissa McCarthy is in all her glorious being, basically playing his female counterpart; socially awkward tag-along from the weird side of the family. She mysteriously got the nod, but like Bérénice Bejo, she will not win.

Finally, the nomination of Jonah Hill. His performance in Moneyball was to me flat and bewildered. The whole movie eluded me for meaning and purpose and the nomination of Hill seems to be the annual ‘funny guys does a serious role; shocking! Oscar!’ -case.

The Academy left out an incredible performance by Albert Brooks over Hill? Every ‘The Sitter’ movie he will make for the rest of his life will be “starring oscar nominee Jonah Hill.” Academy, look what you’ve done.

The show is only minutes from starting and we will know the outcome by the end of the night. Winners have already been selected, but no matter what, I hope the people you have rooted for will win.

Image Courtesy of Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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Of the main categories on the nomination list for the Academy Awards, I find that the supporting role nods offer the most confusion; a lot of contention always arise as the supporting characters can vary greatly in age, screen time and seriousness.

This years nominations have left me with two sore points; Jonah Hill for ‘Moneyball’ and Melissa McCarthy for last years hilarious ‘Bridesmaids’. But I’ll get back to those.

First of all, let us talk about those who were left out. The greatest surprise was the horrendous omission of Albert Brooks. In the run-up to the nomination announcement, it was predicted to be a split battle between Christopher Plummer for ‘Beginners’ and Brooks for the acclaimed ‘Drive’. The award showers in the run-up had pointed to this situation, even to Brooks as the possible winner this year, so for him to not even get a shot at the target was shocking. Fans were baffled over the final decision but Reuters could report that the man in question took the bad news in good humor, tweeting shortly after the announcement: “I got ROBBED. I don’t mean the Oscars, I mean literally. My pants and shoes have been stolen,” and later put a candid twist on Sally Fields notorious 1985 acceptance speech: “And to the Academy: “You don’t like me. You really don’t like me.”

Brooks was not the only snub; Shailene Woodly, who plays George Clooney’s daughter in The Descendants, was mentioned as a prime candidate, as well as the scene-stealing Patton Oswalt for the bittersweet comedy ‘Young Adults’. That Young Adults was left out completely is a whole other crime in itself.

There are of course the nods who came about despite an averagely performing package. Some speak against Janet McTeer and her role in the drama ‘Albert Nobbs’, saying she got the nomination at the expense of Woodly. One IMDB.com user went as far as to say “To me, McTeer completely overacted her part. [...] Contorting the face to look “manly” is one of the most simplistic and poorest forms of acting I can envision.” But in for those in favor; McTeer was subtle and endearing in her portrayal that reflects a unique situation – no one could even imagine that a woman would dress up as a man in 19th century Ireland. Both her and Glenn Close (who is also nominated) are meant to be women, pretending to be men. Not actual men. McTeer was on all accounts a scene-stealer, like Oswalt, and her nomination is if possible, more deserved than Close’s.

Then we have Max von Sydow, who alongside the nominated cast members of ‘The Artist’ makes 2012 the year where a whopping three acting nominations were given without a single word spoken (that is a lie; Jean Dujardin has one line). Much controversy has been dragging behind the 9/11 drama ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ for stealing away a nomination for Best Picture despite mixed reviews. But von Sydow is a keeper; in silence he conveyed the delicate highs and devastating lows of contemporary human emotion and though the movie has been labelled an overall misfire (the New York Post called it “emotional blackmail” and the Toronto Star singling it out as ‘calculated Oscar bait’), you can’t deny a performance like that. Not to mention that some actually liked the overall film, thanks to him.

Much ado about nothing?

When the Academy pronounces the nominations, it is given without pattern nor order. Sometimes it feels like the nominations for supporting roles are made in an equally disorderly manner. The field is incredibly obscure and you ask yourself; on what basis is it decided what constitutes a worthy supporting part?

The first contention is screen time. A look back at the Oscar records show that screen time is no hindrance when it comes to dazzling the Academy. The shortest-ever winning performance for an Actor in a supporting role was Anthony Quinn for ‘Lust for Life’ in 1955, only dominating the screen for a mere eight minutes. Shortest Supporting Actress performance was won by Beatrice Straight in 1976 for a meager 5 minutes and 40 seconds. Judi Dench is another example when she won in 1998 for her eight minutes work in ‘Shakespeare in Love’.

