Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk, Rami Malek, Lady Gaga and Mahershala Ali pose on Oscars carpet

Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, Emma Stone, Jennier Lopez and Tessa Thompson pose on Oscars carpet

`Bohemian Rhapsody` and `Green Book` came out as the biggest winners at the 91st Academy Awards that had its fair shares of snubs and surprises.For starters, while not everyone had pegged `Roma` to win best picture, a lion`s share of indusry insiders did, reported Variety.&nbsp;

 
However, `Green Book` was declared the best picture of the night.Surprisingly, even though everyone knew `Bohemian Rhapsody` would win a few awards, no one thought they would claim the most awards of the night -- which they did, with four Oscars. 
 
On the other hand, the film that had got 10 nominations, `The Favourite` managed to just win one, with Olivia Colman winning the best actress for the film.However, Close still remains the most nominated actor to not win an Oscar at the end of the Academy Awards, with a tally of seven nominations and counting. 
 
&nbsp;Notably, Close did win nearly all other awards given this season, including Critics Choice and Golden Globe corridor as well as Spirit Awards. Everyone expected her to win the Oscar, but she did not.Not only her, Amy Adams not winning makes her the second-most nominated actor yet to win.

Finally, with three victories at the Oscars, including one for original score, Marvel`s `Black Panther` surely surprised everyone at the 91st Academy Awards.&nbsp;

`Bohemian Rhapsody` and `Green Book` came out as the biggest winners at the 91st Academy Awards that had its fair shares of snubs and surprises.For starters, while not everyone had pegged `Roma` to win best picture, a lion`s share of indusry insiders did, reported Variety.

`Bohemian Rhapsody` and `Green Book` came out as the biggest winners at the 91st Academy Awards that had its fair shares of snubs and surprises.For starters, while not everyone had pegged `Roma` to win best picture, a lion`s share of indusry insiders did, reported Variety. However, `Green Book` was declared the best picture of the night.Surprisingly, even though everyone knew `Bohemian Rhapsody` would win a few awards, no one thought they would claim the most awards of the night -- which they did, with four Oscars. On the other hand, the film that had got 10 nominations, `The Favourite` managed to just win one, with Olivia Colman winning the best actress for the film.However, Close still remains the most nominated actor to not win an Oscar at the end of the Academy Awards, with a tally of seven nominations and counting. Notably, Close did win nearly all other awards given this season, including Critics Choice and Golden Globe corridor as well as Spirit Awards. Everyone expected her to win the Oscar, but she did not.Not only her, Amy Adams not winning makes her the second-most nominated actor yet to win. Finally, with three victories at the Oscars, including one for original score, Marvel`s `Black Panther` surely surprised everyone at the 91st Academy Awards.

Oscars 2019: Snubs and surprises at the 91st Academy Awards

By Claire Jenkins 
 
Another year, another Oscars Ceremony. Red-carpeted self-congratulations, the popping of flashes and the anticipation of the popping of corks at the many after parties for the rich and famous. And, once again, another Academy Awards in which no women were mentioned in the important category of best director.

In the 91 years that the awards have been running, only five women have been nominated for this coveted award – and only one, Kathryn Bigelow, has come away with the statuette: this represents about 1 per cent of nominees and winners. It’s a shockingly low statistic, even when you take into account that a mere 8 per cent of Hollywood’s top 250 films in 2018 were directed by women. In 2017 America’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found Hollywood to be guilty of discrimination against female directors, but as yet there have been no significant shifts in the number of women directing.

But while there is clearly much to do, there may be some small tremors discernible on Hollywood’s Geiger counter. Take Mimi Leder‘s newest film 'On the Basis of Sex', about the career of US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Leder was effectively ostracised by Hollywood after the commercial failure of Pay it Forward (2000), so her return to directing with a biopic of one of America’s most prominent feminist icons suggests that Hollywood is softening in its treatment of women on, and off, screen.

Leder’s return to the director’s chair comes alongside the impressive success of Ava DuVernay, who has been breaking ground for women of colour in the film industry. DuVernay became the first African-American woman to make over $100 million at the American domestic box office with A Wrinkle in Time (2018) and was subsequently offered a $100m deal with Warner Bros. This deal came despite the film’s lukewarm critical reception, and claims that it was helped to box office success by 'The Incredibles 2', with which it was paired at various drive-ins in the US. It should be noted that DuVernay’s deal with Warner Bros was to develop television content.

It is on the television and streaming sectors that women seem to have more opportunities. It was as a television director that Leder has been working since her film career faltered, gaining acclaim for her work on 'The Leftovers', and 'DuVernay' has oscillated between television and film – taking on a number of producing roles for the small screen.

