The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present “Out of Character,” a new exhibition featuring portraits of this year’s acting nominees by photographer Douglas Kirkland. The exclusive new photos of 2011′s Oscar-nominated performers will be on display starting Saturday, February 11, in the Academy’s Grand Lobby Gallery in Beverly Hills.

Kirkland photographed all 20 of the Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress nominees in the two weeks since the January 24 nominations announcement. His distinctive, large-format portraits will be on display through March 18. An online gallery of these portraits, along with behind the scenes shots, will be spotlighted at www.oscar.com beginning today.

Following the exhibition, the portraits will become part of the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library photograph collection.

Kirkland has been capturing iconic images of motion picture luminaries for more than five decades, revealing as well as immortalizing such legends as Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles, Audrey Hepburn and Paul Newman. Also well known as a set photographer, he has worked on more than 100 films, including “The Sound of Music,” “Out of Africa,” “Titanic” and “Moulin Rouge.” He recently traveled to Australia to serve as special set photographer on Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby,” scheduled for release in 2012.

“Out of Character” will be open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free. The Grand Lobby Gallery is located at the Academy’s headquarters at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
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.

ROONEY MARA
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Leading Role:
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

OCTAVIA SPENCER
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Supporting Role: THE HELP
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 2, 2012

GLENN CLOSE
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Leading Role: ALBERT NOBBS
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

BÉRÉNICE BEJO
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Supporting Role: THE ARTIST
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

JANET McTEER
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Supporting Role: ALBERT NOBBS
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

MELISSA McCARTHY
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Supporting Role: BRIDESMAIDS
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

MICHELLE WILLIAMS
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Leading Role: MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

MERYL STREEP
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Leading Role: THE IRON LADY
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

JESSICA CHASTAIN
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actress in a Supporting Role: THE HELP
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on January 30, 2012

NICK NOLTE
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Supporting Role: WARRIOR
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Supporting Role: BEGINNERS
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on January 30, 2012

KENNETH BRANAGH
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Supporting Role: MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

MAX VON SYDOW
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Supporting Role:
EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 2, 2012

JONAH HILL
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Supporting Role: MONEYBALL
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

GARY OLDMAN
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Leading Role: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 2, 2012

JEAN DUJARDIN
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Leading Role: THE ARTIST
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on January 31, 2012

BRAD PITT
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Leading Role: MONEYBALL
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

DEMIÁN BICHIR
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Leading Role: A BETTER LIFE
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

GEORGE CLOONEY
2011 Academy Award Nominee
Actor in a Leading Role: THE DESCENDANTS
Photographed by Douglas Kirkland on February 6, 2012

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Academy Award®-winning actress Angelina Jolie will present at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced today.

In 1999 Jolie took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in “Girl, Interrupted,” and she received a nomination in 2008 for her lead performance in “Changeling.” Jolie recently made her writing and directing debut with the film “In the Land of Blood and Honey.” She will be seen next in “Maleficent.” Jolie’s other film credits include “Kung Fu Panda 2,” “The Tourist,” “Salt,” “Wanted,” “A Mighty Heart,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Taking Lives” and “The Bone Collector.”

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.

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BAFTA today released the list of nominees and presenters who will attend the Orange British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, February 12, at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.

Hosted by Stephen Fry, the ceremony will be broadcast in the UK on BBC One at 9.00pm and for the fifth year, a special red carpet show will be broadcast on BBC Three at 7.30pm, hosted by Edith Bowman. The recorded show will be played in the US at 8pm est on BBC America.

Nominees confirmed to date include (in alphabetical order): Adam Deacon, Bérénice Bejo, Brad Pitt, Chris Hemsworth, Eddie Redmayne, Gary Oldman, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Jessica Chastain, Jim Broadbent, Jonah Hill, Dame Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Kristen Wiig, Lynne Ramsay, Meryl Streep, Michael Fassbender, Michel Hazanavicius, Michelle Williams, Octavia Spencer, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swindon, Tom Hiddleston, Tomas Alfredson and Viola Davis.

Martin Scorsese, recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship, and John Hurt, recipient of the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award, will also be in attendance.

Presenters and other attendees confirmed to date include (in alphabetical order): Anil Kapoor, Bérénice Marlohe, Billy Bob Thornton, Chris O’Dowd, Christina Hendricks, Christina Ricci, Colin Firth, Cuba Gooding Jr, Daniel Radcliffe, Gillian Anderson, Hayley Atwell, Helena Bonham Carter, Henry Cavill, Holliday Grainger, Jeremy Irvine, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jon Hamm, Naomie Harris, Noomi Rapace, Paul Bettany and Penélope Cruz. Presenting an Award together at the ceremony will be Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.

Visit: www.bafta.org/film/awards

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Here’s a glimpse inside the Oscar Nominees Luncheon for the 84th Academy Awards which took place in Beverly Hills, California, Monday, February 6, 2012. The 84th Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. On the menu was chopped vegetable salad, roasted Asian barbecued duck, soy-mirin seared Atlantic Salmon and a trio of sorbets in a chocolate cup.

Anne Thompson reported, “Oscarcast co-producer Brian Grazer promised a classy show. Filming of the Billy Crystal intro skit is under way (along with interviews with many of the nominees) — “everyone is in the film,” he said. The Kodak Theatre stage will be dressed like an old-time movie palace to sell the theme of going out to the movies. “Seeing films in that environment is a magnifier of how you feel emotionally,” he said. “You’ll feel like you’re in a movie theater.”

Seated (left to right): Matthew Butler, Julie Anderson, Kira Carstensen Tsunami, Mark Bridges, Demián Bichir, Lon Bender, Michael De Luca, Danfung Dennis, Rebecca Cammisa, Joe Berlinger, BЋrЋnice Bejo, Letty Aronson, Max von Sydow, Kirk Baxter and J.C. Chandor.