In comparison, the shortest Best Actor performance to win was David Niven’s 15 minutes and 38 seconds in ‘Seperate Tables’. Next to him is Anthony Hopkins for 16 minutes in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.

Clearly, time is not the greatest obstacle. Supporting parts are simply tough to evaluate because they usually do the background work that lifts everything else. And it varies how talented or important that lift is. Scene-stealers are naturally favored, but the Academy has an equally recurring tendency of nominating a main character as a Supporting performance if they ‘don’t really know where to put them’, e.g. they are reluctant to recognize a performance in the more significant Leading category.

This year our first question is why Bérénice Bejo was nominated in the Supporting category by the Academy — but as a Leading actress at the BAFTA awards. What constitutes a lead performance over a supporting one? Can there only be one main character? This is not the first time that the Academy makes these types of calculated mistakes and it’s a shame because a lead character being categorized with supporting characters will either rob them of their due diligence or destroy their chance of winning because the voters will be distracted by the misplacement. Bejo will not win this year.

Read the continuation of this debate here.

Image Courtesy of  ©Douglas Kirkland 2012

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Tonight at the newly renamed Hollywood and Highland Center, the Academy Awards will be delivering Oscar magic all night under the auspice of returning host Billy Crystal. The silent triumph of ‘The Artist’ is leading the buzz at the moment but until the cameras turn on inside the dazzling auditorium, the bets are on.

This year marks the 84th time around that Hollywood’s finest gather to celebrate the last years cinematic triumphs, but there has rarely been so much debacle before the big night; after years of faithful audiences, the ABC network reports a drop in recent years from a steady 60 to 70 million viewers to a mere 40 millions. In comparison, the Super Bowl finals could draw more than 110 millions viewers.

Another issue was the departure of producer Brett Ratner who left along with this years initially announced host, Eddie Murphy – not to mention the sudden and unfortunate bankruptcy of Eastman Kodak which brought on a complicated naming and promotional issue and jeopardizes the Academy’s continuous use of the facility for the Oscar show.

The biggest problem, though, is the dwindling number of viewers. Why have movie lovers forsaken the prestigious ceremony?

Some believe the major issue is that the general audience never really watches the movies that end up being celebrated by the contemporary Academy. In the last decade, the selected nominees have increasingly been influenced by art, emotions and indie productions; only few box office hits seem to cut it when it comes to Best Picture or leading performances – James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ being a notable exception.

The movies at this years Oscars are haunted by slow performances at the box office – The Artist, despite formidable reviews, only managed to make 28 million dollars, in comparison with ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’ which raked a whopping 1,3 billion dollars last year.

As the general public see less and less of the nominated movies, their interest and excitement in the competition at the Oscar slumps. There is no fun in watching the celebration of movies you never heard of.

To compensate for the low level of recognizable names on the nomination list, the Academy have attempted to boost the entertainment quality of the event itself, including younger hosts, more comedy and more glamour. Last year’s double hosting by the sweet Anne Hathaway and spaced out James Franco was one of the low points of these initiatives so the return of Billy Crystal in a welcomed treat for Oscar buffs. Tonight makes his ninth time as Oscar host and the 63 year-old holds a great record as a terrific entertainer.

Despite the Academy’s struggle to get things in place for the night of the golden statue, millions of people worldwide will tune in tonight for the exquisite pleasure of watching the finest of Hollywood, gather in a media production extravaganza, including an ambitious slated performance of Cirque du Soleil in a one-time-only event by a rumored more than 50 performers, their biggest troupe ever.

Billy, we’re ready for you!

Image Courtesy of  Bob D’Amico / ABC

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When Kaui Hart Hemmings was first creating the character of Matt King — shell-shocked husband, inexpert father and reluctant Hawaiian land baron — she dared to dream of who might play him on the screen. The person that came to her back then was George Clooney, the Academy Award winning actor and filmmaker renowned for performances that are often as darkly funny as they are palpably human.

Clooney has established himself as one of today‘s leading men, but the chance to play a husband and father in ‘The Descendants’ is a notable departure from his usual roles. He was the smooth-talking convict in the Coen Brothers‘ screwball musical comedy ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’, the heist pro in the blockbuster Ocean’s Eleven series, the CIA agent in an Oscar winning performance in Stephen Gaghan‘s ‘Syriana’.