The current Hollywood climate continues to favour male filmmakers, with its penchant for high-octane action blockbusters and superhero movies that are more often than not films for – and about – men. Coverage of the forthcoming Captain Marvel movie may be trying to draw on the film’s feminist credentials – with its female lead and female director – but Anna Boden is only one half of the directorial team (she shares the role with Ryan Fleck). So despite Marvel boss Kevin Feige’s claims that “many” of the upcoming Marvel films will be directed by women, as yet no movie from what is known as the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” (MCU) has a female director, although Australian director Cate Shortland is expected to helm the Black Widow film.

Even if MCU and other action-producers continue to hire women directors, though, this will not necessarily affect the Oscars – 'Black Panther' currently standing as the only MCU movie to be nominated.

Hooray for ‘Indiewood’

Big-budget, but low-brow action movies are generally overlooked during awards season – instead, it’s those films that we might term “Indiewood”, independent-style films funded or distributed by specialist arms of the major studios, that tend to be celebrated. In 2019, two of the three English language films nominated for best director were distributed by major studios or their specialist arms. 'The Favourite' was distributed by Fox Searchlight, and 'BlacKkKlansman' was distributed by Focus Features, a subsidiary of Universal.

Independent filmmaking has, historically, offered more opportunities for women directors, and therefore the lack of women nominated for the Best Director award seems even more pronounced. Although figures for women working within the independent sector are less well publicised, the Celluloid Ceiling Report suggested that women are better represented in the independent sector, making up 23 per cent of the directors of narrative features screened at festivals in 2017 and 2018.

Statistics such as these demonstrate that women directors are working in the American industry, but the big studios are failing to hire them and the Academy is failing to recognise them.

Women directors slated for nods this awards season all made films that fall into the independent or Indiewood category: Debra Granik’s 'Leave No Trace', Lynne Ramsay’s 'You Were Never Really Here' and Marielle Heller’s 'Can You Ever Forgive Me'.

#OscarsSoMale

Anne Fletcher’s latest film 'Dumplin’ was independently produced and distributed by Netflix. Fletcher had box office success with mainstream rom-coms including '27 Dresses' (2008) and 'The Proposal' (2009) but after the failure of 'Hot Pursuit' it appears that she too has been pushed out of the mainstream.

'That Dumplin’ was distributed by Netflix, and 'You Were Never Really Here' was distributed by Amazon Studios, demonstrates that there are different outlets for women within the changing media culture – but there is still a lack of support for women in the mainstream – the big studios. And even those women who have had success in Hollywood are rarely recognised for their achievements.

The death of Penny Marshall in December was met with a public outpouring of grief via social media and popular press. She was hailed as a trailblazer as the first woman to make over $100 million at the American domestic box office with 'Big' (1988). But Marshall is not a household name. 'Big' is remembered as the film that made Tom Hanks’ name, not Marshall’s. Marshall is just the first in a long string of women who have changed Hollywood, but they are not recognised for their achievements.

The American film industry must do better – in hiring women directors, in rewarding women directors and in highlighting and protecting their legacies.

 
(Claire Jenkins is Lecturer in Film and Television Studies, University of Leicester)

(This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/oscars-2019-olivia-colman-wins-best-actress-but-yet-again-hollywood-shows-it-thinks-film-making-is-a-man-thing-109534">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

By Claire Jenkins Another year, another Oscars Ceremony. Red-carpeted self-congratulations, the popping of flashes and the anticipation of the popping of corks at the many after parties for the rich and famous.

