BILLY CRYSTAL TO HOST ACADEMY AWARDS SHOW

Beverly Hills, CA – Producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer have announced
that Billy Crystal will serve as host for the 84th Academy Awards. “I’m thrilled
to welcome Billy back to the Oscar® stage,” said Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak. “He’s a comic legend and Oscar icon, and it feels good to have him back where he belongs.”

Commented Grazer, “Like so many others, I’ve been eager to see Billy host
again. It’s very gratifying that he agreed to do it with Don and me at the
helm.”

Said Mischer, “With Billy, we’re moving forward with one of the greatest
hosts in Oscar history. His return to the Oscars® is, in a sense, a
celebration.”

This will mark Crystal’s ninth time as host. Only Bob Hope has hosted more  Academy Awards presentations, with 19 ceremonies between 1940 and 1978. Crystal  last hosted the Academy Awards in 2004.

“Some of the best moments of my career have happened on the Oscar stage. I am thrilled to be back there. Actually, I am doing this so that the young woman in my pharmacy will stop asking me my name when I pick up my prescriptions,” said Crystal.

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. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

EEDIE MURPHY OUT OF 84TH ACADEMY AWARDS

Eddie Murphy Exits as Host of 84th Academy Awards®

Beverly Hills, CA – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced that Eddie Murphy has withdrawn as host of the 84th Academy Awards. “I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well,” said Sherak.

Commented Murphy, “First and foremost I want to say that I completely understand and support each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.”

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. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

EDDIE MURPHY TO HOST ACADEMY AWARDS

Eddie Murphy to Host 84th Academy Awards®

 

Beverly Hills, CA – Oscar® nominee Eddie Murphy, whose performing career spans movies, television and the stage, will host this year’s Academy Awards show on Sunday, February 26, 2012, telecast producers Brett Ratner and Don Mischer announced today. This will be Murphy’s first hosting stint on the Oscars®.

“Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever,” said Ratner. “With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances – especially on stage – I know he will bring excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show Don and I want to produce in February.”

Commented Mischer, “Eddie is a truly ground-breaking performer, whose amazingly diverse array of roles has won him a devoted audience of all ages. His quick wit and charisma will serve him very well as Oscar host.”

“I am enormously honored to join the great list of past Academy Award hosts from Hope and Carson to Crystal, Martin and Goldberg, among others,” said Murphy. “I’m looking forward to working with Brett and Don on creating a show that is enjoyable for both the fans at home and for the audience at the Kodak Theatre as we all come together to celebrate and recognize the great film contributions and collaborations from the past year.”

Murphy began his career at the age of 15 as a stand-up comedian. In 1980, at the age of 19, he joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live,” becoming the show’s youngest cast member to that point, and bringing to life many of the show’s most memorable  characters. His 1983 album “Eddie Murphy: Comedian” won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording. It included portions of his groundbreaking HBO special “Eddie Murphy Delirious.”  In 1987, “Eddie Murphy Raw” was theatrically released and went on to gross over $50 million. Murphy made his feature film debut in 1982 with the classic “48 Hrs.” and would go on to star in such box-office hits as “Beverly Hills Cop” and the “The Nutty Professor” and “Shrek” franchises. All told, movies in which he has performed have earned in excess of $7 billion worldwide during their theatrical releases.

Murphy earned an Oscar nomination in 2006 for his supporting role in “Dreamgirls.”

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 on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

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ACADEMY AWARDS $50K TO TELLURIDE FESTIVAL

Academy Grants $50,000 to Telluride Film Festival

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded a $50,000 grant to underwrite the 2011 Telluride Film Festival’s Guest Director program, this year featuring musician Caetano Veloso. Veloso has over 100 film and television credits, but may be best known to moviegoers for his performance of “Cucurrucucú Paloma” (“Cucurrucucu Dove”) in Pedro Almodóvar’s Academy Award®-winning film, “Talk to Her.”

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Academy has funded the program. In 2010 the festival’s guest director was writer Michael Ondaatje; in 2009, it was Alexander Payne, the director and Oscar®-winning screenwriter of “Sideways;” and in 2008, it was Slavoj Zizek, the Slovenian political philosopher and cultural critic.

“The Guest Director Program brings added depth and a rare variety of films to the Festival that we consider an integral part of our program’s success,” said Telluride Film Festival Co-Director Julie Huntsinger. “The generous support from The Academy and our ongoing partnership allows us to continue working with brilliant artists, whose film selections are sourced from film vaults across the globe, and put together a program our audience expects and deserves.” For more than two decades, Telluride has welcomed numerous prominent filmmakers and personalities to help select and present each year’s films.

Previous guest directors include Academy Award-nominated writer-director Peter Bogdanovich, director Jean-Pierre Gorin, film curator and archivist Edith Kramer, Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris, author Salman Rushdie, Oscar-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, and filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier. The Academy Foundation – the Academy’s cultural and educational wing – annually distributes more than $1 million to film scholars, cultural organizations and film festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad.

e Foundation also presents the Academy’s rich assortment of screenings and other public programs each year.

