CHERYL BOONE ISAACS RE-ELECTED ACADEMY PRESIDENT

LOS ANGELES, CA – Cheryl Boone Isaacs was re-elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Tuesday night (August 4) by the organization’s Board of Governors.

In addition, Jeffrey Kurland was elected first vice president; John Bailey, Kathleen Kennedy and Bill Kroyer were elected to vice president posts; Jim Gianopulos was elected treasurer; and Phil Robinson was elected secretary.

Boone Isaacs is beginning her third term as president and her 23rd year as a governor representing the Public Relations Branch.  Kurland and Bailey were re-elected to their posts.  Kennedy has served previous terms as vice president.  Last year Kroyer served as secretary.  This will be the first officer stint for Gianopulos.  Robinson has served previous terms as vice president as well as secretary.

Boone Isaacs currently heads CBI Enterprises, Inc., where she consults on film marketing efforts.  Starting this September, she will be an adjunct professor at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.  She recently received an honorary doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.  Over her career, Boone Isaacs has consulted on such films as “The Call,” “The Artist,” “The King’s Speech,” “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “Spider-Man 2” and “Tupac: Resurrection.”

Boone Isaacs previously served as president of theatrical marketing for New Line Cinema, where she oversaw numerous box office successes, including “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and “Rush Hour.”  Prior to joining New Line in 1997, she was executive vice president of worldwide publicity for Paramount Pictures, where she orchestrated publicity campaigns for the Best Picture winners “Forrest Gump” and “Braveheart.”

Academy board members may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms, while officers serve one-year terms, with a maximum of four consecutive years in any one office.

For a full listing of the Academy’s 2015–16 Board of Governors, click here.

PHARRELL WILLIAMS TO PERFORM ON THE OSCARS®

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Singer-songwriter-producer Pharrell Williams will perform his Oscar®-nominated song “Happy” at the Oscars®, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will air on Sunday, March 2, live on ABC.

“Happy,” which Williams wrote and produced for “Despicable Me 2,” is nominated for Original Song. The three other nominated songs are "Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," "Let It Go" from "Frozen" and "The Moon Song" from "Her."

Pharrell Williams has won seven Grammy Awards®, two (in 2004 and 2014) for Producer of the Year. Named Billboard’s Producer of the Decade in 2010, his productions have sold over 100 million copies. Williams collaborated on two of 2013’s most ubiquitous anthems: Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” which he co-wrote and produced and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” which he co-wrote and also sang.  As a solo producer and as part of the prolific producing team The Neptunes, Williams has played a key role in creating a string of hits over more than two decades, including Jay-Z’s "I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me)," Nelly’s "Hot in Herre," Gwen Stefani’s "Hollaback Girl," Snoop Dogg’s "Drop it Like it's Hot," Britney Spears’ “I’m A Slave 4 U” and Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You.”

Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

STATEMENT REGARDING “ALONE YET NOT ALONE” SONG DECISION

THE ACADEMY ISSUES STATEMENT  REGARDING THE RECENT DECISION TO RESCIND THE ORIGINAL SONG NOMINATION

 

UPDATE TO: http://the-in-show.blogspot.com/2014/01/academy-rescinds-original-song.html

 

The Board of Governors’ decision to rescind the Original Song nomination for “Alone Yet Not Alone,” music by Bruce Broughton, was made thoughtfully and after careful consideration. The Academy takes very seriously anything that undermines the integrity of the Oscars® voting process. The Board regretfully concluded that Mr. Broughton’s actions did precisely that.

 

The nominating process for Original Song is intended to be anonymous, with each eligible song listed only by title and the name of the film in which it is used—the idea being to prevent favoritism and promote unbiased voting. It’s been a long-standing policy and practice of the Academy—as well as a requirement of Rule 5.3 of the 86th Academy Awards® Rules—­­to omit composer and lyricist credits from the DVD of eligible songs that are sent to members of the Music Branch. The Academy wants members to vote for nominees based solely on the achievement of a particular song in a movie, without regard to who may have written it.

 

Mr. Broughton sent an email to at least 70 of his fellow Music Branch members—nearly one-third of the branch’s 240 members. When he identified the song as track #57 as one he had composed, and asked voting branch members to listen to it, he took advantage of information that few other potential nominees are privy to. As a former Academy Governor and current member of the Music Branch’s executive committee, Mr. Broughton should have been more cautious about acting in a way that made it appear as if he were taking advantage of his position to exert undue influence. At a minimum, his actions called into question whether the process was "fair and equitable," as the Academy's rules require. The Academy is dedicated to doing everything it can to ensure a level playing field for all potential Oscar® contenders—including those who don’t enjoy the access, knowledge, and influence of a long-standing Academy insider.

 

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

KRISTEN BELL AND MICHAEL B. JORDAN TO HOST ACADEMY'S SCI-TECH AWARDS

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Actors Kristen Bell and Michael B. Jordan will host the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards on Saturday, February 15, at The Beverly Hills Hotel. They will present 19 awards to 52 individual recipients during the evening.

