Seth MacFarlane will host the 85th Academy Awards, telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced ealier this week. This will be MacFarlane’s first appearance on Oscar’s stage. The 85th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Oscar Sunday, February 24, on the ABC Television Network.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image Courtesy of  Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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Movie fans can soon vie for seats at the most glamorous spot on Hollywood Boulevard, Oscar’s Red Carpet.

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

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

The entry form will be available at http://meteor.sparklist.com/t/2645263/4493749/3393/24/. The application process will close on Friday, November 16, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. In previous years, as many as 20,000 fans have entered the drawing for the limited number of red carpet seats.

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

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

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

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

Image Courtesy of   Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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Beverly Hills, U.S.A. – Disney Media Distribution and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have extended their agreement for DMD to distribute the annual Academy Awards telecast internationally through 2020, Tom Sherak, Academy president and Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney/ABC Television Group, announced on June 29. The previous agreement had been set to expire in 2014.

“Disney Media Distribution has been successful in securing distribution around the world for the Academy Awards and we’re thrilled to extend this partnership,” said Sherak. “The Oscars are an international event beloved by a global audience. It’s a testament to the magic of Hollywood.”

“We are excited to be able to extend our agreement to deliver the world’s biggest celebration of entertainment to audiences around the globe,” said Sweeney. “We look forward to building on the foundation of our relationship with the Academy, and working together to reach new audiences on new platforms in the years ahead.”

This past February, a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions experienced the Academy Awards in more than 225 international territories via a variety of both traditional broadcast outlets and new emerging video-on-demand and online streaming platforms.

In 2011, the Academy and the ABC Television Network signed a domestic rights agreement which also extended their contract through 2020.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network.

About the Academy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

Image Courtesy of  Disney

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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.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/evarinaldiphotography/

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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 has entered into an agreement with Everyone Counts Inc. to exclusively develop an electronic voting system for the 85th Academy Awards, to be held in 2013.

Everyone Counts will work with PwC, the Academy’s accounting firm of record, whose role in tabulating Academy members’ votes will remain unchanged. Over the next year, the Academy will undertake a rigorous security and user-acceptance testing process.

“This is the first of many steps that we’ll be taking toward developing a secure and convenient electronic voting system, beginning with next year’s ballot,” said Academy Chief Operating Officer Ric Robertson. “We’re excited to have found great partners in the people who do this best.”

The selection of Everyone Counts is the result of an 18-month search conducted by the Academy. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in election administration and computer security and its voting platform is a global leader in the election industry. Built into its technology and processes are multiple layers of security that include military-grade encryption techniques.

The company’s other clients include the United States Department of Defense; the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice; the state of New South Wales, Australia; and the states of Oregon, Florida, and Washington.

“We are honored to have earned the trust of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in bringing online voting to the Oscars starting next year,” said Lori Steele, Chairman and CEO of Everyone Counts Inc. “Our company was founded to set a new standard of security, accessibility, and transparency in elections. We’re proud to be working with the Academy, an organization that also represents the highest standards in its field.”

“We look forward to working with Everyone Counts for next year’s 85th Academy Awards and beyond,” said Brad Oltmanns, balloting leader, PwC. “We are excited about the new electronic voting system, which will enable us to conduct the tabulation process with the same high level of precision, trust and integrity that we have for the past 78 years.”

Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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The Academy has announced that this year’s official Oscars App is live and free on the App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, providing fans unparalleled access to the 84th Academy Awards.

Developed by the Academy and Disney/ABC Television Group’s Digital Media Team, the Oscars App is designed to be the ultimate complement to the live telecast, giving fans premier access to the most memorable moments of the night through exclusive live cameras strategically placed on the Red Carpet, throughout the Kodak Theatre, and even in the Governors Ball, which is the official Oscar party of the night. Special cameras include the Thank You Cam — offering winners an extended opportunity to thank their supporters;

Backstage Cam — capturing sound bites, backstage action, short interviews and behind-the-scenes footage; Control Room Cam – allowing users to watch the show’s director in action; and Press Room Cam – featuring moments of winners in the press area.