2nd row (left to right): Erik Aadahl, Ron Bochar, Deb Adair with guest, Amanda Forbis, Stan Chervin, Glenn Close, Jean Dujardin, George Clooney, Chris Columbus, Marshall Curry, Ludovic Bource, Terry George, Patrick Doyon, Gigi Causey, Erik Nash, Jeff Cronenweth, Viola Davis, Siedah Garrett, Dave Giammarco, Lisy Christl, Nick Dudman, Enrico Casarosa, Sam Cullman, Kenneth Branagh and Scott Benza.

3rd row (left to right): Peter Devlin, Jim Burke, Brandon Oldenburg, William Joyce, Eugene Gearty, Victor Ray Ennis, Dan Lemmon, Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli, Scott Farrar, John Frazier, Oorlagh George, Sarah Green, Nat Faxon, Brunson Green, Swen Gillberg, Stefan Gieren, Dede Gardner, Robert Gould, Mark Coulier, Robin Fryday, Dante Ferretti, Rick Carter, Laurence Bennett and Michael Barnathan.

4th row (left to right): Daniel Barrett, Emmanuel Lubezki, Daniel Junge, Grant Heslov, Sergio Mendes, Rachael Horovitz, Nick Nolte, Amanda Knight, Alberto Iglesias, Ren Klyce, Thomas Langmann, Michel Hazanavicius, Richard Hymns, Jeffrey Haboush, John Rosengrant, Gary Oldman, Janet McTeer, Matthew Mungle, Dan Lindsay, Lynn Johnston, Peter McDonald, Chris Miller, Alex Henning, Jonah Hill, Bret McKenzie, Ben Grossman and Tom Fleischman.

5th row (left to right): Graham King, Janusz Kaminski, Bill Pohlad, Philip Stockton, Thelma Schoonmaker, Rob Legato, Kennedy, Kathleen, John Logan, Mike Lerner, Stephanie McMillan, Jim Rash, David Parker, Anne Seibel, Christopher Tellefsen, Lisa Tomblin, Guillaume Schiffman, Ethan Van der Ryn, Angus Wall, Ed Novick, Andy Nelson, Annie Mumolo, T.J. Martin, Arianne Phillips, Sandy Powell, Eimear O’Kane, Melissa McCarthy, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Andrew Bowler and Greg Butler.

Back row (left to right): J. Roy Helland, Richard Middlemas, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Rooney Mara, Fernando Trueba, Wendy Tilby, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Max Zähle, Michael Semanick, Kevin Tent, James Spione, Beau Willimon, David Vickery, Gore Verbinski, Michelle Williams, Aaron Sorkin, Stephen Tenenbaum, Octavia Spencer, Peter Straughan, Greg Russell, Dan Taylor, Lucy Walker, Jim Taylor, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Hallvar Witzø, R. Christopher White and Steven Zaillian

credit: Greg Harbaugh / A.M.P.A.S.

George Clooney (left) and Brad Pitt (right)

Oscar® nominees George Clooney (left), Jonah Hill (center), and Rooney Mara.

Nominees for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the 84th Academy Awards attended the Oscar Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills Monday, February 6, 2012. Pictured here (left to right):  Gary Oldman, Jean Dujardin, Demian Bichir, Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Kenneth Branagh (left), Jonah Hill (center), and Brad Pitt (right).

Oscar nominees Martin Scorsese (left) and Max Von Sydow (right)

Octavia Spencer

Oscar nominees Jim Taylor (left), Martin Scorsese (center) and Steven Spielberg (right)

Jean Dujardin

Demian Bichir

Nick Nolte

Oscar nominees (from left to right): Jeffrey Haboush, Gore Verbinski, Christopher Tellefsen, Michelle Williams, John Rosengrant, Aaron Sorkin, Gary Oldman, Janet McTeer, Peter Straghan, Greg P Russell and Matthew W. Mungle.

Oscar nominee Ludovic Bource

Oscar nominees Stan Chervin (left) Glenn Close (left-center), Jean Dujardin (center), George Clooney (right-center) and Christopher Columbus (right)

Oscar nominees Jeff Cronenweth (left), Viola Davis(left-center), Siedah Garrett (center-right and Dave Giammarco (right)

Oscar nominees Gore Verbinski (left) and Michelle Williams (right)

Oscar® nominees Brad Pitt (left), Bill Pohlad (center) and Meryl Streep (right)

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Award winning filmmaker Alexander Payne has been selected by the Board of Directors of the American Cinema Editors (ACE) to be honored with the organization’s prestigious ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award. The award will be presented at the 62nd Annual ACE Eddie Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 18, 2012 in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, it was announced today by the ACE Board of Directors. Payne’s most recent film The Descendants recently won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture (Drama) and was nominated for five Academy Awards® including Best Director and Best Film Editing for Payne’s long-time editor Kevin Tent, A.C.E.

“Alexander Payne is a consistently fresh, exciting voice in film,” stated the ACE Board of Directors. “From the socially conscious and satirical Citizen Ruth to the rich and poignant comedies of Sideways, About Schmidt and most recently The Descendants, he is a filmmaker with unique vision and the ability to illuminate the humanity in every story he tells.  We are delighted to recognize him with our most distinguished honor.”