“We are thrilled to have Kristen and Michael join us as hosts for this year’s Sci-Tech Awards,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “They are bright, young talents in the film community and will be a great addition to a night that honors the industry’s technical achievements.”

Bell recently lent her voice to the Oscar®-nominated Disney animated feature “Frozen.” She also will be seen in the title role of the upcoming feature “Veronica Mars,” in theaters this March. Bell’s other film credits include “The Lifeguard,” “Hit & Run,” “When in Rome” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

In 2013, Jordan appeared in his first major leading role in the critically acclaimed film “Fruitvale Station.” He also will be seen in “That Awkward Moment,” with Zac Efron and Miles Teller, due out this Friday. His other credits include “Chronicle” and “Red Tails.”

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation will be included in the Oscar telecast.

Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars®, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

2014 ACADEMY NICHOLL SCREENWRITING COMPETITION NOW UNDERWAY

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The 2014 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition is now underway.  In November, as many as five $35,000 fellowships will be awarded.

Since 1986, 133 fellowships have been awarded, including one to Destin Daniel Cretton, who wrote and directed “Short Term 12” from his 2010 Nicholl Fellowship-winning script.  Other fellows include Creighton Rothenberger, who co-wrote “Olympus Has Fallen,” which opened in theaters last March; Rebecca Sonnenshine, a writer and co-producer on “The Vampire Diaries”; Andrew Marlowe, the creator of and an executive producer on “Castle”’; and Terri Edda Miller, a writer and consulting producer on “Castle.”  Fellow Raymond De Felitta directed “Rob the Mob,” which is slated to open theatrically on March 21, 2014.

The Academy Nicholl Fellowships competition is open to any individual who has not earned a total of more than $25,000 from the sale or option of screenplays or teleplays, or received fellowships or prizes of more than $25,000 that include 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 the regular deadline at 5:00 p.m. PT on April 10, 2014.

Entry fee schedule and deadlines are as follows:
      Early deadline:  5:00 p.m. PT, February 28; entry fee US$35
      Deadline:  5:00 p.m. PT, April 10; entry fee US$50
      Late deadline:  5:00 p.m. PT, May 1; entry fee US$65

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 7,251 entries.

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

ACADEMY RESCINDS ORIGINAL SONG NOMINATION FOR "ALONE YET NOT ALONE"

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — On Tuesday night, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to rescind the Original Song nomination for “Alone Yet Not Alone,” music by Bruce Broughton and lyric by Dennis Spiegel. The decision was prompted by the discovery that Broughton, a former Governor and current Music Branch executive committee member, had emailed members of the branch to make them aware of his submission during the nominations voting period.

 

"No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one’s position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one’s own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage,” said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy President.

 

The Board determined that Broughton’s actions were inconsistent with the Academy’s promotional regulations, which provide, among other terms, that “it is the Academy's goal to ensure that the Awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner. If any campaign activity is determined by the Board of Governors to work in opposition to that goal, whether or not anticipated by these regulations, the Board of Governors may take any corrective actions or assess any penalties that in its discretion it deems necessary to protect the reputation and integrity of the awards process.”

 

An additional nominee in the Original Song category will not be named. The remaining nominees in the category are:

 

“Happy” from “Despicable Me 2”
Music and Lyric by Pharrell Williams

 

“Let It Go” from “Frozen”
Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

 

“The Moon Song” from “Her”
Music by Karen O; Lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze

 

“Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen; Lyric by Paul Hewson

 

The members from each of the Academy’s branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, musicians and composers nominate song and score.

 

During the nominations process, all 240 voting members of the Music Branch received a Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Song category and a DVD copy of the song clips with film and song title only (additional information including composer and lyricist is not provided). Members were asked to watch the clips and then vote in the order of their preference for not more than five nominees in the category. A maximum of two songs may be nominated from any one film.

 

Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

 

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

STATEMENT REGARDING THE PASSING OF FORMER ACADEMY PRESIDENT TOM SHERAK

 

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved former president Tom Sherak.

Sherak joined the Executives Branch of the Academy in 1983. He served three terms on the Board of Governors, from August 2003 through July 2012, the last three as President.

He was most recently named Los Angeles film czar by Mayor Eric Garcetti to support local film production and serve as a liaison between state lawmakers and the entertainment industry.

Sherak’s remarkable five-decade career has seen him at the pinnacle of motion picture marketing, distribution and production at companies including Revolution Studios, 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures.

He was founder and chairman of the MS Hope Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting the needs of the Multiple Sclerosis community.

His passion and tireless energy impacted the Academy in countless ways – especially his support of our new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Statement from Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy President
“In the more than 30 years I’ve known Tom, his passionate support of and excitement about the motion picture business, the Academy, his family and friends never wavered. He was truly larger than life, and he will be missed.”

