I’ll be hopping on a plane in a matter of hours on my way to the Rockies and another Telluride Film Festival. I can’t wait to get there. The schedule will hit while I’m in the air, but check back later for thoughts on what’s to come this weekend. For now, the Academy has once […]
AMPAS underwrites Telluride Guest Director program
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:56 am · September 1st, 2011
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Brett Ratner and Don Mischer announced as Oscarcast producers
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:01 pm · August 4th, 2011
Is this the day the earth stood still? Eesh. Via AMPAS release: Brett Ratner and Don Mischer will produce the 84th Academy Awards telecast, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced today. This will be Ratner’s first involvement with the Oscar show; Mischer will for the second year in a row […]
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Oprah tops AMPAS wish list for Oscarcast host(ess)?
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:26 pm · July 8th, 2011
UPDATE (6:40pm): Naturally, the Academy denies all this. Why would they confirm even if it was true? Why kill the suspense now? Anyway… EARLIER: Sasha Stone Twirected (get it? Tweet + directed?) me to a Chicago Sun-Times story that says Oprah Winfrey, fresh off her final daytime talk show stint, could be at the top […]
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On the ballots wasted under new Best Pic rules
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:19 am · June 23rd, 2011
Since the Academy announced its latest mathematical tweak to the Best Picture category last week, few have taken against the adjustment in principle — in a race notionally about “best,” it seems fair that films liked by many but loved by few should be left out, even if there’s no clear way of knowing which […]
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New AMPAS invitees include Sorkin, Hooper… and Beyoncé
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:17 pm · June 17th, 2011
The annual announcement of the new members invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the latest batch of industry pros we get to blame for next year’s Oscar results — is a moment that always prompts as much satisfied head-nodding as bewildered head-scratching. The latter action isn’t always in response […]
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On the Academy’s other rule changes
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:48 am · June 15th, 2011
With the big news out of the way, there are a few other annual house-cleaning rule alterations that ought to be addressed. First up, the Best Animated Feature Film category — which seems to get a face-lift in the rule book every summer — will now have anywhere from three to five nominees. As it […]
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Ballots are out
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:19 am · February 2nd, 2011
It’s all happening. Via AMPAS press release, in part: Final ballots for the 83rd Academy Awards® were mailed today (February 2) to the 5,755 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 22. Ballots received after the deadline will […]
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Mo’Nique to join Sherak in announcing Oscar nominees
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:59 am · January 4th, 2011
Just when we thought Mo’Nique was done with the season, she’s baaaack. The press release, in part: Nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards® will be announced on Tuesday, January 25, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and Oscar-winning actress and Academy member Mo’Nique. Sherak and Mo’Nique will unveil the nominations […]
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12/21 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: 248 films up for Oscar, Franco’s reps cautioned against hosting, Gibney’s top 10
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:32 am · December 21st, 2010
• The Academy announces 248 feature films eligible for this year’s Best Picture Oscar. [Oscars.org] • James Franco’s reps advised him against hosting the Oscars (naturally). [Awards Campaign] • Mike Fleming, meanwhile, chats with Franco’s co-host (and “Love & Other Drugs” star) Anne Hathaway, [Deadline]
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Academy DQs scores for ‘Fighter,’ ‘Grit,’ ‘Kids’ and ‘Swan’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:43 pm · December 20th, 2010
I had a bad feeling Carter Burwell’s work in “True Grit” was going to get the axe from a consistently dubious music branch, and so it has. Along with three other hopefuls. Variety is reporting that Burwell’s score and Clint Mansell’s for “Black Swan” were nixed due to being overwhelmed by pre-existing music (19th century […]
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AMPAS counts down to 83rd Oscarcast
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:45 pm · December 6th, 2010
Via press release: On December 7 (tomorrow!), we will be 83 days away from the 83rd Academy Awards. Beginning tomorrow, we will be counting down to the February 27 ceremony by revisiting all of the Academy Awards ceremonies that have come before. You’re invited to visit Oscars.org on December 7 – and every day thereafter […]
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AMPAS pays tribute to Jeremy Thomas
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:19 pm · November 23rd, 2010
It’s not as formal an honor as one of the Governors’ Awards they dished out last week, but nonetheless, Thursday will find the Academy still in a laudatory mood as they cross the Atlantic to celebrate the career of boundary-busting British producer Jeremy Thomas. AMPAS is holding a Thomas tribute evening in London, with Keira […]
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10/28 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Youngest Best Actresses, seeking Oscar journos, Cameron readies ‘Avatar’ sequels
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:37 am · October 28th, 2010
• AMPAS and mtvU launch the third annual “Oscars Correspondent Contest” for college journalists. [Oscars.org] • Across the pond, Stuart Heritage counts down the ways “Rabbit Hole” could be an Oscar bet for Nicole Kidman. [The Guardian] • The Durst family predictably threatens to sue over “All Good Things.” [Deadline]
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10/27 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Sticking up for Swinton, AMPAS joins Twitter, 15 years of Fox Searchlight
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:11 am · October 27th, 2010
• Jeffrey Wells does his part to re-inject Tilda Swinton’s performance in “I Am Love” back into the Oscar conversation. [Hollywood Elsewhere] • The Academy is ready for its close-up — on Twitter! [Twitter] • Celebrating 15 years of Fox Searchlight Pictures. [/Film]
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Godard to skip the Governors Awards
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:17 am · October 25th, 2010
First it was announced that legendary French auteur Jean-Luc Godard would be one of this year’s Honorary Oscar recipients at November’s Governors Awards. Then the Academy was having a hard time finding him. Then Godard’s girlfriend conveyed the sentiment that Godard might think the ceremony beneath him. Now, the official news drops that — as […]
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10/14 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Eisenberg could bump Damon, Pike’s break-out year, assessing Best Actor
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:30 am · October 14th, 2010
• Nathaniel Rogers gets delightfully painstaking with Oscar trivia, notes that, should Jesse Eisenberg be nominated for Best Actor, he’ll boot Matt Damon from the list of top 10 youngest nominees in the category. [The Film Experience] • Speaking of which, Damon has the directing bug and continues to bone up on the ins and […]
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AMPAS, Cinema Eye Honors narrow doc short fields
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:07 am · October 13th, 2010
The Academy has just announced the eight finalists for this year’s Best Documentary Short award. They are: “Born Sweet” “Killing in the Name” “Living for 32” “One Thousand Pictures: RFK’s Last Journey” “Poster Girl” “Strangers No More” “Sun Come Up” “The Warriors of Qiugang”
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10/5 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Moving the show to January, CGI gaffes, toasting Mirren
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:06 am · October 5th, 2010
• The Academy considers moving the Oscars up to late January or early February. Same old song and dance. It would begin in 2012 and is dependent on the NFL’s plans. [Los Angeles Times] • Tom Shone talks to “Nowhere Boy” director Sam Taylor-Wood. [New York Magazine] • Monika Bartyzel toasts Helen Mirren’s rise from […]
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