Payne worked in various capacities in film and television before directing and writing his first feature film, Citizen Ruth, which launched him on to the scene in 1996 as a promising new voice in American film. He followed up with the critically acclaimed Election for which he received his first Oscar® nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. That same year he was also lauded by the Los Angeles Film Critics with their New Generation Award, was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards (winning three for Screenplay, Best Independent Feature and Best Director), along with several other industry honors. Payne’s long time editor, Kevin Tent, A.C.E., received his first ACE Eddie nomination that year for his work on the film. Payne’s next feature film earned Oscar® nominations for his two stars, Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates and a Golden Globe® for Payne and his long-time writing partner, Jim Taylor, for Best Screenplay. With the arrival of Payne’s next project Sideways, he had already established himself as one of the most accomplished voices in American film. A hit with critics and audiences, Sideways was honored with five Academy Awards® including Best Picture and Best Director, and provided Payne with his first Oscar® win for Best Adapted Screenplay, shared with Taylor. He and Taylor also won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and five Critics Choice Movie Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture of the Year. Payne was also nominated for his first Directors Guild of America honor for Sideways and won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical). Sideways also earned six Independent Spirit Awards and won all categories in which it competed, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was also recognized as the Best Picture of the Year by over fifty critics organizations including the National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film Critics and New York Film Critics. His most current feature film, The Descendants, has already won several industry honors including the National Board of Review (Best Adapted Screenplay). Payne recently produced the acclaimed comedy from Miguel Arteta, Cedar Rapids and serves as Executive Producer of the HBO series Hung starring Thomas Jane.

ACE, the entertainment industry’s honorary society of film editors, is comprised of over 600 accomplished editors working in film and television. The ACE Eddie Awards recognize outstanding editing in nine categories of film, television and documentaries. Nominees for the 62nd Annual ACE Eddie Awards will be announced on January 16th.

For more information visit WWW.AMERICANCINEMAEDITORS.COM.

Paramount Pictures ‘Rango‘ took top honors as the Best Animated Feature at the 39th Annual Annie Awards, Saturday, February 4, at UCLA’s Royce Hall. With the expanded list of categories from 25 to 28, and the addition of two new categories – Editing and Best Animated Special Production - this year’s show honored more nominees than in the past.  Also new to the ceremony was the live streaming of the event at www.annieawards.org/watch-it-live. The complete list of winners can be viewed at www.annieawards.org. The newly created ‘Member’s Favorite’ award voted on by the entire ASIFA-Hollywood community also went to ‘Rango.’ 

Newcomer Minkyu Lee’s ‘Adam and Dog’ won for Best Short Subject while Psyop’s Twinings ‘Sea’ was selected Best Television Commercial. ‘The Simpsons’ took Best Animated TV Production and Shadow Planet Production’s ‘Insanely Twisted’ was selected as Best Video Game. 

‘This was a great evening, with a lot of fun and surprises,” said ASIFA-Hollywood President Frank Gladstone.  “Annies went to a huge variety of individuals and studios. This goes directly to ASIFA-Hollywood’s vision of celebrating the best in animation across project, studio and geographic boundaries.”

Actor and comedian Patton Oswalt’s hosting duties kept the show moving at a lively pace.  He was joined on stage by animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent including animation legend June Foray, J.K. Simmons, Judy Greer, Zachary Levi, Peter Baynham, Mace Heufeld, Weird Al Yankovic, Bruce Boxleitner, Ahmed Best, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Jim Cummings, Phil Lamarr, Diedrich Bader, Daran Norris, Tara Strong, Kelly Stables, Dee Bradley Baker, Nika Futterman, Ariel Winter, Logan Grove, James Hong, Brian Posehn, Greg & Evan Spiridellis and Jim Meskimen (Jib Jab), Bridgit Mendler, Brittany Snow, Jason Marsden and Joe Letteri.

Honored with the Winsor McCay award were Walt Peregoy, Borge Ring and the late Ronald Searle. The Winsor McCay Award stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation.

Art Leonardi was honored with the June Foray award which is presented to an individual who has given significant and benevolent contributions to the art and industry of animation.

Often a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 28 categories ranging from best feature, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting.  Entries submitted for consideration were from productions that originally aired, were exhibited in an animation festival or commercially released between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it. Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, animation film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.

SOURCE: ASIFA-Hollywood

Eighteen of the 20 nominees in the acting categories will be among more than 150 Oscar nominees who will gather at noon on Monday, February 6, at the Beverly Hilton when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honors this year’s Oscar contenders at its annual Nominees Luncheon. Additional confirmations are expected to come in over the weekend.

From the Best Actress and Actor categories all the nominees – Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Demián Bichir, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt – are expected to attend. Kenneth Branagh, Jonah Hill, Nick Nolte, Max von Sydow, Bérénice Bejo, Melissa McCarthy, Janet McTeer and Octavia Spencer will represent the Supporting Actor and Actress categories.

Three of the five nominees in the Directing category – Michel Hazanavicius, Alexander Payne and Martin Scorsese – also are expected to attend.

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.

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Three-time Academy Award®-nominated actor Tom Cruise and Academy Award®-winning actress Halle Berry will present at the 84th Academy Awards® ceremony, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer have announced.

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.”

credit: Darren Decker / ©A.M.P.A.S

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.

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.

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Beginning today, TCM’s 31 DAYS OF OSCAR® and host, Robert Osborne are taking viewers on a trip around the world through nearly 350 Academy Award®-nominated and winning films. Throughout the month, TCM will feature movies set in 47 worldwide locations such as Canada (Feb. 2), Germany (Feb. 7), Italy (Feb. 14), Africa (Feb. 15-16), Russia (Feb. 16), Southeast Asia (Feb. 23), the Middle East (Feb. 28), China (Feb. 29), Japan (March 1) and Hawaii (March 1). Sit back and enjoy the adventure!

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is packing its bags and hitting the road for a globe-trotting February packed with the very best in movie entertainment. With each night’s programming set in a different location, the 2012 edition of TCM’s ultra-popular 31 DAYS OF OSCAR® is going to take viewers on a trip around the world through nearly 350 Academy Award®-nominated and winning films. The extraordinary lineup features 25 Best Picture honorees and 30 movies appearing on TCM for the very first time.

