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| | Oscar is an annual award, presented by the American Academy of Motion
Picture Arts & Sciences. Oscar award is the most prestigious screen
award of the USA. Presentation ceremony of "Oscars" is telecast live
in tens of countries. It is possible to tell that even certain “Oscar”
cult exists. Unlike majority of film festivals, "Oscars" are presented
according to the results of general voting of members of Academy,
instead of according to the choice of jury. Such democratic character
brought this film award the deserved popularity.
History:
First ever “Oscar” award ceremony was held in 1929. Up to 1976, rights
to telecast the award ceremony was with channel "NBC" and after that,
the rights to telecast the ceremony live were acquired by channel
"ABC". Latest, the 79th award ceremony of statuettes took place on
Sunday, 25th February, 2007, in Hollywood’s “Kodak Theater”.
According to the data available in the beginning of 2007 with
American Film academy, 5830 members had right to vote, spread across
16 various branches. Most number of votes comes from acting category
(1251 voting participants). Each branch votes for their category
(actors choose the best actress, the best actor, best supporting
actress, best supporting actor etc.). Special voting groups outside of
Film academy are created for selecting the nominees and winners in
categories “Best documentary film”, “Best foreign language film”,
“Best makeup”, “Best short films”, “Best sound” and “Best special
effects”.
All members of Film academy vote only for one category – “Best
Picture”.
American Film academy declared key dates, concerning to 80th Jubilee
“Oscar” award ceremony. As, it is informed in the official press
release, ceremony will take place on February, 24th, 2008 and will
once again take place in Hollywood’s cine complex Kodak.
- Oscar statuette with height of 34 cm and weight of 3.85 kg is
manufactured from gold plated titanium and rests on black marble
base. It depicts knight with a sword, standing on the film reel.
According to legend, founder of image "Oscar" Cedric Gibbons outlined
its sketch in a notebook during one of tiresome meetings.
- Hardly more than 6000 audience form the Academy;
- Length of red carpet — about 150 m and width of approximately
10m. It consists of several rolls each weighing 135 kg and gross
weight of five tons. Carpet is brought to Film Theater four days
before the ceremony on two huge trucks. Two days and 21 persons are
required to spread-out the carpet: join all the parts, hide the joints
and level the carpet. Immediately after the beginning of ceremony,
start removing the carpet. 4 hours are required to completely remove
the carpet.
- Various rumors exist about the origin of name "Oscar". Some
are convinced, that, Academy’s librarian Margarita Herrick, after
seeing the award on table: «The statuette clearly reminds me of my
uncle Oscar!”. Others claim that Bette Davis named it in honor of her
first husband.
- Majority of "Oscar" awards was received by Walt Disney. First
award was received by Walt Disney way back in 1932 for cartoon film
series “Mickey Mouse”. Subsequent "Oscar" awards rained and Walt
Disney received them every year and in total — 29.
- Only three films received “Oscar's big five” (for best
picture, best script, best actor, best actress, best director) — “It
Happened One Night” (1934), “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest “(1975)
and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991).
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The 80th Academy Awards night is this Sunday. There was a lot of tension and uncertainty about the upcoming Oscar night because of the Hollywood writers strike. Luckily the strike ended soon enough to still arrange Oscars in full glory, so we can expect a wonderful show.