By Claire Jenkins Another year, another Oscars Ceremony. Red-carpeted self-congratulations, the popping of flashes and the anticipation of the popping of corks at the many after parties for the rich and famous. And, once again, another Academy Awards in which no women were mentioned in the important category of best director. In the 91 years that the awards have been running, only five women have been nominated for this coveted award – and only one, Kathryn Bigelow, has come away with the statuette: this represents about 1 per cent of nominees and winners. It’s a shockingly low statistic, even when you take into account that a mere 8 per cent of Hollywood’s top 250 films in 2018 were directed by women. In 2017 America’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found Hollywood to be guilty of discrimination against female directors, but as yet there have been no significant shifts in the number of women directing. But while there is clearly much to do, there may be some small tremors discernible on Hollywood’s Geiger counter. Take Mimi Leder‘s newest film 'On the Basis of Sex', about the career of US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Leder was effectively ostracised by Hollywood after the commercial failure of Pay it Forward (2000), so her return to directing with a biopic of one of America’s most prominent feminist icons suggests that Hollywood is softening in its treatment of women on, and off, screen. Leder’s return to the director’s chair comes alongside the impressive success of Ava DuVernay, who has been breaking ground for women of colour in the film industry. DuVernay became the first African-American woman to make over $100 million at the American domestic box office with A Wrinkle in Time (2018) and was subsequently offered a $100m deal with Warner Bros. This deal came despite the film’s lukewarm critical reception, and claims that it was helped to box office success by 'The Incredibles 2', with which it was paired at various drive-ins in the US. It should be noted that DuVernay’s deal with Warner Bros was to develop television content. It is on the television and streaming sectors that women seem to have more opportunities. It was as a television director that Leder has been working since her film career faltered, gaining acclaim for her work on 'The Leftovers', and 'DuVernay' has oscillated between television and film – taking on a number of producing roles for the small screen. The current Hollywood climate continues to favour male filmmakers, with its penchant for high-octane action blockbusters and superhero movies that are more often than not films for – and about – men. Coverage of the forthcoming Captain Marvel movie may be trying to draw on the film’s feminist credentials – with its female lead and female director – but Anna Boden is only one half of the directorial team (she shares the role with Ryan Fleck). So despite Marvel boss Kevin Feige’s claims that “many” of the upcoming Marvel films will be directed by women, as yet no movie from what is known as the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” (MCU) has a female director, although Australian director Cate Shortland is expected to helm the Black Widow film. Even if MCU and other action-producers continue to hire women directors, though, this will not necessarily affect the Oscars – 'Black Panther' currently standing as the only MCU movie to be nominated. Hooray for ‘Indiewood’ Big-budget, but low-brow action movies are generally overlooked during awards season – instead, it’s those films that we might term “Indiewood”, independent-style films funded or distributed by specialist arms of the major studios, that tend to be celebrated. In 2019, two of the three English language films nominated for best director were distributed by major studios or their specialist arms. 'The Favourite' was distributed by Fox Searchlight, and 'BlacKkKlansman' was distributed by Focus Features, a subsidiary of Universal. Independent filmmaking has, historically, offered more opportunities for women directors, and therefore the lack of women nominated for the Best Director award seems even more pronounced. Although figures for women working within the independent sector are less well publicised, the Celluloid Ceiling Report suggested that women are better represented in the independent sector, making up 23 per cent of the directors of narrative features screened at festivals in 2017 and 2018. Statistics such as these demonstrate that women directors are working in the American industry, but the big studios are failing to hire them and the Academy is failing to recognise them. Women directors slated for nods this awards season all made films that fall into the independent or Indiewood category: Debra Granik’s 'Leave No Trace', Lynne Ramsay’s 'You Were Never Really Here' and Marielle Heller’s 'Can You Ever Forgive Me'. #OscarsSoMale Anne Fletcher’s latest film 'Dumplin’ was independently produced and distributed by Netflix. Fletcher had box office success with mainstream rom-coms including '27 Dresses' (2008) and 'The Proposal' (2009) but after the failure of 'Hot Pursuit' it appears that she too has been pushed out of the mainstream. 'That Dumplin’ was distributed by Netflix, and 'You Were Never Really Here' was distributed by Amazon Studios, demonstrates that there are different outlets for women within the changing media culture – but there is still a lack of support for women in the mainstream – the big studios. And even those women who have had success in Hollywood are rarely recognised for their achievements. The death of Penny Marshall in December was met with a public outpouring of grief via social media and popular press. She was hailed as a trailblazer as the first woman to make over $100 million at the American domestic box office with 'Big' (1988). But Marshall is not a household name. 'Big' is remembered as the film that made Tom Hanks’ name, not Marshall’s. Marshall is just the first in a long string of women who have changed Hollywood, but they are not recognised for their achievements. The American film industry must do better – in hiring women directors, in rewarding women directors and in highlighting and protecting their legacies. (Claire Jenkins is Lecturer in Film and Television Studies, University of Leicester) (This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Oscars 2019: Yet again, Hollywood shows it thinks film-making is a man thing

Director Alfonso Cuaron, actress Regina King talk diversity and the power of voting at the Oscars

The 91st Academy Awards took place at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as people worldwide got together to celebrate Hollywood's biggest night. With no host this year, the Academy brought in an army of presenters who joked, shared laughs and introduced the various award categories.&nbsp;

The night saw Best Song nominees perform their hit numbers. From Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's duet to Jennifer Hudson's 'I'll Fight', the Oscars had a Grammys feel to it. Lady Gaga and team won Best Original Song for 'Shallow' from 'A Star is Born'.&nbsp;