TCM host Robert Osborne, the official biographer of the Academy Awards will once again introduce the primetime entries in this year’s 31 DAYS OF OSCAR, which marks its 18th year on TCM. Throughout the month, TCM will feature movies set in 47 worldwide locations such as Canada (Feb. 2), Mexico (Feb. 2). India (Feb. 3), Eastern Europe and the Netherlands (Feb. 6), Germany (Feb. 7), Texas (Feb. 9-10), Greece (Feb. 13), Italy (Feb. 14), Africa (Feb. 15-16), Russia (Feb. 16), Austria (Feb. 20), South America (Feb. 21), Southeast Asia (Feb. 23), New Mexico (Feb. 24), New England (Feb. 27), the Middle East (Feb. 28), China (Feb. 29), Japan (March 1) and Hawaii (March 1).

Each Saturday and Sunday, TCM will focus the entire weekend on one location, with stops in England (Feb. 4-5), New York (Feb. 11-12), France (Feb. 18-19) and California (Feb. 24-25). The month-long festival will wrap up Friday, March 2, with a day of movies set all over the world, Heaven and in outer space.

The month’s festivities will kick off Wednesday, Feb. 1, with a day of Florida-set flicks, including The Yearling (1946), Key Largo (1948) and the TCM premiere of Happy New Year (1987), starring Peter Falk. That night, TCM will take viewers to Pennsylvania with Best Picture winner Rocky (1976), The Philadelphia Story (1940), 1776 (1972) and three other movies set in the Keystone State.

Among the high-profile movies making their TCM debut during this year’s 31 DAYS OF OSCAR is Good Will Hunting (1997 – Feb. 27), director Gus Van Sant’s drama about an aimless janitor with a gift for mathematics. Star Matt Damon and Ben Affleck took home Oscars for their smart screenplay, while Robin Williams earned a Best Supporting Actor trophy as a dedicated psychologist who helps Damon’s Will Hunting find direction in his life.

Also featured are several fascinating films from the 1970s, including Lies My Father Told Me (1975 – Feb. 2), a moving Jewish family drama set in a Canadian ghetto in the 1920s; Hester Street (1975 – Feb. 12), an immigration tale starring Steven Keats and Carol Kane; Bless the Beasts and the Children (1971 – Feb. 24), a teen drama starring Billy Mumy and Miles Chapin and featuring Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin Jr.’s Oscar-nominated song, “Cotton’s Dream” that would later become known worldwide as “Nadia’s Theme”; Harry and Tonto (1974 – Feb. 25), a gentle road picture starring Art Carney in an Oscar-winning performance; Pieces of Dreams (1970 – Feb. 24), a controversial romance with Robert Forster and Lauren Hutton as a priest and social worker who fall in love; and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970 – March 1), Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku’s’s star-studded epic about of the attack on Pearl Harbor, as told from both the American and Japanese perspectives.

In addition to Rocky on the opening night of TCM’s 31 DAYS OF OSCAR, Best Picture winners in the 2012 edition include Gandhi (1982) on Feb. 3, My Fair Lady (1964) and Mrs. Miniver (1942) on Feb. 4; Grand Hotel (1932) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) on Feb. 7; On the Waterfront (1954), Going My Way (1944), The Apartment (1960) and Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) on Feb. 11; Marty (1955) on Feb. 12; Casablanca (1942) on Feb. 15; All the King’s Men (1949), In the Heat of the Night (1967) and Gone with the Wind (1939) on Feb. 17; Gigi (1958) on Feb. 18; The Life of Emile Zola (1937) and An American in Paris (1951) on Feb. 19; Ben-Hur (1959) and Amadeus (1984) on Feb. 20; Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) on Feb. 23; Lawrence of Arabia (1962) on Feb. 28; From Here to Eternity (1953) on March 1; and Around the World in 80 Days (1956) on March 2.

A dynamic overview of TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar, including a complete schedule, is available at http://tcm.com/31days/.

The Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented live on Sunday, Feb. 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.

Final ballots for the 84th Academy Awards® were mailed today (February 1) to the 5,783 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Completed ballots must be returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) by 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 21.  Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.

Listed on the ballots are nominees in 19 Awards categories. Separate ballots for five categories (Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film) will be distributed after verification of mandatory member attendance at screenings.

Following the tabulation of the votes, the winners’ names will be placed in sealed envelopes to be opened on Oscar Sunday, February 26.

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

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Photos: Greg Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

During the week leading up to the 84th Academy Awards® ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present five public events celebrating this year’s nominees. Oscar Week events will feature screenings, film clips and discussions with filmmakers and artists whose work has garnered nominations in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Short Film categories. All events will take place at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Oscar Week Schedule

credit: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Tuesday, February 21, 7:30 p.m.
Shorts!  The 2011 Animated and Live Action Short Film Nominees
Hosted by director, writer and animator Brad Bird. Bird is a two-time Oscar winner in the Animated Feature Film category, for “The Incredibles” (2004) and “Ratatouille” (2007).

Shorts! features screenings of all of the 2011 Oscar-nominated films in the Animated and Live Action Short Film categories, plus an onstage discussion with the filmmakers (schedules permitting).

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/shorts.html

credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Wednesday, February 22, 7:30 p.m.
Docs!  The 2011 Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature Nominees
Hosted by Michael Moore, Documentary Branch governor and 2002 Oscar winner for “Bowling for Columbine.”  He was also nominated in 2007 for “Sicko.”

Docs! will include film clips from each of the nominated documentary features and short subjects, and panel discussions with the nominees (schedules permitting).

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/docs.html

credit: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Thursday, February 23, 7:30 p.m.
Animated Feature Symposium
Hosted by actor Patton Oswalt, who voiced Remy in “Ratatouille” (2007) and co-starred in “Young Adult” (2011).

The Animated Feature Symposium celebrates the nominated achievements in the Animated Feature Film category. The nominees (schedules permitting) will discuss their creative processes and the development of their films, and present clips illustrating their techniques.

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/animated.html

credit: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Saturday, February 25, 10 a.m.
Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium
Hosted by Mark Johnson, Oscar-winning producer (“Rain Man,” 1988) and Foreign Language Film Award Committee chair.

The Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium brings together the directors of the motion pictures nominated in the Foreign Language Film category to discuss their work as well as related topics such as art, politics and the challenges of their profession (schedules permitting).