Statement from Dawn Hudson, Academy CEO
“He was my mentor and my friend.  I learned from him, I laughed with him, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the time we shared together.  He had a huge influence on the direction of our Academy and on me personally.  I will miss laughing with him most of all.”

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

86TH OSCARS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Actor Chris Hemsworth and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards® today (January 16).

Hemsworth and Boone Isaacs announced the nominees at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives.  For a complete list of nominees, visit 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, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees.  All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members on Saturday, January 25, 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.

Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all categories.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Nominations for the 86th Academy Awards

Performance by an actor in a leading role
•Christian Bale in “American Hustle”
•Bruce Dern in “Nebraska”
•Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street”
•Chiwetel Ejiofor in “12 Years a Slave”
•Matthew McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
•Barkhad Abdi in “Captain Phillips”
•Bradley Cooper in “American Hustle”
•Michael Fassbender in “12 Years a Slave”
•Jonah Hill in “The Wolf of Wall Street”
•Jared Leto in “Dallas Buyers Club”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
•Amy Adams in “American Hustle”
•Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine”
•Sandra Bullock in “Gravity”
•Judi Dench in “Philomena”
•Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
•Sally Hawkins in “Blue Jasmine”
•Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle”
•Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave”
•Julia Roberts in “August: Osage County”
•June Squibb in “Nebraska”

Best animated feature film of the year
•“The Croods” Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco and Kristine Belson
•“Despicable Me 2” Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin and Chris Meledandri
•“Ernest & Celestine” Benjamin Renner and Didier Brunner
•“Frozen” Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee and Peter Del Vecho
•“The Wind Rises” Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

Achievement in cinematography
•“The Grandmaster” Philippe Le Sourd
•“Gravity” Emmanuel Lubezki
•“Inside Llewyn Davis” Bruno Delbonnel
•“Nebraska” Phedon Papamichael
•“Prisoners” Roger A. Deakins

Achievement in costume design
•“American Hustle” Michael Wilkinson
•“The Grandmaster” William Chang Suk Ping
•“The Great Gatsby” Catherine Martin
•“The Invisible Woman” Michael O’Connor
•“12 Years a Slave” Patricia Norris

Achievement in directing
•“American Hustle” David O. Russell
•“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón
•“Nebraska” Alexander Payne
•“12 Years a Slave” Steve McQueen
•“The Wolf of Wall Street” Martin Scorsese

Best documentary feature
•“The Act of Killing”Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen
•“Cutie and the Boxer” Zachary Heinzerling and Lydia Dean Pilcher
•“Dirty Wars” Richard Rowley and Jeremy Scahill
•“The Square” Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer
•“20 Feet from Stardom” Nominees to be determined

Best documentary short subject
•“CaveDigger” Jeffrey Karoff
•“Facing Fear” Jason Cohen
•“Karama Has No Walls” Sara Ishaq
•“The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life” Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed
•“Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall” Edgar Barens

Achievement in film editing
•“American Hustle” Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten
•“Captain Phillips” Christopher Rouse
•“Dallas Buyers Club” John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa
•“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger
•“12 Years a Slave” Joe Walker

Best foreign language film of the year
•“The Broken Circle Breakdown” Belgium
•“The Great Beauty” Italy
•“The Hunt” Denmark
•“The Missing Picture” Cambodia
•“Omar” Palestine

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
•“Dallas Buyers Club” Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews
•“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” Stephen Prouty
•“The Lone Ranger” Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
•“The Book Thief” John Williams
•“Gravity” Steven Price
•“Her” William Butler and Owen Pallett
•“Philomena” Alexandre Desplat
•“Saving Mr. Banks” Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
•“Alone Yet Not Alone” from “Alone Yet Not Alone”
Music by Bruce Broughton; Lyric by Dennis Spiegel
•“Happy” from “Despicable Me 2”
Music and Lyric by Pharrell Williams
•“Let It Go” from “Frozen”
Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
•“The Moon Song” from “Her”
Music by Karen O; Lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze
•“Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen; Lyric by Paul Hewson

Best motion picture of the year
•“American Hustle” Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
•“Captain Phillips” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca, Producers
•“Dallas Buyers Club” Robbie Brenner and Rachel Winter, Producers
•“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman, Producers
•“Her” Megan Ellison, Spike Jonze and Vincent Landay, Producers
•“Nebraska” Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, Producers
•“Philomena” Gabrielle Tana, Steve Coogan and Tracey Seaward, Producers
•“12 Years a Slave” Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen and Anthony Katagas, Producers
•“The Wolf of Wall Street” Nominees to be determined

Achievement in production design
•“American Hustle” Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Heather Loeffler
•“Gravity” Production Design: Andy Nicholson; Set Decoration: Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard
•“The Great Gatsby” Production Design: Catherine Martin; Set Decoration: Beverley Dunn
•“Her” Production Design: K.K. Barrett; Set Decoration: Gene Serdena
•“12 Years a Slave” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Alice Baker

