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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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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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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The Academy has been releasing the names of star presenters who will grace the stage at this years Academy Award ceremony on February 26. Most recent name in the bunch is Cameron Diaz.

Diaz will be seen next in ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ and ‘Gambit’. Her film credits include ‘Bad Teacher’, ‘The Green Hornet,’ ‘Knight and Day,’ ‘My Sister’s Keeper,’ ‘What Happens in Vegas,’ ‘The Holiday,’ ‘Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,’ ‘Gangs of New York,’ ‘Any Given Sunday’ and the four animated ‘Shrek’ films.

Three-time Academy Award-nominated actor Tom Cruise will also present at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony. Cruise was nominated for his lead performances in ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ and ‘Jerry Maguire.’  He also was nominated for his supporting role in ‘Magnolia.’ Cruise was recently seen in ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ and will be seen next in ‘Rock of Ages.’

His other film credits include ‘Tropic Thunder,’ ‘War of the Worlds,’ ‘Collateral,’ ‘Minority Report,’ ‘A Few Good Men,’ ‘Rain Man,’ ‘The Color of Money’ and ‘Top Gun.’

Joining is also Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry. Berry won an Oscar in 2001 for her lead performance in ‘Monster’s Ball.’  She was recently seen in ‘New Year’s Eve’ and will be seen next opposite Tom Hanks and Hugh Grant in ‘Cloud Atlas.’ Berry’s other film credits include ‘Frankie & Alice,’ ‘Things We Lost in the Fire,’ ‘Die Another Day,’ ‘Swordfish,’ and the first three ‘X-Men’ films.

Speaking of which, two-time Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks is another one of the presenter. Hanks, who is a governor of the Academy, won consecutive Oscars in 1993 and 1994 for his lead performances in ‘Philadelphia’ and ‘Forrest Gump.’ He was also nominated for his leading roles in ‘Big,’ ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Cast Away.’

Hanks can currently be seen in the Best Picture-nominated ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.’ His other film credits include ‘Larry Crowne,’ ‘Toy Story 3,’ ‘Charlie Wilson’s War,’ ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ ‘The Terminal,’ ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ ‘Road to Perdition,’ ‘Apollo 13’ and ‘A League of Their Own.’

Finally, Jennifer Lopez has been announced by telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer as a presenter at the 84th ceremony. Lopez, who serves as a judge on “American Idol,” will be seen next in the feature What to Expect When You’re Expecting alongside Diaz and recently completed work on ‘Parker’ and ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift.’ Her other film credits include ‘The Back-Up Plan,’ ‘El Cantante,’ ‘Monster-in-Law,’ ‘Maid in Manhattan,’ ‘Enough,’ ‘The Wedding Planner,’ ‘Out of Sight’ and ‘Selena.’

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  Andrey Bayda / Shutterstock.com

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

All week this week, college students are invited to submit a three minute video to redcarpetjournalist.com, showcasing their interviewing skills and proving why they deserve to represent future broadcast journalists at the Oscars. All videos submitted must be from teams made up of one reporter, one producer and one videographer.

Two teams will be selected from each of the ABC-owned television stations’ markets – Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh and San Francisco – for a total of 16 finalist teams. These 16 teams will then be judged by an expert panel composed of representatives from the Academy and KABC-TV who will determine the contest winner.

The winning team will be flown out to Los Angeles to cover Academy Awards pre-events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award press event, the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium and the Governors Ball preview. Additionally, the winning team will have the exclusive opportunity to work with KABC-TV’s OTRC team and report live during the “On The Red Carpet at the Oscars” pre-show.

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

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

Mikhail Zahranichny / Shutterstock.com

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Nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced today (Tuesday, January 24) by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and 2010 Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence.

Sherak and Lawrence, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her lead performance in “Winter’s Bone,” announced the nominees in 10 of the 24 Award categories at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. Lists of nominations in all categories were then distributed to the media in attendance and online via the official Academy Awards website, www.oscar.com.

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

Nominations ballots were mailed to the 5,783 voting members in late December and were returned directly to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the international accounting firm, for tabulation.

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

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

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

Nominations for the 84th Academy Awards:

Actor in a Leading Role

• Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”
• George Clooney in “The Descendants”
• Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”
• Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
• Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”
• Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”
• Nick Nolte in “Warrior”
• Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”
• Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Actress in a Leading Role

• Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”
• Viola Davis in “The Help”
• Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
• Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”
• Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”
• Jessica Chastain in “The Help”
• Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”
• Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”
• Octavia Spencer in “The Help”

Animated Feature Film

• “A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
• “Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
• “Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson
• “Puss in Boots” Chris Miller
• “Rango” Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

• “The Artist” Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• “Hugo” Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
• “Midnight in Paris” Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
• “War Horse” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

• “The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman
• “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth
• “Hugo” Robert Richardson
• “The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki
• “War Horse” Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

• “Anonymous” Lisy Christl
• “The Artist” Mark Bridges
• “Hugo” Sandy Powell
• “Jane Eyre” Michael O’Connor
• “W.E.” Arianne Phillips

Directing

• “The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius
• “The Descendants” Alexander Payne
• “Hugo” Martin Scorsese
• “Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen
• “The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

• “Hell and Back Again” Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
• “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
• “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
• “Pina” Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
• “Undefeated” TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

• “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
• “God Is the Bigger Elvis” Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
• “Incident in New Baghdad”James Spione
• “Saving Face” Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
• “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

• “The Artist” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
• “The Descendants” Kevin Tent
• “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• “Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker
• “Moneyball” Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

• “Bullhead” Belgium
• “Footnote” Israel
• “In Darkness” Poland
• “Monsieur Lazhar” Canada
• “A Separation” Iran

Makeup

• “Albert Nobbs” Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
• “The Iron Lady” Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

• “The Adventures of Tintin” John Williams
• “The Artist” Ludovic Bource
• “Hugo” Howard Shore
• “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Alberto Iglesias
• “War Horse” John Williams

Music (Original Song)

• “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
• “Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Picture

• “The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer
• “The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
• “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer
• “The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
• “Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
• “Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
• “Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
• “The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined
• “War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

• “Dimanche/Sunday” Patrick Doyon
• “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
• “La Luna” Enrico Casarosa
• “A Morning Stroll” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
• “Wild Life” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

• “Pentecost” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane
• “Raju” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
• “The Shore” Terry George and Oorlagh George
• “Time Freak” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
• “Tuba Atlantic” Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

• “Drive” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
• “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Ren Klyce
• “Hugo” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
• “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
• “War Horse” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

• “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
• “Hugo” Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
• “Moneyball” Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
• “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
• “War Horse” Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
• “Hugo” Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
• “Real Steel” Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
• “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
• “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• “The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
• “Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan
• “The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
• “Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
• “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• “The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius
• “Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
• “Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor
• “Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen
• “A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

The article 2012 Oscar Nominations Are Out: Scorsese’s Hugo Leads with 11 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American to win the Oscar for Best Actor for Lilies Of The Field.
• Elizabeth Taylor with her Oscar for Best Actress in Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
• Muhammad Ali surprises Sylvester Stallone with an onstage sparring session the night Rocky wins Best Picture.
• Tom Hanks takes home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia.
• Matt Damon and Ben Affleck charm audiences the night they win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay forGood Will Hunting.
• Hobbits, Hobbits Everywhere. Peter Jackson is accompanied on stage by cast and crew members of The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King when he accepts the Academy Award for Best Picture.

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

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

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

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

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

The article Oscar Season Kicks Off with Exclusive Online Content appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.