“Many iPad, iPhone and iPod touch owners use their device daily while watching TV to look for show-related information,” said Karin Gilford, SVP of Digital Media for ABC.com. “Our goal is to utilize the best digital technologies to make sure those fans are having a really full, immersive experience leading up to, during and after the Oscars. We want this to be the next best thing to attending the show itself.”

“We love the level of interaction this app provides our fans,” said Christina Kounelias, chief marketing officer, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “It pulls back the curtain and takes viewers on a backstage experience that is fun and engaging. It allows fans access and vantage points that guests in the theater don’t have.”

The app debuted last year as an integral part of the Oscar Digital Experience, which won an Emmy for Creative Achievement in Interactive Arts. This year, the team has built on that success with a few key enhancements, including:

• A much larger pre-show presence in a new magazine-style format. Fans who download the app between nominations and the live show will have access to original video from last year’s show, photos and – utilizing new iOS 5 Twitter integration – the latest social media buzz.
• All video views are tracked through iCloud so viewers can keep track of what video they’ve watched regardless of the iOS device they are on.
• Access to the hugely popular “Oscar My Picks,” an interactive play-along game that offers fans a chance to test their Oscar prediction skills. Once they fill out their ballot they can share and view their friends picks on Facebook. On Oscar Sunday, users play along during the show and predict category winners ahead of the opening of the envelopes. The app will refresh and calculate your results as categories are won.
• Viewers can watch the live experience in two different modes: Watch or Direct. In Watch mode, the viewer will be guided through the live behind-the-scenes show. In the Direct mode, the viewer can select the cameras they want to use.
• This year’s app will have a live video grid so the viewer can watch all available cameras at once or zero in on one that looks the most interesting to them.
• Once in a camera view, a ticker will display over the video to tell viewers what is happening on other cameras. That way, if a fan’s favorite actor enters another view, they can jump to it quickly and easily.

“Our team really listened to what fans had to say last year, and made a huge effort to build on the things that worked to make them even better,” added Gilford.

The 84rd 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 Oscars App is available for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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Oprah Winfrey and James Earl will be awarded at the next Oscars ceremony.

Winfrey will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work.Jones along with makeup artist Dick Smith, will receive awards for their magnificent careers. Both prizes will be handed out at the Governors Awards next November.

Winfrey is best known for her talk show, but that is not the only reason why they have decided to honor her. The Oprah Winfrey Show has been on air over 145 different countries. Her program redefined the talk show genre and made Winfrey one of the most influential women in the US, as well as the wealthiest black women in the world.

Her last broadcasting was last May after 25 years on the air. She was seen alone on stage, telling her viewers how much they had meant to her for the past years. Afterwards, Madonna and Beyonce also took part in the show.

Amy Korin, a Winfrey fan who was watching the recording of her last program said “She said, ‘This isn’t goodbye. This is until we meet again’.”

The last episode filmed in front of 13,000 fans had the intervention of Tom Cruise, Aretha Franklin, Tom Hanks and Stevie Wonder, which paid tribute to the presenter.

Last January, Winfrey launched her own TV network. The channel is called OWN “Oprah Winfrey Network”. It is a joint venture with the Discovery channel and will offer round-the-clock lifestyle programs.

Oprah’s philanthropic work includes the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls that opened in South Africa in 2007. There has been controversy about the decision of giving her an honorary Oscar. Newspapers as Los Angeles Times even call the decision a “boneheaded move.”

Despite every attack, Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defended their decision saying that Oprah is always ready to give what she has and fight against any injustice.

“Oprah has given and given and given,” he said. “This is not about personality. This is about a person who has come from the depths, risen to the heights and given back.”James Earl Jones has always been known for his appearance in more than 50 films such Field of Dreams, Patriot Games and The Hunt for Red October.

He also gave the voice to the devil Darth Vader in the Stars Wars film and was nominated in 1971 for The Great White Hope.

His co-star Smith is known in the cinema industry as “the godfather of make-up”. Smith won an Oscar in 1984 for his work on Amadeus. He also was in the cast of The Exorcist, Taxi Driver and the Deer Hunter.

According to BBC News, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said their awards were given to individuals for “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

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