The award ceremony started off with announcing Best Actress in a Supporting Role that went to Regina King for her role in 'If Beale Street Coul Talk'. She thanked her family and God in her acceptance speech. Mahershala Ali won Best Actor in a Supporting Role.&nbsp;

This is the complete list of winners:&nbsp;

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, Vice 
Marina de Tavira, Roma 
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk&nbsp;(WINNER) 
Emma Stone, The Favourite 
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Original Screenplay

The Favourite,&nbsp;Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara 
First Reformed,&nbsp;Paul Schrader 
Green Book,&nbsp;Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly (WINNER) 
Roma,&nbsp;Alfonso Cuarón 
Vice,&nbsp;Adam McKay

Live Action Short Film

Detainment,&nbsp;Vincent Lambe 
Fauve,&nbsp;Jeremy Comte 
Marguerite,&nbsp;Marianne Farley 
Mother,&nbsp;Rodrigo Sorogoyen 
Skin,&nbsp;Guy Nattiv (WINNER)

Visual Effects

Avengers: Infinity War 
Christopher Robin 
First Man&nbsp;(WINNER) 
Ready Player One 
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Documentary Short Subject

Black Sheep,&nbsp;Ed Perkins 
End Game,&nbsp;Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman 
Lifeboat,&nbsp;Skye Fitzgerald 
A Night at the Garden,&nbsp;Marshall Curry 
Period. End of Sentence.,&nbsp;Rayka Zehtabchi (WINNER)

Animated Short

Animal Behaviour,&nbsp;Alison Snowden, David Fine 
Bao,&nbsp;Domee Shi (WINNER) 
Late Afternoon,&nbsp;Louise Bagnall 
One Small Step,&nbsp;Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas 
Weekends,&nbsp;Trevor Jimenez

Animated Feature

Incredibles 2,&nbsp;Brad Bird 
Isle of Dogs,&nbsp;Wes Anderson 
Mirai,&nbsp;Mamoru Hosoda 
Ralph Breaks the Internet,&nbsp;Rich Moore, Phil Johnston 
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,&nbsp;Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman (WINNER)

Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, Green Book&nbsp;(WINNER) 
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman 
Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born 
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? 
Sam Rockwell, Vice

Film Editing

BlacKkKlansman,&nbsp;Barry Alexander Brown 
Bohemian Rhapsody,&nbsp;John Ottman (WINNER) 
Green Book,&nbsp;Patrick J. Don Vito 
The Favourite,&nbsp;Yorgos Mavropsaridis 
Vice,&nbsp;Hank Corwin

Foreign Language Film

Capernaum&nbsp;(Lebanon) 
Cold War&nbsp;(Poland) 
Never Look Away&nbsp;(Germany) 
Roma&nbsp;(Mexico) (WINNER) 
Shoplifters&nbsp;(Japan)

Sound Mixing

Black Panther,&nbsp;Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin 
Bohemian Rhapsody,&nbsp;Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali (WINNER) 
First Man,&nbsp;Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis 
Roma,&nbsp;Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García 
A Star Is Born,&nbsp;Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow

Sound Editing

Black Panther,&nbsp;Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker 
Bohemian Rhapsody,&nbsp;John Warhurst (WINNER) 
First Man,&nbsp;Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan 
A Quiet Place,&nbsp;Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl 
Roma,&nbsp;Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Cinematography

Cold War,&nbsp;Lukasz Zal 
The Favourite,&nbsp;Robbie Ryan 
Never Look Away,&nbsp;Caleb Deschanel 
Roma,&nbsp;Alfonso Cuarón (WINNER) 
A Star Is Born,&nbsp;Matthew Libatique

Production Design

Black Panther,&nbsp;Hannah Beachler (WINNER) 
First Man,&nbsp;Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas 
The Favourite,&nbsp;Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton 
Mary Poppins Returns,&nbsp;John Myhre, Gordon Sim 
Roma,&nbsp;Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Costume Design

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,&nbsp;Mary Zophres 
Black Panther,&nbsp;Ruth E. Carter (WINNER) 
The Favourite,&nbsp;Sandy Powell 
Mary Poppins Returns,&nbsp;Sandy Powell 
Mary Queen of Scots,&nbsp;Alexandra Byrne

Makeup and Hairstyling

Border,&nbsp;Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer 
Mary Queen of Scots,&nbsp;Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks 
Vice,&nbsp;Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney (WINNER)

Documentary Feature

Free Solo,&nbsp;Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (WINNER) 
Hale County This Morning, This Evening,&nbsp;RaMell Ross 
Minding the Gap,&nbsp;Bing Liu 
Of Fathers and Sons,&nbsp;Talal Derki 
RBG,&nbsp;Betsy West, Julie Cohen