He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his performances as the law firm fixer in Tony Gilroy‘s thriller ‘Michael Clayton’ and the workaholic, airline miles collector in Jason Reitman‘s ‘Up In The Air’.

Clooney has also made his mark as a writer/director, garnering Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay for ‘Good Night, And Good Luck’, and directing and co-writing this fall‘s ‘The Ides of March’. Co-producer George Parra notes that the pairing of Payne and Clooney for the first time on this project was an intriguing match. “They‘re both incredibly talented and, after this movie, I think they will forever be friends.

They got along from day one. Alexander is the ultimate professional, very serious and polite and can be fun at times. But he‘s very serious when he‘s at work. George, on the other hand, is the ultimate prankster. He loves to laugh a lot and he‘s hysterical, so between their two personalities, the set had terrific energy.”

They were both open to great creativity and just letting the film happen. Once Clooney was cast in the central role, the challenge was to build the rest of the King family around him. Payne soon began an exhaustive series of auditions to find that tricky family chemistry made up of equal parts love, fury and miscomprehension, working closely with casting director John Jackson, who has collaborated with him since his first film, ‘Citizen Ruth’.

The director considers the auditions a significant part of the creative process. “We auditioned a ton of people for every part, even one line parts. I think auditions are good. I like to have actors come in and read the words,” Payne says. It was especially key to find two young actresses who were capable of holding their own against Clooney in the roles of his two willful and defiant daughters Alexandra and Scottie, who resent Matt for never having been an involved parent until now.

“I’m the back-up parent. The understudy.”– Matt King

For Alexandra, a feisty free spirit who worries that she takes after the mother she is angry with, Payne ultimately chose Shailene Woodley, best known for the television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Woodley, in her first major film role, struck Payne right away as ready to take on the emotional rigors of a role that would take her from a boarding school bad girl to a young woman trying to stitch her family back together.

“Like the rest of the cast, she gave the best audition,” recalls Payne. “It was as simple as that.” Woodley was thrilled because, by the time she auditioned, she was already in love with the story. “It‘s a heart-wrenching journey about growth,” she comments. “I love how everybody in the story grows in their ability to love, grows in maturity, in figuring out their individuality and who they are as a family.”

As for Alexandra, Woodley enjoyed the idea of taking her from a wild rebel with a chip on her shoulder to a young woman ready to battle for her loved ones. “She starts out as a teenager who feels like a victim — to her, the reason why her life is horrible is because her dad did this and her mom did that,” she observes.

“But during the course of the movie, she starts to realize that she‘s responsible for her own happiness and it isn‘t up to her parents. It‘s fun to watch her grow up in the moment.  She‘s always been a bit manipulative but now she‘s doing it to help her dad fight his demons.”

Alexandra‘s relationship with Matt is one that Woodley believes a lot of kids will relate to from their own experiences. “I think she loves her dad but she kind of looks at him as the childish one in their relationship and she‘s always felt like she needed to take on a parenting role with him,” Woodley describes. “It‘s only later that she learns to give him his own power as a father.”

Another big challenge for Woodley was finding all the multi-colored shadings of Alexandra‘s barrage of mixed feelings around her mother that are at once incredulous, angry, worried, sad and freaked out. Woodley had to literally dive deep, as this storm of emotions begins in a pivotal scene when her father tells her that her mother is not going to recover while she‘s taking a dip in the family pool. “She‘s in the pool, treading water and she has no idea how to react to this news,” explains Woodley.

“She feels trapped, so she submerges herself into the water, the one place where she can scream at the top of her lungs and not feel vulnerable. It was such an emotional release to go down there and scream and cry hysterically. It was heartbreaking for me to do, but also empowering.” Later, when Alexandra sees her once wildly vibrant mother unresponsive in a hospital bed, her raw emotions come to the surface.

“In that scene, I think part of Alexandra hates her mom and part of her just wants to be held and cry in her mother‘s arms for hours. It is very emotional,” says Woodley. “I think the little girl in Alexandra just yearns for the mother she always wanted but never had, but the young woman in Alexandra is starting to accept that it will never happen.”