Best animated short film
•“Feral” Daniel Sousa and Dan Golden
•“Get a Horse!” Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim
•“Mr. Hublot” Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares
•“Possessions” Shuhei Morita
•“Room on the Broom” Max Lang and Jan Lachauer

Best live action short film
•“Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)” Esteban Crespo
•“Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just before Losing Everything)” Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras
•“Helium” Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson
•“Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)” Selma Vilhunen and Kirsikka Saari
•“The Voorman Problem” Mark Gill and Baldwin Li

Achievement in sound editing
•“All Is Lost” Steve Boeddeker and Richard Hymns
•“Captain Phillips” Oliver Tarney
•“Gravity” Glenn Freemantle
•“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Brent Burge
•“Lone Survivor” Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing
•“Captain Phillips” Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, Mike Prestwood Smith and Chris Munro
•“Gravity” Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro
•“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick and Tony Johnson
•“Inside Llewyn Davis” Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
•“Lone Survivor” Andy Koyama, Beau Borders and David Brownlow

Achievement in visual effects
•“Gravity” Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk and Neil Corbould
•“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and Eric Reynolds
•“Iron Man 3” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick
•“The Lone Ranger” Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier
•“Star Trek Into Darkness” Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann and Burt Dalton

Adapted screenplay
•“Before Midnight” Written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
•“Captain Phillips” Screenplay by Billy Ray
•“Philomena” Screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
•“12 Years a Slave” Screenplay by John Ridley
•“The Wolf of Wall Street” Screenplay by Terence Winter

Original screenplay
•“American Hustle” Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
•“Blue Jasmine” Written by Woody Allen
•“Dallas Buyers Club” Written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
•“Her” Written by Spike Jonze
•“Nebraska” Written by Bob Nelson

2014 Student Academy Awards® Competition Now Underway

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The Academy is now accepting applications for its 2014 Student Academy Awards competition. Past Student Academy Award® winners have gone on to receive 46 Oscar® nominations and have won or shared eight awards.  Winners include Pete Docter, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, Trey Parker and Robert Zemeckis.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards, along with cash prizes, may be presented to student filmmakers in the following categories: Alternative, Animation, Narrative, Documentary and Foreign Film.

The rules and online application forms are available at www.oscars.org/saa.

The U.S. competition is open to all full-time college and university students at accredited institutions, whose films are made within the curricular structure of a film program or class at their respective schools. For 2014, the Academy has again limited the accepted accreditation agencies for U.S. institutions to the following: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; New England Association of Schools and Colleges; North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. U.S. entries must be submitted by Tuesday, April 1, 2014.

In the Foreign Film category, entries are accepted only from full-time college and university students attending schools that are members of the international film school organization known as CILECT (www.cilect.org) and located outside the borders of the United States. The deadline to submit a foreign student film for consideration is Friday, March 21, 2014.

The 41st Annual Student Academy Awards presentation will be held in June at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level.

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

19 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS TO BE HONORED WITH ACADEMY AWARDS

Peter W. Anderson to receive Gordon E. Sawyer Award;
Charles “Tad” Marburg to receive John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 19 scientific and technical achievements represented by 52 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 15, at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

In addition, visual effects supervisor and director of photography Peter W. Anderson will receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar® statuette) for technological contributions that have brought credit to the industry.  Post-production and distribution executive Charles “Tad” Marburg will receive the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy.

For the first time in the history of the Scientific and Technical Awards, a large number of individuals, collectively, will be recognized with an Academy Award® of Merit (an Oscar statuette). The award is dedicated to “all those who built and operated film laboratories, for over a century of service to the motion picture industry.”

“This year’s honorees have in a myriad of ways enabled today’s moviegoing experience,” said Richard Edlund, Academy Award-winning visual effects artist and Scientific and Technical Awards Committee Chair. “Their efforts have advanced not only the art and science of motion pictures, but the work of countless global industries.”

Unlike other Academy Awards to be presented this year, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards need not have been developed and introduced during 2013. Rather, the achievements must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures.

The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (ACADEMY CERTIFICATES)

To Olivier Maury, Ian Sachs and Dan Piponi for the creation of the ILM Plume system that simulates and renders fire, smoke and explosions for motion picture visual effects.
The unique construction of this system combines fluid solving and final image rendering on the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) hardware without needing an intermediate step involving the CPU. This innovation reduces turnaround time, resulting in significant efficiency gains for the ILM effects department.

To Ronald D. Henderson for the development of the FLUX gas simulation system.
The use of the Fast Fourier Transform for solving partial differential equations allows FLUX a greater level of algorithmic efficiency when multi-threading on modern hardware. This innovation enables the creation of very high-resolution fluid effects while maintaining fast turnaround times.