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/foreign.html

credit: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Saturday, February 25, 2:30 p.m.
Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium
Hosted by Leonard Engelman, Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch governor.

Oscar Week’s culminating public event celebrates the nominated achievements in the Makeup category with film clips, photographs, models and onstage discussions with the nominees (schedules permitting).

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2012/02/makeup.html

Tickets will be available starting Friday, February 3, online at www.oscars.org and by mail. Tickets to Shorts!, Docs! and the Animated Feature Symposium are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets to the Saturday events – the Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium and the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium – are free. Doors open one hour prior to the event. All seating is unreserved.

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.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
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www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
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Two-time Academy Award®-winning actor Tom Hanks will present at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced today.

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.”

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.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
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Jennifer Lopez will present at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced today.

Lopez, who serves as a judge on “American Idol,” will be seen next in the feature “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” 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.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
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Download the official 2012 Oscars App

Screenwriter-director Tate Taylor has been named recipient of the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2012 Paul Selvin Award for his adapted screenplay for the civil rights-era drama The Help.

The Guild’s Selvin Award recognizes written work which embodies the spirit of constitutional rights and civil liberties. Filmmaker Taylor will be honored at the 2012 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony on Sunday, February 19, at the Hollywood Palladium.

“Tate Taylor’s adapted screenplay for The Help artfully distills the empowering essence and core emotional truths of Kathryn Stockwell’s novel, translating it into a film that forcefully illustrates how ordinary people can impact positive social change. Evoking a specific time and place, the film’s message is ultimately universal and remains relevant today. Tate’s honor is well-deserved – and his script does Paul Selvin’s legacy proud by conveying the continuing power of the written word,” said WGAW President Christopher Keyser.

“I’m truly honored and humbled by this honor. In adapting Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, I was keenly aware of the many heroes from such a tumultuous time in American history, as well as the heroes that continue to fight for human rights today. But to me, ordinary heroes such as Aibileen and Minny are often the ones we find most relatable and empowered by. After all, the ordinary hero hiding in each of us is often the most powerful catalyst for change,” said The Help screenwriter-director Taylor.

Based on the acclaimed #1 New York Times best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett, the hit film, written for the screen, directed, and executive produced by Taylor, chronicles the relationship that develops between a group of very different, yet extraordinary women in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s at the brink of the burgeoning U.S. civil rights movement, who bond around a secret writing project that challenges the traditional boundaries set by race and class, putting them all at risk.

The poignant period drama, from Dreamworks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment, in association with Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi, centers on young Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone), a recent graduate of “Ole Miss” intent on launching a serious writing career and leaving the confines of her small Southern town. Unlike most girls she grew up with in Jackson, her own career ambition takes priority over traditional marriage and motherhood, much to her more conservative friends’ and her mother’s constant consternation.

When Skeeter lands a job ghost-writing the “Miss Myrna” cleaning hints column in the local newspaper, the first person she seeks help from is, of all people, Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis), her best friend’s nurturing maid. Although tentative at first, soon the unlikely pair find themselves collaborating on a clandestine book project, where the previously silent African-American “help” reveal their candid thoughts on their white employers and experiences from the oppressed perspective. Against all odds, a remarkable sisterhood crossing color lines emerges, empowering women with the courage to transcend the rigid societal roles that define them. Filled with humor, hope, and heart, The Help is an inspiring film that vividly demonstrates the power of words to create change and transform lives.

In addition to Taylor receiving a 2012 Writers Guild Award nomination for Adapted Screenplay, The Help recently received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and two nods for Best Supporting Actress.

Just as friendship is so vital to the central narrative of The Help, so was true-life friendship vital to the film itself becoming a reality: as director/screenwriter/producer Taylor and author Stockett were childhood friends who grew up together in Jackson, MS, in the ’70s. It was their longtime bond that formed the basis of the film’s journey from page to screen: with Stockett’s blessing, Taylor, with the help of fellow Jackson-native producer Brunson Green, acquired the film rights to The Help, and later adapted the novel for the screen, with an eye to direct the project.

After graduating from the University of Mississippi, Taylor spent time in New York before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a film career. In 2004, Taylor made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed short film, Chicken Party, which he wrote, directed and starred. The film went on to win awards at eight film festivals, placing at twelve more. Taylor’s first feature-length film, Pretty Ugly People, was released theatrically in 2009. Written and directed by Taylor, the dark comedy gained him notoriety as a director and writer to watch.

As an actor, Taylor was most recently seen in 2010’s Oscar-nominated and Sundance Grand Jury Prize Award-winning feature, Winter’s Bone. Taylor’s TV appearances include roles on Sordid Lives: The Series and Queer As Folk.

In partnership with Help author Stockett, Taylor recently established a mentoring program based in Mississippi that provides creative and structural mentoring for writers and filmmakers.

The Paul Selvin Award is given to that WGA member whose script best embodies the spirit of the constitutional and civil rights and liberties, which are indispensable to the survival of free writers everywhere, and to whose defense the late Selvin, who served as counsel to the Guild for 25 years, committed professional life. Previous recipients include Eric Roth, Michael Mann, Jason Horwitch, Don Payne, Robert Eisele & Jeffrey Porro, Dustin Lance Black, Anthony Peckham, and, most recently, Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth.

The 2012 Writers Guild Awards will be held on Sunday, February 19, 2012, simultaneously at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles and at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City. For more information about the 2012 Writers Guild Awards, please visit www.wga.org or www.wgaeast.org.

Screen Actors Guild presented its coveted Actor® statuette for the outstanding motion picture and primetime television performances of 2011 at the “18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®” in ceremonies attended by film and television’s leading actors, held Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. The “18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®” was simulcast live coast-to-coast by TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT). An encore presentation was telecast on TNT at 10 p.m. (ET) / 7 p.m. (PT).