Image Courtesy of   Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

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When author of The Descendants, Kaui Hart Hemmings, found out Alexander Payne was interested in adapting her book, she could hardly believe the news. “I just about died,” she laughs. “I mean he is my favorite director, I love the kind of movies he makes.”

After discussing the adaptation of Kaui Hemmings‘s book with many screenwriters, the producers at Ad Hominem selected the writing team of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Wonderful actors who continue to be fixtures at the Groundling Theater, Faxon and Rash had written a much admired screenplay, ‘The Way Back’, that suggested an ability to handle shifting tones of humor and pathos as would be required by ‘The Descendants’. All who read their elegant adaptation admired it. But when he decided to direct the film himself, Payne determined that the best way for him to forge a personal connection to the material was to adapt the book himself.

In his voice, Payne turned the focus in the screenplay on two dove-tailing journeys: the King family‘s trek to Kauai on the hunt for Elizabeth King‘s unwitting lover; and the pilgrimage of diverse friends and relatives to Elizabeth‘s bedside, where she becomes, in her comatose silence, a kind of grand confessor, bringing out secrets and suppressed emotions that might not otherwise see the light of day.

“One of the many things we learned in Hawaii is that people here know their genealogy like they do in no other place,” explains producer Jim Burke. “Everybody knows when their family first arrived on the island, and some go back six or seven generations and they feel a deep, deep connection to this place. We learned all this by meeting authentic descendants who have inherited land a lot like Matt.”

Hemmings was impressed with the adaptation. “I wasn‘t concerned about Alexander changing this or that, because he really got the tone of the book and that‘s all I cared about. He got that it‘s funny and it‘s sad at the same time. I also loved that he took the time to really get to know Hawaii.”

From the beginning, Payne and the production team felt it was essential to venture far from the well-beaten tourist paths to get to know the authentic Hawaii only locals ever see. As they did so, they developed a more nuanced understanding of what the term ‘descendants’ means on an island where ancestors have always been an important link in the chain of living history.

This helped to bring into focus Matt King‘s realization that he has become disconnected from his own feelings about the land he owns — and its past and future. Payne also relied on Hemmings to serve as an insightful guide into the alluring blend of American and Hawaiian cultures that imbues island life, from its politics to its traditions and relationships. “When we came over to the islands to start making the movie, Hemmings became a really big part of it, because this is her land. She knows these people.”

“She was able to give us a reality check and at the same time, Alexander was able to run all his ideas past Kaui to make sure they seemed right for the characters,” Burke continues. “We wanted to protect her story because we believed in it.”

“Alexander‘s voice is absolutely unique,” notes Burke, who reunites with producer Jim Taylor for their fifth collaboration with Payne. “You don‘t need to be told you‘re watching an Alexander Payne movie. And yet, each of his films is also quite different. I feel like The Descendants is the most different from his previous work.

It‘s a great story with great characters, but I think the thing that sets it apart is that it is very open to interpretation: none of the characters are entirely right and none of the characters are entirely wrong. It‘s not a movie everyone will view in the same way. It‘s a film that allows the viewer to participate and connect in their own way.”

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The time is drawing ever closer to the big night in Hollywood, where American cinema’s finest come together to celebrate the past year’s cinematic achievements. Of the big categories, the run for the glory is in the Actress in a Leading Role. This year, it reflects an excellent variety of characters and experience. Here are the predictions.

Glenn Close for ‘Albert Nobbs’

For some, the nomination of veteran Glenn Close was a shocker; many saw Tilda Swinton as the rather sure nominee in the run-up to the nomination call. However, others had already acknowledged that the 64-year-old actress’ turn as a woman in disguise in 19th century Ireland could not be overlooked, and despite the movie’s low performance at the box office and general lack of reaction within the industry, she managed to secure a seat in the race; even if it’s a no-win seat.

Viola Davis for ‘The Help’

Through her performance as Aibileen Clark in the movie adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s bestseller The Help, Davis, age 46, has already garnered a great amount of acclaim, and despite another nominee’s impressive record of 17 Academy Award nominations, including two wins, Davis has the opportunity to be the second African American actress to take home the honor of Best Actress – a temptation the Academy will have a hard time overlooking.