Best Picture

Black Panther 
BlacKkKlansman 
Bohemian Rhapsody 
The Favourite 
Green Book (WINNER) 
Roma 
A Star Is Born 
Vice

Lead Actor

Christian Bale, Vice 
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born 
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate 
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody (WINNER) 
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Lead Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, Roma 
Glenn Close, The Wife 
Olivia Colman, The Favourite (WINNER) 
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born 
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Director

Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman 
Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War 
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite 
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma (WINNER) 
Adam McKay, Vice

Adapted Screenplay

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,&nbsp;Joel Coen , Ethan Coen 
BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee (WINNER) 
Can You Ever Forgive Me?,&nbsp;Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty 
If Beale Street Could Talk,&nbsp;Barry Jenkins 
A Star Is Born,&nbsp;Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

Original Score

BlacKkKlansman,&nbsp;Terence Blanchard 
Black Panther,&nbsp;Ludwig Goransson (WINNER) 
If Beale Street Could Talk,&nbsp;Nicholas Britell 
Isle of Dogs,&nbsp;Alexandre Desplat 
Mary Poppins Returns,&nbsp;Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

Original Song

All The Stars&nbsp;from Black Panther&nbsp;by Kendrick Lamar, SZA 
I’ll Fight&nbsp;from RBG&nbsp;by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson 
The Place Where Lost Things Go&nbsp;from Mary Poppins Returns&nbsp;by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman 
Shallow&nbsp;from A Star Is Born&nbsp;by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice (WINNER) 
When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs&nbsp;by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

The 91st Academy Awards took place at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as people worldwide got together to celebrate Hollywood's biggest night. With no host this year, the Academy brought in an army of presenters who joked, shared laughs and introduced the various award categories.

The 91st Academy Awards took place at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as people worldwide got together to celebrate Hollywood's biggest night. With no host this year, the Academy brought in an army of presenters who joked, shared laughs and introduced the various award categories. The night saw Best Song nominees perform their hit numbers. From Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's duet to Jennifer Hudson's 'I'll Fight', the Oscars had a Grammys feel to it. Lady Gaga and team won Best Original Song for 'Shallow' from 'A Star is Born'. The award ceremony started off with announcing Best Actress in a Supporting Role that went to Regina King for her role in 'If Beale Street Coul Talk'. She thanked her family and God in her acceptance speech. Mahershala Ali won Best Actor in a Supporting Role. This is the complete list of winners: Supporting Actress Amy Adams, Vice Marina de Tavira, Roma Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk (WINNER) Emma Stone, The Favourite Rachel Weisz, The Favourite Original Screenplay The Favourite, Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara First Reformed, Paul Schrader Green Book, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly (WINNER) Roma, Alfonso Cuarón Vice, Adam McKay Live Action Short Film Detainment, Vincent Lambe Fauve, Jeremy Comte Marguerite, Marianne Farley Mother, Rodrigo Sorogoyen Skin, Guy Nattiv (WINNER) Visual Effects Avengers: Infinity War Christopher Robin First Man (WINNER) Ready Player One Solo: A Star Wars Story Documentary Short Subject Black Sheep, Ed Perkins End Game, Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman Lifeboat, Skye Fitzgerald A Night at the Garden, Marshall Curry Period. End of Sentence., Rayka Zehtabchi (WINNER) Animated Short Animal Behaviour, Alison Snowden, David Fine Bao, Domee Shi (WINNER) Late Afternoon, Louise Bagnall One Small Step, Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas Weekends, Trevor Jimenez Animated Feature Incredibles 2, Brad Bird Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson Mirai, Mamoru Hosoda Ralph Breaks the Internet, Rich Moore, Phil Johnston Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman (WINNER) Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali, Green Book (WINNER) Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Sam Rockwell, Vice Film Editing BlacKkKlansman, Barry Alexander Brown Bohemian Rhapsody, John Ottman (WINNER) Green Book, Patrick J. Don Vito The Favourite, Yorgos Mavropsaridis Vice, Hank Corwin Foreign Language Film Capernaum (Lebanon) Cold War (Poland) Never Look Away (Germany) Roma (Mexico) (WINNER) Shoplifters (Japan) Sound Mixing Black Panther, Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin Bohemian Rhapsody, Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali (WINNER) First Man, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis Roma, Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García A Star Is Born, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow Sound Editing Black Panther, Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker Bohemian Rhapsody, John Warhurst (WINNER) First Man, Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan A Quiet Place, Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl Roma, Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay Cinematography Cold War, Lukasz Zal The Favourite, Robbie Ryan Never Look Away, Caleb Deschanel Roma, Alfonso Cuarón (WINNER) A Star Is Born, Matthew Libatique Production Design Black Panther, Hannah Beachler (WINNER) First Man, Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas The Favourite, Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton Mary Poppins Returns, John Myhre, Gordon Sim Roma, Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez Costume Design The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Mary Zophres Black Panther, Ruth E. Carter (WINNER) The Favourite, Sandy Powell Mary Poppins Returns, Sandy Powell Mary Queen of Scots, Alexandra Byrne Makeup and Hairstyling Border, Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer Mary Queen of Scots, Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks Vice, Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney (WINNER) Documentary Feature Free Solo, Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (WINNER) Hale County This Morning, This Evening, RaMell Ross Minding the Gap, Bing Liu Of Fathers and Sons, Talal Derki RBG, Betsy West, Julie Cohen Best Picture Black Panther BlacKkKlansman Bohemian Rhapsody The Favourite Green Book (WINNER) Roma A Star Is Born Vice Lead Actor Christian Bale, Vice Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody (WINNER) Viggo Mortensen, Green Book Lead Actress Yalitza Aparicio, Roma Glenn Close, The Wife Olivia Colman, The Favourite (WINNER) Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Director Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite Alfonso Cuarón, Roma (WINNER) Adam McKay, Vice Adapted Screenplay The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Joel Coen , Ethan Coen BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee (WINNER) Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty If Beale Street Could Talk, Barry Jenkins A Star Is Born, Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters Original Score BlacKkKlansman, Terence Blanchard Black Panther, Ludwig Goransson (WINNER) If Beale Street Could Talk, Nicholas Britell Isle of Dogs, Alexandre Desplat Mary Poppins Returns, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman Original Song All The Stars from Black Panther by Kendrick Lamar, SZA I’ll Fight from RBG by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson The Place Where Lost Things Go from Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman Shallow from A Star Is Born by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice (WINNER) When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Oscars 2019: Rami Malek wins Best Actor; see complete list of winners