Honored with individual awards were Viola Davis, Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer for performances in motion pictures and Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Lange, Betty White, and Kate Winslet for performances in television. Screen Actors Guild originated awards for the outstanding performances by a motion picture cast and by television drama and comedy ensembles. The Actor® for a motion picture cast performance went this year to “The Help”, while the Actors® for television drama and comedy ensemble performances went this year to “Boardwalk Empire” and “Modern Family.” Screen Actors Guild’s honors for outstanding performances by a stunt ensemble in film and television were awarded to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and “Game of Thrones.” Nearly 100,000 active members of Screen Actors Guild nationwide were eligible to vote for the recipients.

Dick Van Dyke presented Mary Tyler Moore with Screen Actors Guild’s highest honor, the 48th Annual Life Achievement Award, following a filmed tribute. Jessica Chastain introduced a film salute to SAG’s regional branches, spotlighting memorable moments created by actors who live and work across the nation. Meryl Streep introduced a filmed “In Memoriam” tribute to the actors we have lost in the past year.

PEOPLE magazine and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) hosted the Screen Actors Guild Post-Awards Gala for the 16th year. This exclusive event, immediately following the SAG Awards on the back lot of the Shrine Exposition Center, honors the philanthropic causes and good works of the members of the Screen Actors Guild. The gala benefits the SAG Foundation.

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be produced by Jeff Margolis Productions in association with Screen Actors Guild Awards®, LLC. For more information about the SAG Awards, SAG, TNT and TBS, visit sagawards.org/about, “like” SAG Awards at facebook.com/sagawardsofficialpage and follow SAG Awards at twitter.com/sagawards.

The complete list of recipients of the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® follows.

18th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® RECIPIENTS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
JEAN DUJARDIN / George – “THE ARTIST” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark – “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER / Hal – “BEGINNERS” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson – “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE HELP (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD / Hilly Holbrook
ALLISON JANNEY / Charlotte Phelan
CHRIS LOWELL / Stuart Whitworth
AHNA O’REILLY / Elizabeth Leefolt
SISSY SPACEK / Missus Walters
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson
MARY STEENBURGEN / Elaine Stein
EMMA STONE / Skeeter Phelan
CICELY TYSON / Constantine Jefferson
MIKE VOGEL / Johnny Foote

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke – “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce – “MILDRED PIERCE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson – “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
JESSICA LANGE / Constance – “AMERICAN HORROR STORY” (FX)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – “30 ROCK” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky – “HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson
DOMINIC CHIANESE / Leander Cephas Whitlock
ROBERT CLOHESSY / Ward Boss Jim Neary
DABNEY COLEMAN / Commodore Louis Kaestner
CHARLIE COX / Owen Sleater
JOSIE & LUCY GALLINA / Emily Schroeder
STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone
JACK HUSTON / Richard Harrow
ANTHONY LACIURA / Eddie Kessler
HEATHER LIND / Katy
KELLY MACDONALD / Margaret Schroeder
RORY & DECLAN McTIGUE / Teddy Schroeder
GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody
BRADY & CONNOR NOON/ Tommy Darmody
KEVIN O’ROURKE / Mayor Edward Bader
ALEKSA PALLADINO / Angela Darmody
JACQUELINE PENNEWILL / Lilian
VINCENT PIAZZA / Lucky Luciano
MICHAEL PITT / Jimmy Darmody
MICHAEL SHANNON / Agent Nelson Van Alden
PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein
PETER VAN WAGNER / Isaac “Icky” Ginsburg
SHEA WHIGHAM / Sheriff Elias Thompson
MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS / Chalky White
ANATOL YUSEF / Meyer Lansky

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily
JULIE BOWEN / Claire
TY BURRELL / Phil
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell
NOLAN GOULD / Luke
SARAH HYLAND / Haley
ED O’NEILL / Jay
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria
ARIEL WINTER / Alex

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (WARNER BROS. PICTURES)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award
MARY TYLER MOORE

Below is the list of presenters announced to date who will honor their colleagues at the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards:

Kevin Bacon
Kathy Bates
Bérénice Bejo
Kenneth Branagh
Kyle Chandler
Jessica Chastain
Don Cheadle
George Clooney
Glenn Close
Bryan Cranston
Matt Czuchry
Viola Davis
Patrick Duffy
Jean Dujardin 
Tina Fey
Linda Gray
Judy Greer
Larry Hagman
Armie Hammer
Ed Helms
SAG President Ken Howard
Regina King
Sir Ben Kingsley
John Krasinski
Julianna Margulies
Melissa McCarthy
Brad Pitt
Natalie Portman
Maya Rudolph
Zoe Saldana
Kyra Sedgwick
Octavia Spencer
Meryl Streep
Michelle Williams
Owen Wilson
Kristen Wiig
Shailene Woodley
Dick Van Dyke

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, one of the awards season’s premier events, will be simulcast live coast-to-coast on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT) from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles. An encore primetime telecast will begin immediately following on TNT at 10 p.m. (ET) / 7 p.m. (PT).  The ceremony will also be telecast internationally.

Preceding the SAG Awards® ceremony will be the annual tnt.tv, tbs.com and People.com Pre-Show Webcast at 6:00 p.m. (ET) / 3:00 p.m. (PT) featuring the announcement of the SAG Honors for Outstanding Action Performances by Film and Television Stunt Ensembles at 6:15 p.m. (ET) / 3:15 p.m. PT.
 
For more information about the SAG Awards, SAG, TNT and TBS, visit sagawards.org/about, “like” SAG Awards at facebook.com/sagawardsofficialpage and follow SAG Awards at twitter.com/sagawards.

The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2011, and the recipients of the Guild’s 2012 Career Achievement Awards were announced tonight during the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. Michel Hazanavicius won the DGA’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for THE ARTIST. Being his first DGA Feature Film Award nomination, Hazanavicius bested veteran directors Martin Scorsese – HUGO, David Fincher – THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Alexander Payne – THE DESCENDANTS, and Woody Allen – MIDNIGHT IN PARIS.