This is not to say that the award would not have been earned; Davis has proved her worth outstandingly by taking home the SAG Award and the Critics’ Choice of 2011, and though honoring Davis for portraying a black maid “sends all kinds of regressive messages,” according to Slantmagazine.com, we also agree that it is the type of performance where no doubt can be sown – considering that she is only one of nine other African Americans to ever be nominated in the Academy’s 84th stretch. The time is just right for Davis.

Rooney Mara for ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’

Tilda Swinton fans were (also) thoroughly sore when 26-year-old newcomer Rooney Mara received the Academy’s blessing over the seasoned Swinton. Considered the outsider, Mara delivered an enigmatic performance as the title character in the American version of the first book in the Swedish Millennium series. The anti-social, troubled, but intuitive Lisbeth Salander was a tough job to follow after the book’s fan base connected with Swedish Noomi Rapace’s depiction. But to many’s delight, Mara rose to the occasion, receiving universal appraisal.

Whether she will win the trophy this coming Sunday or not — chances are slim. As much as the nomination is deserved, she is up against giants, and should instead kick back on the evening and enjoy her promising future.

Meryl Streep for ‘The Iron Lady’

The only true challenger to Viola Davis is the Oscar regular Meryl Streep. Regarded as one of the most talented and respected actresses of her time, Streep has been nominated five times in the last ten years, including this year’s mesmerizing turn as the former Prime Minister of the UK. But she has also walked away empty handed since 1983 – that’s 14 times the loser!

Even though 62-year-old Streep is an impressive woman, she is up against serious competition in Davis and the two of them are looking at a 50/50 shot. Whether she managed to push her stellar performance past the movie’s mixed reviews, we will only know on award night.

Michelle Williams for ‘My Week With Marylin’

Who could have predicted that one of the cast members of teen drama Dawson’s Creek would wind up one of contemporary cinema’s most revered talents? At age 31 and with three Oscar nominations under her belt so far, Williams is one of the darlings of this year’s nomination list; ahead of Close and Mara in the polls, but behind Davies and Streep.

In her portrayal of the screen siren, Williams managed to capture the sexy yet lonely air of Monroe, at a time in her life when she was newly wed and at the height of her career, yet desperate for intimacy and suffering a love/hate relationship with her iconic status. Still, Williams would be a shocking win, and for once, it looks like the young must step aside for the older generation.

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The adaptation of John le Carré’s ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’, has impressed the critics around the world and is currently set to compete at the Academy Awards next Sunday, February 26. During pre-production, after Peter Morgan had written a draft, Tim Bevan of Working Title Films found that the screenwriter “wasn’t available to keep going with the script, so we went to the team of Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan to write the screenplay adaptation. They worked very closely with Tomas [Alfredson, the director] for almost a year.”

Le Carré offers, “When I read Bridget and Peter’s first draft, it was a piece of dramatic and intellectual architecture that I could admire. I knew I couldn’t do something like that. At that point, I joined their work. It was not the film of the book; it was the film of the film. I think they did it splendidly.

“The greatest compliment all of the filmmakers paid to the book, as far as I’m concerned, was to make their own film from it. I was there as a resource, that’s all; I knew the material very well, and I offered what mental agility I have.”

“Their first draft was so promising,” remembers producer Robyn Slovo. “It helped make the development process very quick, and we started casting the movie by the time there was a third draft.” Staying faithful to the period when it was written and published, the feature unfolds primarily in 1973 (progressing into 1974).

Bevan adds, “The team’s script represented the book, retained the complications of the book, and had integrity at its heart. As a producer, you’re always looking for a compelling story, compelling emotion, and compelling characters. Their script had those elements, and it is very much their script that was shot.”

The script was now in the hands of a director making his first English-language film. Alfredson muses, “I’m unpredictable with my career moves; something comes up and I’ll feel, ‘This is the right thing to do next.’ “This picture is certainly a big step for me. I’ve been doing films and television for almost 30 years, so it was a big change to work in a different language. But everyone was so helpful.”

Particularly so, he says, were the eyes and ears of the female half of the screenwriting team, Bridget O’Connor, who passed away just as filming began and to whom the finished film is dedicated. Alfredson reflects, “Since I wasn’t interested in doing it like the usual thriller, talking with Bridget about her interpretation and having her female eye on it was important. These men had to make use of their feminine sides and abilities. I needed that different perspective, and she helped me get it.”