“GIANT’ TO BE PERFORMED IN NYC

Academy Brings “Giant” to NYC

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Monday Nights with Oscar® will present “Giant” on Monday, September 12, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City. The evening will also feature actress Carroll Baker and historian Foster Hirsch in an onstage discussion about the making of “Giant” and working with George Stevens.

In the 1956 film adaptation of the novel by Edna Ferber, screenwriters Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffatt bring to life the saga of a family of Texas ranchers headed by Jordan “Bick” Benedict (Rock Hudson) and his wife, Maryland socialite Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor).  Spanning several decades, Stevens’s “Giant” is drama on a grand scale, confronting themes of family expectations, class warfare, alcoholism, discrimination against Mexican Americans, and how the oil industry transformed a generation of Texas ranchers into super-rich oil barons. In addition to Baker, the star-studded cast includes James Dean in his final role, Dennis Hopper, Mercedes McCambridge, Earl Holliman and Jane Withers.

“Giant” was nominated for 10 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, but received only one, given to Stevens for Directing. This 55th anniversary screening celebrates the life and legacy of Stevens and is presented as part of the George Stevens Lecture Series, established by the Academy in 1981 after Stevens’s personal papers were donated to the Margaret Herrick Library by George Stevens Jr.

Baker appeared in “Giant” as Luz Benedict II shortly before her Oscar-nominated breakout performance in Elia Kazan’s “Baby Doll.”

Tickets for “Giant” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.oscars.org or by mail (a printable order form is available in the Events & Exhibitions section of the website).  Tickets may also be purchased at the box office prior to the event (subject to availability).

The Academy Theater is located at 111 East 59th Street (between Park and Lexington avenues) in New York City. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.  For more information, visit www.oscars.org or call (212) 821-9251.

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BOARD OF GOVERNORS ANNOUNCE AWARD WINNERS

James Earl Jones, Dick Smith and Oprah Winfrey
To Receive Academy’s Governors Awards

Beverly Hills, CA – The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted tonight to present Honorary Awards to actor James Earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to philanthropist Oprah Winfrey.  All three awards will be presented at the Academy’s 3rd Annual Governors Awards dinner on Saturday, November 12, at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones made his film debut in 1964 in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”  In 1970, he earned an Academy Award® nomination for his role as boxer Jack Jefferson in “The Great White Hope.”  Jones has appeared in more than 50 feature films including “Claudine,” “Conan the Barbarian,” “Field of Dreams,” “Coming to America” and, as Vice Admiral James Greer, “The Hunt for Red October,” “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger.”  Additionally, Jones has also voiced some of the most iconic characters in motion pictures including Darth Vader in the Star Wars trilogy and Mustafa in “The Lion King.”

Known as the “godfather of makeup,” Smith began his career in 1945 as NBC’s first makeup man.  He is known for his makeup artistry on such films as “The Godfather,” “The Exorcist” and “Taxi Driver.”  In 1984 he won an Oscar® for his work on “Amadeus,” and received a nomination for “Dad” (1989).  As an educator, Smith helped train many of today’s Academy Award-winning and nominated makeup artists including Rick Baker, Greg Cannom, Kevin Haney, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Mike Elizalde and Carl Fullerton.

Since receiving her Oscar nomination for her debut film performance in “The Color Purple,” actress, television host and producer Winfrey has gone on to establish herself as one of the most influential figures in entertainment and philanthropy. She has been especially dedicated to supporting educational initiatives and raising awareness of issues that affect women and children, both in the United States and around the globe.  Her philanthropic efforts have included Oprah’s Angel Network, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, which opened in South Africa in 2007.

The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given to an individual for “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an Oscar statuette, is given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.

The Governors Awards presentation will be produced for the Academy by writer-director Phil Robinson with Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare of Don Mischer Productions.

“BEAU GESTE” TO BE SCREENED BY THE ACADEMY

“Beau Geste” Joins Up In
Academy’s “Summer of
Silents”

Beverly Hills, CA – The 1926 Photoplay Magazine Medal of Honor
winner “Beau Geste” will be the next film screened in the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Summer of Silents” series on Monday, July 25, at
7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.  The evening will feature
live musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.

Ronald Colman and William Powell starred in this first film version of
Percival Christopher Wren’s classic adventure novel about three brothers who
join the French Foreign Legion to protect their family’s honor.
Film historian Frank Thompson will introduce the feature.

At 7 p.m., “Saturday Afternoon” (1926), starring Harry Langdon, will be
screened as part of the evening’s pre-show festivities.

The Medal of Honor, the first significant annual film award, pre-dating the
establishment of the Oscars®, was voted by the readers of Photoplay
Magazine and given to the producer of the year’s winning film.

“Summer of Silents” features silent film classics from the 1920s, all of
which received the Photoplay Magazine Medal of Honor, on Mondays
through August 8.

The remaining schedule for “Summer of Silents” is as follows:

August 1              “7th Heaven” (1927)
“Mighty Like a
Moose” (1926), starring Charley Chase, and a surviving fragment from the 1928
lost film “The Patriot” will be presented during the pre-show.  The feature will
be introduced by Janet Bergstrom, with live musical accompaniment composed by
Michael Mortilla and performed by Mortilla on piano, Nicole Garcia on violin and
Frank Macchia on winds.