To Andrew Camenisch, David Cardwell and Tibor Madjar for the concept and design, and to Csaba Kohegyi and Imre Major for the implementation of the Mudbox software.
Mudbox provides artists powerful new design capabilities that significantly advance the state of the art in multi-resolution digital sculpting for film production.

To Martin Hill, Jon Allitt and Nick McKenzie for the creation of the spherical harmonics-based efficient lighting system at Weta Digital. The spherical harmonics lighting pipeline precomputes and reuses a smooth approximation of time-consuming visibility calculations. This enables artists to quickly see the results of changing lights, materials and set layouts in scenes with extremely complex geometry.

To Florian Kainz, Jeffery Yost, Philip Hubbard and Jim Hourihan for the architecture and development of the Zeno application framework. For more than a decade, Zeno’s flexible and robust design has allowed the creation of a broad range of Academy Award-winning visual effects toolsets at ILM.

To Peter Huang and Chris Perry for their architectural contributions to, and to Hans Rijpkema and Joe Mancewicz for the core engineering of, the Voodoo application framework. For more than a decade, Voodoo’s unique design concepts have enabled a broad range of character animation toolsets to be developed at Rhythm & Hues.

To Matt Pharr, Greg Humphreys and Pat Hanrahan for their formalization and reference implementation of the concepts behind physically based rendering, as shared in their book Physically Based Rendering. Physically based rendering has transformed computer graphics lighting by more accurately simulating materials and lights, allowing digital artists to focus on cinematography rather than the intricacies of rendering. First published in 2004, Physically Based Rendering is both a textbook and a complete source-code implementation that has provided a widely adopted practical roadmap for most physically based shading and lighting systems used in film production.

To Dr. Peter Hillman for the long-term development and continued advancement of innovative, robust and complete toolsets for deep compositing. Dr. Hillman’s ongoing contributions to standardized techniques and a common deep image file format have enabled advanced compositing workflows across the digital filmmaking industry.

To Colin Doncaster, Johannes Saam, Areito Echevarria, Janne Kontkanen and Chris Cooper for the development, prototyping and promotion of technologies and workflows for deep compositing. Their contributions include early advancements in key deep compositing features such as layer and holdout-order independence, spatial and intra-element color correction, post-render depth of field, and precise blending of complex layer edges.

To Thomas Lokovic and Eric Veach for their influential research and publication of the fundamental concepts of deep shadowing technology. Providing a functional and efficient model for the storage of deep opacity information, this technology was widely adopted as the foundation of early deep compositing pipelines.

To Gifford Hooper and Philip George of HoverCam for the continuing development of the Helicam miniature helicopter camera system. The current Helicam system is a high-speed, extremely maneuverable, turbine-engine, radio-controlled miniature helicopter that supports professional film and digital cinema cameras. Helicam provides a wide range of stabilized, remotely operated pan, tilt and roll capabilities, achieving shots impossible for full-size helicopters.

To John Frazier, Chuck Gaspar and Clay Pinney for the design and development of the Pneumatic Car Flipper. This self-contained high-pressure pneumatic device safely launches a stationary full-sized car on a predetermined trajectory. The precision of operation enhances the safety of performers, and the physical design allows a rapid setup and strike.

To Joshua Pines, David Reisner, Lou Levinson, Curtis Clark, ASC, and David Register for the development of the American Society of Cinematographers Color Decision List technology. The ASC CDL unifies color correction principles for use on- and off-set, providing for the faithful reproduction of color values across a variety of color correction devices. This technology provides basic image-processing mathematics that translate the lift, gamma and gain settings to a set of common color values to help preserve the cinematographer’s intent throughout production.

To Jeremy Selan for the development of the OpenColorIO color management framework. OpenColorIO is an open source framework that enables consistent color visualization of motion picture imagery across multiple facilities and numerous software applications.

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)

To Ofer Alon for the design and implementation of the ZBrush software tool for multi-resolution sculpting of digital models. ZBrush pioneered multi-resolution digital sculpting, transforming how artists conceive and realize their final designs. ZBrush has enabled artists to create models far more quickly and with much greater detail than previous approaches.

To Eric Veach for his foundational research on efficient Monte Carlo path tracing for image synthesis. Physically based rendering has transformed computer graphics lighting by more accurately simulating materials and lights, allowing digital artists to focus on cinematography rather than the intricacies of rendering. In his 1997 Ph.D. thesis and related publications, Veach formalized the principles of Monte Carlo path tracing and introduced essential optimization techniques, such as multiple importance sampling, which make physically based rendering computationally feasible.

To Andre Gauthier, Benoit Sevigny, Yves Boudreault and Robert Lanciault for the design and implementation of the FiLMBOX software application. FiLMBOX, the foundation of MotionBuilder, enables the real-time processing and control of devices and animation. For over two decades, its innovative architecture has been a basis for the development and evolution of new techniques in filmmaking, such as virtual production.