In his research, Alfredson was fascinated to learn that “there was a lot of homosexuality in this world. At that time in Britain, it was not accepted, and there were spies and agents who could not be open about their sexuality because they could then be blackmailed. So Bridget and Peter were able to delve into this in the adaptation.”

To the director, the story particularly resonates and reverberates with “eternal and dramatic questions of friendship, betrayal, and loyalty. “Also, as we’ve now reached a little distance from the Cold War era, we can look at what happened; were the bad guys truly the bad guys? We should know about our shared history, especially this piece that still echoes today.”

Alfredson muses, “There’s also the factor of, ‘I know something that you don’t know.’ Say that, or hint that, to someone, and you’ve got their attention and are getting into their head.”

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The season of the golden statue is upon us, and the heat is increasing in the top categories. Where is the wind blowing this year? One of the most coveted awards, along with the Leading Actress trophy, is that of Best Male Lead.

This year, the battle is between experienced and seasoned performances, all around age 40 and up. At the same time, there are many first-timers, despite their years in the business, with only one of the nominated already having an Oscar to show for it. Nothing is certain until Sunday, February 26, live from Hollywood, but here are the predictions.

Demián Bichir for ‘A Better Life’

American audiences primarily know 48-year-old Demián Bichir from the TV series, Weeds, and as Fidel in Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Che’. However, Bichir is a huge name back in his native Mexico, part of a family of celebrated actors, and his presence on this year’s nomination list will be his first. In Chris Weitz’s A Better Life, he plays the gardener, Carlos, who has worked hard to make a life for himself and his estranged son in the States. When his truck is stolen, father and son, albeit virtually strangers, set out to recover it in hopes of a better life.

There were reports of confusion when Bichir’s name was read among the nominees as some believed the choice was made at the expense of the highly acclaimed ‘Shame’s Michael Fassbender. While Weitz’s film was celebrated, it was not widely watched. However, the nod to Bichir is the only one for the movie, and despite the initial surprise, or maybe because of it, it seems unlikely that he will take home the award.

George Clooney for ‘The Descendants’

Already a groomed candidate with seven nominations in his pocket and a win in the Supporting category for ‘Syriana’ in 2006, 50-year-old George Clooney has placed himself firmly in the front. Unlike Bichir, Clooney is ‘Hollywood royalty’, and the story goes that a bet was made between him and fellow Tinsel royal, Brad Pitt, that if one of them got the nomination this year, the other would perform a favor.

Clooney’s was to spend the day with Brad and his partner Angelina Jolie’s pack of kids – which he allegedly loathes. With that deal already sealed, the question is if ‘The George’ will up the ante by making an actor’s Oscar hat trick – winning both Leading and Supporting Actor; something only five other actors have done before him.

Is the part worth it? Many great things have been said about The Descendants, and it is no wonder; the adapted screenplay hit a chord with critics and movie-goers alike, and Clooney’s character, Matt King, is relatable as he struggles to keep the pieces of his reality together. Already winning the Golden Globes this year is a huge plus, which tempts us to believe that the night will be Clooney’s time to shine.

Jean Dujardin for ‘The Artist’

At the tender age of 39, Jean Dujardin is not well-known in the States. Dujardin is funnily enough referred to as the French George Clooney, and the liking is merited after an evening spent in the company of The Artist - the smile says it all!

The Artist, in itself, is an incredible achievement that has reaped rave reviews around the world, with the exception of some disgruntled movie goers on the British Isles, and much of the magic is thanks to Dujardin’s charming, yet heartbreaking performance as the silent movie star, George Valentin, who fades into obscurity as the ‘talkies’ take over.

Not only is his performance a delight, but an immense amount of respect and awe goes into the challenge of performing ‘old school’; the whole cast had to abandon their experience to embrace a performance style of the past. A dark horse in the race, but a secret favorite of this reporter. Will the French finally get a leading man on the podium?

Gary Oldman for ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’

While younger generations connect Gary Oldman with good and helpful franchise characters (Harry Potter, Nolan’s Batman), most of the mature viewers know that Oldman earned his badges as the ‘bad boy’ and other villainous characters. Evidently, the tide has turned for the 53-year-old native Englishman who embodied the anti-Bond character of George Smiley in the adapted espionage drama, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, to such taste that the Academy nod was inevitable.