Inside Kathikhera, the small UP village that inspired Oscar winning film 'Period. End Of Sentence'

For more than 30 years, Spike Lee has captivated audiences -- and sometimes angered them -- with his provocative, frank depictions of black America infused with his signature mix of entertainment, activism and rage.

And for the first time, that work has earned him a competitive Oscar as the 61-year-old Lee picked up the prize for best-adapted screenplay on Sunday for his incendiary race drama 'BlacKkKlansman.'

"Four hundred years. Our ancestors were stolen from Mother Africa and bought to Jamestown, Virginia, enslaved," he said, referring the first documented Africans to come to the first English settlement in the Americas, in 1619.&nbsp;

It was a rousing impromptu address, delivered from the stage at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre, during which Lee spoke of slaves forced to carry out back-breaking work from dawn until dark.

He paid tribute to his grandmother, who "lived to be 100 years young, who was a Spelman College graduate even though her mother was a slave."

'BlacKkKlansman'&nbsp;is a searing yet sometimes hilarious broadside against racism with the stranger-than-fiction true story of an African-American police officer who managed to infiltrate the highest levels of the Ku Klux Klan.

John David Washington, son of Denzel, stars as that cop, Ron Stallworth. Oscar nominee Adam Driver plays his white partner, who acts as his proxy for the actual undercover operation.

"Six words: 'Black man infiltrates Ku Klux Klan'," Lee told CBS News earlier this month of the film pitch.

"That was it. That was it. The greatest ever. Six words!"

Lee has inspired other black directors for decades.

Michael Genet, an actor and screenwriter who penned the script for Lee's 2004 comedy "She Hate Me," says Lee "opened the doors for everybody who's come after him."

African-American director Ryan Coogler "couldn't be who he is today with 'Black Panther' without Spike Lee doing what he did," Genet adds. "It's impossible."

Lee -- born Shelton Jackson Lee in Georgia on March 20, 1957 -- was the son of a jazz musician father and an English teacher mom.&nbsp;

He was primarily raised in Brooklyn, which is home to his production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks.

Lee -- a small man with a piercing gaze from behind his round glasses -- graduated from Atlanta's Morehouse College, a historically black, all-male school, with a communications degree.&nbsp;

He took film classes at Clark Atlanta University and earned his Master's, focusing on film and television, from New York University.

In the hot summer of 1985, Lee filmed 'She's Gotta Have It'&nbsp;in two weeks in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighbourhood. The black-and-white feature was his breakout moment.

He even acted in that first film, taking the supporting role of motor-mouthed Mars Blackmon, one of the main character's three suitors.&nbsp;

John Canada Terrell, one of his co-stars in the movie, described Lee as a "very strange cerebral kind of cat."