To Emmanuel Prevenaire, Jan Sperling, Etienne Brandt and Tony Postiau for their development of the Flying-Cam SARAH 3.0 system. This battery-powered, radio-controlled, miniature helicopter camera system employs computer-assisted piloting and tele-operation in an airframe that utilizes GPS-assisted flight controls for aerial filming of unparalleled sophistication. Flying-Cam SARAH achieves shots impossible for full-size helicopters, cable systems or other traditional camera support devices.

ACADEMY AWARD® OF MERIT (OSCAR® STATUETTE)

To all those who built and operated film laboratories, for over a century of service to the motion picture industry.

Lab employees have contributed extraordinary efforts to achieve filmmakers’ artistic expectations for special film processing and the production of billions of feet of release prints per year. This work has allowed an expanded motion picture audience and unequaled worldwide cinema experience.

GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD (OSCAR STATUETTE)

Peter W. Anderson

Presented to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry.

JOHN A. BONNER MEDAL OF COMMENDATION (MEDALLION)

Charles “Tad” Marburg

Presented in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation will be included in the Oscar telecast.

Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The presentation, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

CHANNING TATUM KICKS OFF “TEAM OSCAR®” ON “THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW”

Winning College Students to Appear on Oscars® Telecast

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Channing Tatum and The Academy today launched the “Team Oscar” college search on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” along with this year’s Oscars host, Ellen DeGeneres, by inviting the next generation of filmmakers to vie for an opportunity to appear onstage during the live Oscar broadcast. Winners will deliver Oscar statuettes to celebrity presenters at the Academy Awards® on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, live on ABC.

“We were very happy to have created this college program for last year’s show. It was a huge success, and we’re excited to take it to the next level,” said show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. “With Channing Tatum set to help us discover a new group of talented young filmmakers and ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ on board to chronicle their stories, we feel Team Oscar will be more rewarding and exciting than ever.”

Run through The Academy’s Facebook page, Team Oscar is open to U.S. college students, and submissions are due by January 5, 2014. To enter, students must visit The Academy’s Facebook page, where they can submit a creative short video explaining how they will contribute to the future of movies and answer a brief essay question on a similar topic.

Producers Zadan and Meron, along with Tatum and the Academy, will ultimately pick a minimum of six winners who will be flown to Los Angeles by United Airlines, the official airline of the Academy, to participate in the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

“It’s inspiring to see talented young people passionate about movies, and I’m excited to help shine a spotlight on them through Team Oscar,” said Tatum. “I’m looking forward to viewing and judging the creative videos submitted on Facebook and working with Craig, Neil and the Academy to choose winners who epitomize the next generation of filmmakers.”

Tatum will return to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in early 2014 to announce the Team Oscar winners.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

EFFECTS WORK "LIKE MAGIC" AT THE ACADEMY

With Ricky Jay, Shane Mahan and Michael Weber

 

“I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely associated. The very earliest people who made film were magicians.” – Francis Ford Coppola

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will explore cinema’s roots in stage magic and sleight of hand and show how visual deception drove the development of movie special effects, on Wednesday, November 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

“Like Magic” will examine how some of the techniques used in the earliest “trick films,” such as forced perspective, cuts, dissolves and multiple exposures are still used by filmmakers in the digital age. Hosted by sleight-of-hand artist Ricky Jay, special effects supervisor Shane Mahan, and stage and screen illusion designer Michael Weber, the program features clips from such pioneering films as Georges Méliès’s “The Magician” (1898) and contemporary favorites like “Snow White and the Huntsman” (2012). It also includes live demonstrations and conversations with some of the films’ creative teams.

For More Information: The Oscars ® "Like Magic"

Order Your Tickets: "Like Magic" Tickets

Winners Announced For Prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowships

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Four individual writers and one writing team have been selected as winners of the 2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition.  Each winner will receive a $35,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at an awards presentation on Thursday, November 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.  For the first time, the event will also feature a live read of selected scenes from the fellows’ winning scripts.

This year’s winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
      Frank DeJohn & David Alton Hedges, Santa Ynez, CA, “Legion”
      Patty Jones, Vancouver, BC, Canada, “Joe Banks”
      Alan Roth, Suffern, NY, “Jersey City Story”
      Stephanie Shannon, Los Angeles, CA, “Queen of Hearts”
      Barbara Stepansky, Burbank, CA, “Sugar in My Veins”

The winners were selected from a record 7,251 scripts submitted for this year’s competition.

Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during their 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.

Directed by Rodrigo Garcia (“Albert Nobbs,” “Mother and Child,” “Nine Lives”) and produced by Julie Lynn ( “Albert Nobbs,” “Mother and Child,” “The Jane Austen Book Club”), the awards presentation and live read, which is supported by Lexus, will include members from the Academy’s Actors Branch performing scenes from the five winning scripts.  Casting for the live read will be announced.  Tickets to the event are available to the public at www.oscars.org.