August 8              “Four Sons” (1928)
“Two Tars”
(1928), starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and a fragment from the 1928 lost
film “The Case of Lena Smith” will be presented during the pre-show.

Updated information on speakers, music performers and other program details
is available at www.oscars.org.

Tickets to individual evenings are on sale now.  Tickets are $5 for the
general public and $3 for Academy members and students with valid ID.  They may
be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the
Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the
night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m.  The Samuel Goldwyn
Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.  For more
information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

ACADEMY TRAVELS TO KENYA AND RWANDA

Academy Travels to Kenya and Rwanda for
Cultural Exchange with Filmmakers

Beverly Hills, CA – Eight members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be traveling to Kenya and Rwanda for an educational and cultural exchange with African filmmakers, students and the local creative communities.  The delegation will arrive in Nairobi on Saturday, July 9, and travel to Kigali on Sunday, July 17; they will return to the U.S. on Sunday, July 24.

The Academy delegation will include producer Stephanie Allain, cinematographer John Bailey, sound mixer Willie Burton, editor Carol Littleton; writer-director Phil Robinson, production designer Wynn Thomas, and actress Alfre Woodard.  Ellen Harrington, the Academy’s director of exhibitions and special events, will accompany the group.

The itinerary in Nairobi includes numerous workshops and seminars at One Fine Day – Films (formerly known as FilmAfrica!), a training facility where more than 65 student filmmakers from nine African countries gain experience in a variety of filmmaking disciplines and collaborate on a feature-length production.

In addition, several delegates will present and discuss a film from their career; films to be screened include “Silverado” (Bailey and Littleton) and “The Shawshank Redemption” (Burton).

Academy members will also visit the Kakuma refugee camp near the Sudanese border, where they will experience the work of FilmAid International (an Academy Institutional Grants beneficiary), a non-governmental organization that provides film training and open-air screenings to help address social and medical issues affecting long-term camp residents, and the community of Kibera, a large Nairobi slum.

In Rwanda, the delegates will inaugurate the KWETU Film Institute, a professional training center, and lead master classes for students and filmmakers.  The group will also take part in the opening night of the Rwanda Film Festival, held in Kigali, and its regional festival “Hillywood,” which presents open-air screenings of African films for audiences of up to 10,000 people per night in the hills region of the country.

This trip is being undertaken as part of the Academy’s International Outreach Initiative, which has previously sent members to Vietnam, Iran and Cuba.  The program brings delegations of film artists to countries with developing film industries and creates opportunities for creative conversations between emerging and established filmmakers.

“BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S” TO BE CELEBRATED

Academy to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will showcase a new digital restoration of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary, on Friday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

With her giant sunglasses, Givenchy dresses, pearls and cigarette holder, Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly set the stage for the glamour of the 1960s and ushered in a new notion of femininity in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”  Directed by Blake Edwards, this popular and acclaimed film adaptation of Truman Capote’s bestselling novel provoked discussion, laughter and controversy, and established the archetype of the independent single girl in the city.

Hepburn’s performance earned her a Best Actress nomination.  Composer Henry Mancini and lyricist Johnny Mercer won the Academy Award® for Best Song for “Moon River,” and Mancini’s score also received an Oscar®.  The film earned additional nominations for Writing – Screenplay based on material from another medium (George Axelrod) and Color Art Direction (Hal Pereira, Roland Anderson; Set Decoration: Sam Comer, Ray Moyer).

Tickets for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID, and may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office or by mail starting July 1.  The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m.  All seating is unreserved.  For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

ART DATA BASE GOES WORLDWIDE FOR ACADEMY

The Academy’s Production Art Database Goes
Worldwide

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Margaret
Herrick Library today launched its latest online research tool, the Production Art Database
[http://collections.oscars.org/prodart/]. The database contains records for more
than 5,300 items from the library’s collection, including motion picture costume
and production design drawings, animation art, storyboards and paintings.
Nearly half of the records include images, making this an invaluable online
resource for researchers interested in motion picture design.

The Production Art Database allows users to search, view and study motion
picture design materials from the 1920s to the present.  One of the earliest
items featured is a costume design drawing by Howard Greer for the 1923 film
“The Spanish Dancer.”  Other notable pieces in the collection include a Hans
Dreier production design drawing for “Wings” (1927), animation cels for the Pepe
Le Pew cartoon “For Scent-Imental Reasons” (1949), Albert Whitlock’s matte
painting study for “The Birds” (1963), Steven Spielberg’s rough storyboard
sketches for “Poltergeist” (1982) and Jeannine Oppewall’s drawing of the Victory
Motel for “L.A. Confidential” (1997).  The collection also includes materials on
very recent films, including drawings by Academy Award® nominee Eve Stewart for
“The King’s Speech” (2010).

“We’re very happy to be able to make this database more widely available to
researchers, students and film enthusiasts,” said Library Director Linda Mehr.
“Our hope is that it will bring much-deserved attention to the costume and
production designers, sketch artists, animators, and other artists who have
contributed so much to filmmaking.”