James Marsh won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Documentary for PROJECT NIM. This was Mr. Marsh’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category for MAN ON WIRE in 2008.

Following the welcome by DGA President Taylor Hackford to an audience of more than 1,600 guests, director/producer/actor Kelsey Grammer hosted the ceremony.

Presenters included (in alphabetical order): DGA Secretary-Treasurer Michael Apted; Berenice Bejo (The Artist); George Clooney (The Descendants); Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad); Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men); Laura Dern (Enlightened); Jean Dujardin (The Artist); DGA President Taylor Hackford; 2010 DGA Feature Film Award winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech); Stana Katic (Castle); Ben Kingsley (Hugo); Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy); Kathleen Robertson (Boss); Octavia Spencer (The Help); DGA Third Vice President Betty Thomas; Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn); and Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood).

The DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally served as a near-perfect barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director. Only six times since the DGA Award’s inception in 1948 has the winner not gone on to receive the Academy Award for Best Director.

The six exceptions are as follows:

• 1968: Anthony Harvey won the DGA Award for The Lion in Winter while Carol Reed took home the Oscar® for Oliver!
• 1972: Francis Ford Coppola received the DGA’s nod for The Godfather while the Academy selected Bob Fosse for Cabaret.
• 1985: Steven Spielberg received his first DGA Award for The Color Purple while the Oscar® went to Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa.
• 1995: Ron Howard was chosen by the DGA for his direction of Apollo 13 while Academy voters selected Mel Gibson for Braveheart.
• 2000: Ang Lee won the DGA Award for his direction of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while Steven Soderbergh won the Academy Award for Traffic.2002: Rob Marshall won the DGA Award for Chicago while Roman Polanski received the Academy Award for The Pianist.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is delighted to announce that John Hurt will receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the Orange British Academy Film Awards ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on Sunday 12 February. Universally acclaimed for his acting talent, Hurt’s vast range of distinguished performances has shaped an impressive career spanning six decades.

The Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award, introduced in 1978, is presented annually in honour of Michael Balcon. Previous recipients include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films and Lewis Gilbert. Last year’s recipient was the Harry Potter series of films.

Hurt has starred in a variety of remarkable film roles working alongside some of the most important figures in the industry including Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton and Steven Spielberg. The legendary characters he has portrayed include Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Rich in A Man For All Seasons - a film which won seven BAFTA Awards and six Academy Awards - and Max in Midnight Express, for which he won the BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Supporting Actor.

Hurt also won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1976 for The Naked Civil Servant, which was followed by a British Academy Film Award for Best Actor for his outstanding performance in The Elephant Man in 1981. Throughout an impressive career he has received a further four BAFTA nominations (one for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Alien) and two Academy Award nominations. His most recent film roles have seen him starring as Ollivander in the Harry Potter series and Control in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - both films are BAFTA-nominated this year.

Tim Corrie, Chairman of BAFTA, said: “John Hurt is an actor it is both exciting and fascinating to watch. He has extraordinary screen presence and brings utter conviction to every role he undertakes. He is one of a kind, an iconic figure, and BAFTA is delighted to take this opportunity to honour his outstanding contribution to cinema.”

John Hurt added: “I know that film means a great deal to me but I had no idea that I meant so much to film. I feel very honoured.”

The Orange British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday 12 February, hosted by Stephen Fry and broadcast on BBC One. They will be preceded by a special BAFTA ‘red carpet’ programme hosted by Edith Bowman on BBC Three.

Now that the Academy Award nominations have been announced, with a total of nine films vying for the Best Picture Oscar, the question on the minds of all who care is “Who will win?” Sure, I’ve thought of that, but the bigger question on my mind is “Who cares?” The Academy Awards have been an up and down roller coaster of disappointment and surprise for me over the years, but I honestly can’t recall the last time I was this underwhelmed by the ballot. There are some good films in the mix, but so many great nominee-worthy films have been completely unrecognized.

The Academy made such a big deal about the change in their Best Picture structuring, as a way to enhance the excitement and potentially open the category up for more and different films to have a chance. They tell us “hey, we’re going to select between 5 and 10 films,” but then they select 9 and fill the extra 4 spots not traditionally there in the past with films of questionable worthiness, leaving one spot open where there are several worthy of filling that 10th slot. Does anyone really believe EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE is Best Picture worthy? Perhaps it made the list simply to fill this year’s sole “hot button” ticket, given it’s a film that involves both 9/11 and a boy with autism (we assume?). Seriously, I don’t mean “did you like the film,” but “would you actually vote for this as Best Picture up against the ballot as it stands?” I didn’t think so. I would love to see the full voting results, see if ANYONE of the voting members actually votes for it, and if so… who paid them to do so.

Of the 9 films nominated for Best Picture, I personally think it’s going to boil down to a three-way race between HUGO, THE DESCENDANTS, and THE ARTIST. For my money, HUGO has the best shot, partially because Martin Scorsese has suddenly become an adopted favorite of the Academy, which is ironic seeing as they’ve invited but somewhat ignored him for so many years. It’s kind of like all of a sudden, Scorsese having been a chubby nerd in junior high, lost a bunch of weight and reinvented himself as a cool kid upon entering high school. The other reason HUGO has a good shot is, well… it’s that damn good! THE DESCENDANTS is probably in second place, partially because the Academy can’t seem to get enough of George Clooney, like an overly proud parent assaulting everyone they pass on the street with pictures in their wallet. “Here’s George again, and again here. Isn’t he great! He’s so good! We’re so proud!” I liked THE DESCENDANTS, I think Alexander Payne (this is where Best Director is more favorable) is a great filmmaker, and the film deserves to be nominated for Best Picture, but it also feels like a safe choice this year, and with all the buzz and controversy swirling around this year’s Oscars, I’m inclined to say THE DESCENDANTS won’t be having any celebratory luau’s this year. Now, to address the “white elephant” in the room…