Lexus will engineer a new and innovative extension of the fellowship for the first time. One of the top five winners will be presented with a grant which will allow them to write and produce a short film that will appear on certain Lexus creative platforms such as LStudio.com.

The Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, chaired by producer Gale Anne Hurd, is composed of writers Naomi Foner, Daniel Petrie Jr., Tom Rickman, Eric Roth, Dana Stevens and Robin Swicord; actor Eva Marie Saint; cinematographer John Bailey; costume designer Vicki Sanchez; producers Peter Samuelson and Robert W. Shapiro; marketing executive Buffy Shutt; and agent Ronald R. Mardigian.

Since 1986, 133 fellowships have been awarded, including one to 2010 winner Destin Daniel Cretton who recently wrote and directed “Short Term 12” from his Nicholl Fellowship-winning script.  Creighton Rothenberger co-wrote “Olympus Has Fallen,” which opened in theaters this past March.  Rebecca Sonnenshine is a writer and executive story editor on “The Vampire Diaries.”  Andrew Marlowe is a writer and executive producer, and Terri Edda Miller is a writer and consulting producer on “Castle.”

ABOUT LEXUS
Lexus launched in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since that time, Lexus has expanded its line-up to meet the needs of global luxury customers. Lexus is now going beyond its reputation for high quality vehicles with the integration of innovative technology, emotional exterior and interior designs, and engaging driving dynamics and performance. With five models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers six F SPORT models and two F models, including the LFA supercar, for top-of-the-line performance. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 233 dealers who are committed to exemplary customer service.

THE ACADEMY COMMEMORATES JFK ANNIVERSARY WITH SPECIAL DOCUMENTARY SCREENING INTRODUCED BY AARON SORKIN

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, the Academy presents a special screening of the documentary “John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums.”

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will present a special screening of the documentary “John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums,” on Friday, November 22, the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination. Oscar®-winning writer Aaron Sorkin will introduce the commemorative screening, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.

Written, directed and scored by Bruce Herschensohn and narrated by Gregory Peck, the documentary examines Kennedy’s legacy and spotlights many significant events from his presidency, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs invasion and the launch of the Peace Corps. The film also contains rare color footage from Kennedy’s funeral.

For More Information: The Oscars ® JFK

Get Your Tickets: The Academy JKF Tickets

Experience 85 Years Of The Oscar®! Robert Osborne's Official History of the Academy Awards®

Available October 29

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The official history of the Academy Awards, 85 Years of the Oscar captures the thrill of the film industry’s most significant and popular event with more than 750 photographs and an informative text by renowned film historian and Hollywood insider Robert Osborne.  Published by Abbeville Press in association with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this extensively researched volume will be available in select bookstores and online retailers starting October 29.

In 85 Years of the Oscar, Osborne traces the history of the Awards from the formative years of the film industry to the present, illustrating how the Oscars® have been influenced by world events and how each year’s ceremony – and the movies honored that year – are a reflection of their time.

The ceremonies are detailed, decade by decade, with a complete listing of the nominees and winners in every category and a special section of Academy Award® record holders.

85 Years of the Oscar includes such recent updates as plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the establishment of the Governors Awards ceremony, the expansion of the Best Picture category, and the introduction of electronic voting for the Awards.

Osborne’s Oscar coverage of unique authority and depth has made the book a favorite since the first edition was published 25 years ago.

85 YEARS OF THE OSCAR®
By Robert Osborne
 Cloth, 472 pages
 765 illustrations, 96 in full color
 Published October 29, 2013
 ISBN: 978-0-7892-1142-2
 $75.00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Osborne is the host of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and the official host for the TCM Classic Film Festival and the TCM Classic Cruise. For over 25 years, Osborne served as a reporter and columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, one of the motion picture industry’s most important newspapers. He has written a dozen books on the film world – many of them focused on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – and has frequently served as host for Academy programs in both Los Angeles and New York.  Osborne earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006, and in 2008 received a special award from the National Board of Review for his contributions as a film historian.

8 DOC SHORTS ON OSCAR'S 2013 SHORTLIST

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 86th Academy Awards® has been narrowed to eight films, of which three to five will earn Oscar® nominations.

Voters from the Academy’s Documentary Branch viewed this year’s 40 eligible entries and submitted their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers for tabulation.

The eight films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“CaveDigger,” Karoffilms

“Facing Fear,” Jason Cohen Productions, LLC

“Jujitsu-ing Reality,” Sobini Films

“Karama Has No Walls,” Hot Spot Films

“The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life,” Reed Entertainment

“Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall,” Prison Terminal LLC

“Recollections,” notrac productions

“SLOMO,” Big Young Films and Runaway Films

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Mary Pickford - Celebration of Silent Film

FROM 1928 – THE HEIGHT OF THE SILENT FILM ART

Two special nights of silent classics introduced by silent film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow

Presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Mary Pickford Foundation

THE CROWD - Tuesday, October 22

Featuring a print restored under the supervision of Kevin Brownlow with a stereo musical score composed by Carl Davis.