Even though Oldman has been around for years and is the eldest of this year’s nominees, it is the first time he has been nominated for an Oscar. Sadly, the predictions are that the honorary inclusion in the ranks of the Academy is the only thing he will be getting next Sunday.

Brad Pitt for ‘Moneyball’

So far, Brad Pitt’s career at the Academy Awards has been scattered and less eventful than you would have thought, considering his status in Hollywood. When he made the bet with George Clooney, his odds were statistically lower – curiously amusing to consider now that Moneyball is the movie that got him the nomination.

The role of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics who takes a chance on a numbers game in order to win the League, is a powerful tale of grandeur against the odds. It has been awhile since baseball filled the main plot line of a big-name movie, and critics have applauded the production team for reigniting the on-screen excitement for the game.

Some hint that the fuss over ‘The George’ might blindside observers and allow the 48-year-old father-of-six to channel his character’s underdog qualities, but as it stands, Pitt will enjoy the show and settle for the party.

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Oscar fans in New York City will be the first to see the actual Oscars that will be presented to the Best Actor and Best Actress winners at the 84th Academy Awards on Oscar Sunday, February 26. The statuettes will be part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Meet the Oscars, Grand Central” exhibition at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal.

The exhibition will open on Wednesday, February 22 at 10 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by 2010 Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo (‘The Fighter’). Public viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, February 23, through Sunday, February 26. Admission is free.

“Meet the Oscars, Grand Central” will give movie fans the opportunity to have their photo taken holding an actual Oscar statuette. Visitors also will be able to view the Actor in a Leading Role Oscar won by Michael Douglas for “Wall Street” (1987) as well as a display of statuettes in various stages of completion, as manufactured each year by R.S. Owens & Company in Chicago.

On Saturday, February 25, the Oscars designated for this year’s Best Actor and Best Actress winners will make their way back to Hollywood, where they will be reunited with the rest of the statuettes to be presented on Oscar Night.

In related news, Oscar telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer have invited Cirque du Soleil to present a wholly unique and exclusive performance for the 84th Academy Awards. The one-time-only event will feature the largest Cirque cast ever assembled for a single act.

The performance will be accompanied by music by Academy Award-nominated composer Danny Elfman, who scored the music for Cirque du Soleil’s IRIS, A Journey through the World of Cinema™. More than 50 international artists from Cirque du Soleil productions around the world will converge in Los Angeles on Oscar Sunday to bring the dynamic showcase to life.

The act marks the second time Cirque du Soleil has performed during an Academy Awards telecast. The troupe’s first appearance, at the 74th Academy Awards, sparked discussions about creating a permanent show at the Kodak Theatre and resulted in the creation of IRIS.

Finally, two-time Academy Award winner Michael Douglas will present at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony. Douglas won an Oscar for his lead performance in ‘Wall Street’ (1987) and a Best Picture award as a producer of ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ (1975). His film credits include ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,’ ‘Solitary Man,’ ‘You, Me and Dupree,’ ‘Traffic,’ ‘Wonder Boys,’ ‘Falling Down,’ ‘Fatal Attraction’ and ‘The China Syndrome.’

Douglas joins a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters, including Halle Berry, Rose Byrne, Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Lopez, Melissa McCarthy, Wendy McLendon-Covey, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Ben Stiller, Emma Stone and Kristen Wiig.

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

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To ensure public safety, support security strategies and facilitate the production of the 84th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the City of Los Angeles have finalized street closure plans around the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.

To accommodate the construction of press risers, fan bleachers and pre-show stages along the Academy Awards red carpet, Hollywood Boulevard will be closed between Highland Avenue and Orange Drive beginning at 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 19, and remain closed until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28.

MTA subway trains will bypass the Hollywood & Highland station after the last regularly scheduled train on Saturday, February 25, until 6 a.m. Monday, February 27. Service at the station will resume with the first scheduled train after 6 a.m.

Between Sunday, February 19, and Oscar Sunday, February 26, additional streets and sidewalks will be closed for varying periods.