"Spike was always quiet. He kept to himself but I called him the idea man," recalls Herbert Eichelberger, an associate professor of film at Clark Atlanta University whom Lee calls his mentor.&nbsp;

"He would come with all kinds of ideas about doing films and making certain kinds of approaches to a situation."

"From the start, he was a good storyteller," says Eichelberger, who thought Lee's career would be focused on documentaries, given his keen powers of observation of society around him.

But Lee would only embrace that format in 1997 with '4 Little Girls'&nbsp;-- the Oscar-nominated story of the racially motivated bombing of an African-American church during the US civil rights movement.

In the decade in between, Lee established himself as a force to be reckoned with, producing films that often had a political bent like 'Do The Right Thing,' 'Malcolm X'&nbsp;and 'Jungle Fever.'

Lee remained outside the usual Hollywood glare, mindful of maintaining control of his own marketing, distribution and editing. His features starred mainly black casts.

That allows him to tell the stories as he sees them, blending human relationships with social themes and dark humour.

Today, Lee -- a fixture at New York Knicks games -- is respected as a director of films with wide appeal that depict American society and culture with razor-sharp clarity.

The success of 'She's Gotta Have It'&nbsp;catapulted Lee to unexpected stardom -- he made a series of black and white Air Jordan ads for Nike, in character as Mars Blackmon and co-starring NBA legend Michael Jordan, that changed sports marketing forever.

Lee has made various other commercials and music videos over the course of his career.

He also has sometimes turned away from his usual films to direct more traditional Hollywood fare like the crime thriller 'Inside Man'&nbsp;(2006) -- one of his greatest box office successes.

Lee earned an honorary Oscar in late 2015 for his "extraordinary contribution" to film, but before this year had never won a competitive Academy Award.

And he came full circle in 2017 with a TV series based on 'She's Gotta Have It,'&nbsp;directing all 10 episodes of the first season for Netflix. A second season is coming, but the streaming giant has not given a premiere date.

For more than 30 years, Spike Lee has captivated audiences -- and sometimes angered them -- with his provocative, frank depictions of black America infused with his signature mix of entertainment, activism and rage.

For more than 30 years, Spike Lee has captivated audiences -- and sometimes angered them -- with his provocative, frank depictions of black America infused with his signature mix of entertainment, activism and rage. And for the first time, that work has earned him a competitive Oscar as the 61-year-old Lee picked up the prize for best-adapted screenplay on Sunday for his incendiary race drama 'BlacKkKlansman.' "Four hundred years. Our ancestors were stolen from Mother Africa and bought to Jamestown, Virginia, enslaved," he said, referring the first documented Africans to come to the first English settlement in the Americas, in 1619. It was a rousing impromptu address, delivered from the stage at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre, during which Lee spoke of slaves forced to carry out back-breaking work from dawn until dark. He paid tribute to his grandmother, who "lived to be 100 years young, who was a Spelman College graduate even though her mother was a slave." 'BlacKkKlansman' is a searing yet sometimes hilarious broadside against racism with the stranger-than-fiction true story of an African-American police officer who managed to infiltrate the highest levels of the Ku Klux Klan. John David Washington, son of Denzel, stars as that cop, Ron Stallworth. Oscar nominee Adam Driver plays his white partner, who acts as his proxy for the actual undercover operation. "Six words: 'Black man infiltrates Ku Klux Klan'," Lee told CBS News earlier this month of the film pitch. "That was it. That was it. The greatest ever. Six words!" Lee has inspired other black directors for decades. Michael Genet, an actor and screenwriter who penned the script for Lee's 2004 comedy "She Hate Me," says Lee "opened the doors for everybody who's come after him." African-American director Ryan Coogler "couldn't be who he is today with 'Black Panther' without Spike Lee doing what he did," Genet adds. "It's impossible." Lee -- born Shelton Jackson Lee in Georgia on March 20, 1957 -- was the son of a jazz musician father and an English teacher mom. He was primarily raised in Brooklyn, which is home to his production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. Lee -- a small man with a piercing gaze from behind his round glasses -- graduated from Atlanta's Morehouse College, a historically black, all-male school, with a communications degree. He took film classes at Clark Atlanta University and earned his Master's, focusing on film and television, from New York University. In the hot summer of 1985, Lee filmed 'She's Gotta Have It' in two weeks in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighbourhood. The black-and-white feature was his breakout moment. He even acted in that first film, taking the supporting role of motor-mouthed Mars Blackmon, one of the main character's three suitors. John Canada Terrell, one of his co-stars in the movie, described Lee as a "very strange cerebral kind of cat." "Spike was always quiet. He kept to himself but I called him the idea man," recalls Herbert Eichelberger, an associate professor of film at Clark Atlanta University whom Lee calls his mentor. "He would come with all kinds of ideas about doing films and making certain kinds of approaches to a situation." "From the start, he was a good storyteller," says Eichelberger, who thought Lee's career would be focused on documentaries, given his keen powers of observation of society around him. But Lee would only embrace that format in 1997 with '4 Little Girls' -- the Oscar-nominated story of the racially motivated bombing of an African-American church during the US civil rights movement. In the decade in between, Lee established himself as a force to be reckoned with, producing films that often had a political bent like 'Do The Right Thing,' 'Malcolm X' and 'Jungle Fever.' Lee remained outside the usual Hollywood glare, mindful of maintaining control of his own marketing, distribution and editing. His features starred mainly black casts. That allows him to tell the stories as he sees them, blending human relationships with social themes and dark humour. Today, Lee -- a fixture at New York Knicks games -- is respected as a director of films with wide appeal that depict American society and culture with razor-sharp clarity. The success of 'She's Gotta Have It' catapulted Lee to unexpected stardom -- he made a series of black and white Air Jordan ads for Nike, in character as Mars Blackmon and co-starring NBA legend Michael Jordan, that changed sports marketing forever. Lee has made various other commercials and music videos over the course of his career. He also has sometimes turned away from his usual films to direct more traditional Hollywood fare like the crime thriller 'Inside Man' (2006) -- one of his greatest box office successes. Lee earned an honorary Oscar in late 2015 for his "extraordinary contribution" to film, but before this year had never won a competitive Academy Award. And he came full circle in 2017 with a TV series based on 'She's Gotta Have It,' directing all 10 episodes of the first season for Netflix. A second season is coming, but the streaming giant has not given a premiere date.