One of the most powerful and personal films of the American cinema, produced when silent film had reached its pinnacle of visual storytelling, “The Crowd” offers a stylized view of modern life through the eyes of a young New Yorker determined to fulfill his own imagined destiny despite the intervening foibles of everyday life. Romantic, timeless and heartbreaking, “The Crowd” dispels the stereotypes of the “limitations” of silent film on every level.

Starring Eleanor Boardman and James Murray. Produced and directed by King Vidor. Written by John V.A. Weaver and Vidor. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 35mm, silent, black-and-white, 98 min.

THE STUDENT PRINCE IN OLD HEIDELBERG - Thursday, October 24

Featuring a print restored under the supervision of Kevin Brownlow with a stereo musical score composed by Carl Davis.

Heightening the full romantic power of the silent screen with the unique “Lubitsch” touch, “The Student Prince” offers beautiful cinematography, playful and subtle performances from Novarro and Shearer, and a touching story of a young prince who falls in love with an innkeeper’s daughter in an enchanting film whose pictures are, indeed, worth a thousand words.

Starring Norma Shearer and Ramon Novarro. Produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Written by Hans Kraly, based on the book Karl Heinrich by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster and the operetta The Student Prince by Dorothy Donnelly and Sigmund Romberg. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 35mm, silent, black-and-white, 105 min.

Kevin Brownlow received an Honorary Award from the Academy in 2010 and is widely regarded as the preeminent historian of the silent film era. His books include The Parade’s Gone By…; The War, the West, and the Wilderness; Hollywood: The Pioneers; Behind the Mask of Innocence; David Lean and Mary Pickford Rediscovered. His documentaries include “Hollywood”; “Unknown Chaplin”; “Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow”; “Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius”; “D.W. Griffith: Father of Film”; “Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic”; and “Garbo.” Most famous among his many silent film restoration projects is Abel Gance’s 1927 epic “Napoleon.”

NEW CASTING DIRECTORS BRANCH ELECTS THREE TO ACADEMY BOARD OF GOVERNORS

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Three members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ newly created Casting Directors Branch have been elected to the Academy Board of Governors.

The first-time governors are David Rubin, who is elected to a three-year term; Bernie Telsey, who is elected to a two-year term; and Lora Kennedy, who is elected to a one-year term.

“The addition of these exceptional professionals to our Board is another positive step toward making our organization more inclusive and more reflective of the broader industry,” Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said.  “We welcome them, their ideas and their insights wholeheartedly.”

The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms.  The addition of the Casting Directors Branch was approved by the Board in July of this year.

Home Movie Day And Hollywood Home Movies IV

Two events - One unforgettable day

The Academy presents two unique events celebrating amateur filmmaking! In the afternoon, everyone is invited to bring in their personal home movies and watch them on the big screen. In the evening, the Academy will present specially selected home movies and footage from Hollywood's Golden Age.

HOME MOVIE DAY
Home Movie Day is a worldwide celebration of amateur films and filmmaking, coordinated by the Center for Home Movies. Home Movie Day in Los Angeles is October 12 at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater. Angelenos are invited to share their family films in an open screening from noon to 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to bring in home movies for condition evaluation and projection by trained archivists. Visit homemovieday.com/losangeles for details.

HOLLYWOOD HOME MOVIES IV
The home movie craze extended to Hollywood stars and directors who captured their families and friends, as well as behind-the-scenes activities on set. The Academy Film Archive houses a wide variety of such films and will present a selection of excerpts at the evening program, Hollywood Home Movies IV, including footage of Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Billie Burke, Marlene Dietrich, Walt Disney (shown above on a one-inch scale steam train, 1948), Mitzi Gaynor, Betty Grable, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow, Shirley Jones, Florenz Ziegfeld and more.

In addition to intimate glimpses of celebrities at work and play, the program includes 1935 footage of Atlantic City, Satchel Paige pitching in an exhibition game at Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field, Billy Gilbert’s USO troupe performing during World War II, and the wrap party for “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Don’t miss this entertaining evening of unique, rarely screened footage.

THE ACADEMY TO HOST WONG KAR WAI AND "THE GRANDMASTER"

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy's summer-long celebration of kung fu continues with a salute to writer-director Wong Kar Wai and an advance screening of his film "The Grandmaster," about the martial arts grand master who trained Bruce Lee, on Monday, July 22, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Writer-director Matthew Weiner will host the evening, which features an onstage conversation with Wong. The Academy's current Grand Lobby exhibition "KICK ASS! Kung Fu Posters from the Stephen Chin Collection" will be open with extended viewing hours after the screening. Tickets for the event are sold out. A standby line will form on the day of the event, and any available tickets will distributed shortly before the program.

Click here to learn more.