Oscar News: 274 Films Eligible for Best Picture, Oscar Night America 2010, Seligman Named Producer

For you Oscarphiles out there, here’s the latest from AMPAS. With  Hannukah just ending and Christmas fast approaching, they’ve been a busy group this past week.

274 Films Up For Best Picture:

Beverly Hills, CA – Two hundred seventy-four feature films are eligible for the Academy Award ® for Best Picture of 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today. To be eligible for 82nd Academy Awards ® consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format. Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category.

Oscar Night(R) America 2010 to be Celebrated in 50 Cities Nationwide:

Oscar Night America (ONA), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ grassroots program that enables local charities to host glamorous Oscar ® viewing parties and raise money for their organizations, kicks off its 17th year in 2010. On Sunday, March 7, 50 cities will host official Oscar viewing parties during the 82nd Academy Awards ® ceremony. For the first time in 2010, Oscar Night America will be celebrated in New York City, benefitting NYC & Company Foundation. All events will feature the live broadcast of the Awards presentation on the ABC Television Network.

“Especially in these difficult financial times, supporting local charities is essential. We’re very happy that Oscar Night America serves as a successful, and fun, way for people around the country to help make a difference,” said Academy Executive Director Bruce Davis.

The ONA 2010 locations are Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Grand Rapids (MI), Greensboro/Winston-Salem, Greenville, Hartford, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Springfield (MO), Tampa, Tucson and Washington D.C.

Most parties are black-tie affairs, though some are less formal. Some partygoers dress up as famous couples and some events feature limousine arrivals and red carpets complete with local celebrities, paparazzi and press interviews for arriving guests. To set these parties apart from the thousands of other events taking place on Oscar Night, each ONA party receives from the Academy copies of the official commemorative poster, and the official Oscar show program. Only one charity party in a given media market may participate in ONA. Events are entirely produced by local nonprofit organizations, with the active participation of the local ABC-TV affiliate station. Last year 52 charities hosted viewing parties for the 81st Academy Awards, raising more than $3 million, all of it remaining in local communities.

Michael Seligman Named Supervising Producer:

Michael B. Seligman has been named supervising producer of the 82nd Academy Awards telecast, marking his 33rd year of association with the Oscar ® show, telecast producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic announced on Thursday.

“We are excited and honored to work with one of the legends of the industry,” said Mechanic.

“I look forward to lovingly torturing Michael, as we all move toward putting together one of the most complicated and dynamic television events of the year,” added Shankman.

Seligman has received five Emmy nominations for his work on the Oscar telecasts. His other producing credits include “America’s Millennium,” a three-hour live New Year’s Eve celebration; the NBC special “Funny Women of Television”; and “Return to the Titanic . . .Live!”

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center ®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network.

Source: Oscars.org