THE ARTIST. Cute, charming, nostalgic… these all describe the silent French film, but none of this equates to Best Picture. I enjoyed the film, although at 100 minutes, it started just slightly to feel a bit long for a silent film. Maybe that’s a sign of it’s flaws, as I’ve willingly sat through the restored version of METROPOLIS (153 minutes) twice now. Sure, Uggie the Dog was cute, and talented/well-trained, but Ive seen better dog tricks and why is the dog of all things getting the most publicity for a Best Picture nominee? The performances were good, the directing was good, but once again… shouldn’t the Best Picture be synonymous with “great” performances and directing? Honestly, the ONLY people I’ve heard buzzing positively about THE ARTIST for Best Picture are the marketers, and a select number of old school critics. I have not once heard anyone out in the “real world” say anything along the lines of “I sure hope THE ARTIST” wins Best Picture. It’s about 50/50 with half on my boat of “it was good, but not great” and the other half (guess who) utterly annoyed and/or befuddled as to why a black & white silent French film is even nominated for Best Picture.

This brings me to yet another qualm I have with the Academy Awards, an issue some may feel is akin to beating a dead horse, but why do they insist on having separate Animated Feature and Foreign Film categories if they are both eligible for Best Picture? I don’t mind having these categories separated, but in doing so, they should be ineligible for Best Picture. It’s like double-dipping a movie in the Oscar guacamole. Otherwise, if you want foreign films and animated films to be eligible for Best Picture, do away with those two separate categories. If nothing else, that will free up some time in the endless issue of the Academy Awards broadcast running long, and we can better justify having ten nominees over just five. Besides, we have a separate category for Best Documentary Feature, but when was the last time you saw a documentary film nominated for Best Picture? (The answer is NEVER.) Let’s put the petty squabbling aside, shall we, and just go with common sense here. It’s best for everyone involved.
Finally, how I feel about the “other films” nominated.

THE HELP was an obvious contender from the very beginning, but for that reason, I find it very unlikely it will win Best Picture. Personally, it feels way too Hallmark-ish for me to stand behind for the award, despite how good it is and how much people enjoyed the film. But, on that note, there is something said for a film’ popularity with the public when it comes to choosing a winner. It’s not the only factor by far, but should it be considered? Why not? I guarantee the public’s reaction to THE ARTIST winning will be less than appreciative. WAR HORSE. Steven Spielberg. Right there, you have three key phrases that spark the Academy’s attention. I enjoyed WAR HORSE, thought it was an accomplished feel-good film, but I think it missed the mark by a horse’s hair for being a realistic frontrunner for Best Picture. However, it should have a decent shot for Best Cinematography.

Woody Allen and the Academy have have an odd relationship over the years, almost as though Woody left the traditional marriage to the Academy to be in a sexier relationship with a younger, more exciting Independent Spirit Awards. With that said, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS is one of Woody’s best films in a while, but will Oscar agree? I doubt that, but it is nice to see the film recognized as a nominee. Terrence Malick’s THE TREE OF LIFE, I believe, is still a dark horse. It’s different enough, beautiful enough, ambitious enough, and controversial enough to have embedded itself deep within the Academy’s subconscious voting mind. My odds would be against it, but don’t crucify this spiritually experimental juggernaut just yet. Finally, we’ve come to the MONEYBALL. This, I believe, is this year’s long-shot contender. This makes Brad Pitt’s third Oscar nomination without a win, plus Jonah Hill is also nominated (although, doesn’t have a chance at winning, if the world is fair) and was a popular film amidst the general public. However, it’s a film about baseball, and that’s not exactly a topic I associate as being high on the Academy’s list of significance.

What does all this mean? Absolutely nothing. In the grand scheme of things, this is all purely speculation. For all we know, this entire thing may be a rouse by the Academy to throw us off and we could find ourselves relatively surprised, but I doubt that. Personally, the only way I’ll be truly shocked and pleasantly surprised with this year’s Academy Awards is if DRIVE is suddenly revealed as the “secret” 10th Best Picture nomination and we see a Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar walk off the stage engraved with the name “Michael.” (You pick which one. I’d be happy with either.)

ShortsHD working with Magnolia Pictures will release The Oscar® Nominated Short Films 2012 in over 200 theatres across the United States and Canada on February 10th, 2012.

Three theatrical programs will give audiences around the country an opportunity to watch the nominated shorts in the Animation, Live Action and Documentary categories prior to the 84th Academy Awards® ceremony on February 26th. This year will mark the second theatrical outing for the nominated Documentary shorts, after an enthusiastic reception from audiences for last year’s inaugural run.

The Oscar® Nominated Short Films has become a key fixture of the awards season. Last year, the theatrical release broke all records, grossing over $1,350,000 nationwide and playing in significantly more theaters than in previous years. Since the inception of the program in 2005, attendance has grown by 800%.

Along with the theatrical run, the nominated short films will be released individually on iTunesfrom February 21st in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany and other iTunes Stores throughout the world. The release will also be available via cable’s Movies On Demand (MOD), distributed by leading MOD distributor, iN DEMAND L.L.C. and will be available via Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Brighthouse, Cablevision and Cox Communication.

“This year’s Oscar® Nominated Short Films ride the wave of the rapidly growing popularity of short movies. Audiences are watching them and filmmakers are responding,” said Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of Shorts International. “The Academy chose films that are incredible entertainment: animations that are solidly family-friendly, live action films ranging from heart-warming to out-right hilarious and short docs dealing with issues of immediate interest. Like many of the best picture nominees this year, these movies are light, fun and great entertainment.”

Nominations for the 84th Academy Awards® were announced on January 24th. For more information, visit www.shorts.tv/theoscarshorts or find us on Facebook:facebook.com/shortshd and twitter: twitter.com/shortshd.