Details of the closures and maps of affected areas are available from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the Sixth and the Thirteenth District City Council field offices, at www.navigatehollywood.com, and on the Academy’s website at www.oscars.org/closures.

In related news, Hollywood icons Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy will present at the 84th Academy Awards, This is the Muppets fifth appearance at the Academy Awards.

They are fresh off their triumphant critical and box office success in Disney’s ‘The Muppets,’ which is Oscar nominated for Best Song, “Man or Muppet.”

Ben Stiller will also be presenting. Stiller will be playing the title character in ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’, which he is also directing, and will be seen next in ‘Neighborhood Watch’. His film credits include ‘Tropic Thunder’, ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’, ‘Zoolander,’ ‘Meet the Parents’, ‘There’s Something about Mary’, ‘Flirting with Disaster’ and ‘Reality Bites’.

Finally, Tina Fey will present as well. Fey came to prominence as a regular on Saturday Night Live and currently stars in, produces and writes for the Emmy-winning comedy series 30 Rock.  Her film credits include ‘Date Night,’ ‘Baby Mama’ and ‘Mean Girls’. Fey recently became a best-selling author, with her memoir Bossypants having sold over one million copies.

Fey joins a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters, including Halle Berry, Rose Byrne, Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Lopez, Melissa McCarthy, Wendy McLendon-Covey, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Emma Stone and Kristen Wiig.

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

Image Courtesy of   Vinicius Tupinamba / Shutterstock.com

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

The Nicholl Fellowships competition is open to any individual who has not earned more than $5,000 from the sale or option of a screenplay or teleplay, or received a fellowship or prize of more than $5,000 that includes a “first look” clause, an option or any other quid pro quo involving the writer’s work.

To enter, writers must submit a completed application online, upload one PDF copy of their original screenplay in English and pay the entry fee before 11:59 p.m. PT on May 1, 2012. The regular entry fee is US$52; an early-bird entry fee of US$35 is available for those who enter by 11:59 p.m. PT on March 15, 2012.

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, Hollywood and the rest of the movie society is getting ready to the night of the Oscar. It was recently announced that new names has joined the group of A-List presenters at this years ceremony. One is first-timer Emma Stone who appears in the Best Picture nominee ‘The Help.’ Her other film credits include ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.,’ ‘Friends with Benefits,’ ‘Easy A’ and ‘Superbad.’ She will be seen next in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and ‘Gangster Squad.’

A more seasoned presenter is Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz who won an Oscar in 2008 for her supporting role in ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona.’ She was also nominated for her lead performance in ‘Volver’ (2006) and for her supporting role in ‘Nine’ (2009). Her other film credits include ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,’ ‘Sex and the City 2,’ ‘Sahara,’ ‘Vanilla Sky,’ ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ and ‘Blow.’

Another relatively fresh face is Bradley Cooper. Cooper will be seen next in ‘The Words’ and, later this year, in ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ and ‘The Silver Linings Playbook.’ His film credits include ‘The Hangover Part II,’ ‘Limitless,’ ‘Valentine’s Day,’ ‘He’s Just Not That Into You,’ ‘Yes Man,’ ‘Failure to Launch’ and ‘Wedding Crashers.’

Cooper and the others joins a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters, including Halle Berry, Rose Byrne, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Lopez, Melissa McCarthy, Wendy McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig.

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

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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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Eighteen of the 20 nominees in the acting categories were be among more than 150 Oscar nominees who gathered at noon on Monday, February 6, at the Beverly Hilton when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored this year’s Oscar contenders at its annual Nominees Luncheon.

From the Best Actress and Actor categories all the nominees – Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Demián Bichir, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt – were expected to attend. Kenneth Branagh, Jonah Hill, Nick Nolte, Max von Sydow, Bérénice Bejo, Melissa McCarthy, Janet McTeer and Octavia Spencer were to represent the Supporting Actor and Actress categories.

Three of the five nominees in the Directing category – Michel Hazanavicius, Alexander Payne and Martin Scorsese – were also expected to attend. During the week leading up to the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present five public events celebrating this year’s nominees.

Oscar Week events will feature screenings, film clips and discussions with filmmakers and artists whose work has garnered nominations in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Short Film categories. All events will take place at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Oscar Week schedule

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image Courtesy of Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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