Godard Will Miss Governors Awards

On August 24th, the honorees for the upcoming 2010 Governors Awards were selected by the Academy’s Board of Governors at a specially convened meeting. The Board voted to present the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producer-director Francis Ford Coppola and Honorary Awards to historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow, director Jean-Luc Godard and actor Eli Wallach. All awards will be presented at the Academy’s 2nd Annual Governors Awards dinner on Saturday, November 13.

Then it was reported that Godard was considering not attending the ceremony and replied to Academy president Tom Sherak, by saying he would come to Los Angeles for the November 13 Governors Awards event, if his schedule permitted. Today, AMPAS confirmed that Godard will in fact not be attending the Governors Awards after all.

Godard to Miss Governors Awards

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that, following a two-month-long cordial exchange of correspondence with Academy president Tom Sherak, Jean-Luc Godard has regretfully notified Sherak that he will not be able to attend the November 13th Governors Awards and receive his Honorary Award in person.

“He reiterated his thanks for the award,” reported Sherak, “and also sent his good wishes to the other individuals being honored the same night – Kevin Brownlow, Francis Ford Coppola and Eli Wallach – who he refers to as ‘the three other musketeers.’”

The November 13 dinner ceremony, which is being produced by Sid Ganis and Don Mischer, will pay tribute to Godard through film clips and commentary by his admirers. The award will be accepted on Godard’s behalf by the Academy and following the event, the Academy will arrange for the Oscar® statuette to be delivered to him in Switzerland.

Source: Oscars.org