Spike Lee opens up on channelling America's black rage with his films

Hollywood's A-listers will hit the red carpet Sunday for the Oscars -- the climax of a long, eventful awards season that could yield some big surprises.

Alfonso Cuaron's black-and-white cinematic ode to his childhood, "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/international-films-break-out-of-oscars-foreign-category-led-by-roma-198914">Roma</a>," leads with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscars-2019-hollywood-royalty-set-for-gala-night-as-organizers-go-host-less-198847">10 nominations</a> and is a firm favourite for the coveted best picture Academy Award.

If it does win, it will be the first foreign-language film, and the first from streaming giant Netflix, to earn the honour.

But civil rights dramedy "Green Book" has overcome controversy to remain on the radar, and could benefit from the Academy's complex preferential voting system to snatch the top prize.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/alexandre-desplat-will-not-attend-oscars-2019-ceremony-198968">Alexandre Desplat will not attend Oscars 2019 ceremony</a>

Hot on their heels are a variety of films, from offbeat royal romp "The Favourite" (also with 10 nominations), to Spike Lee's race drama "BlacKkKlansman," to crowd-pleasers like superhero flick "Black Panther" and musical romance "A Star Is Born."

Two biopics -- "Vice" about former US vice president Dick Cheney and "Bohemian Rhapsody" about the band Queen -- round out the list of contenders for best picture.

The 7,900-odd voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had bold choices in front of them -- traditional art-house Oscar bait, and big, rousing blockbusters.

"With eight best picture nominees, every film has passionate supporters, but no film has a consensus," Tim Gray, awards editor for showbiz trade publication Variety, told AFP.

All will be revealed at the Dolby Theatre, in a ceremony beamed around the world to millions of showbiz fans, with a twist -- there will be no host for the first time in three decades.

The Academy opted to take the risk after comedian Kevin Hart withdrew from the gig in the face of a firestorm over past controversial tweets that were slammed as homophobic.

"They still don't have an answer to a question that's been around since the first TV showing in 1953: is this a presentation of every category, or is it entertainment?" Gray said. "They want it to be both."

The entertainment factor will be high when Queen opens the show with singer Adam Lambert fronting the iconic band.

Will Glenn Close finally win?

For top acting honours, Christian Bale's transformation into Cheney for "Vice" gave him the early lead in the Oscars race and several statuettes.

But Rami Malek won respect from his peers -- and a Golden Globe, Bafta and a Screen Actors Guild award -- for his spellbinding turn as late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

"In Christian Bale's, I see an incredible actorly thing, but with Rami Malek, you see a role that just really connected with audiences," said Variety's chief film critic Peter Debruge.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the newcomer disrupts in this case."

The best actress race has a clear favourite, Glenn Close, who has swept the prizes for her gripping work in "The Wife" as a woman on the edge when her author husband wins the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Close continued her success with the best actress trophy at Saturday's Film Independent Spirit Awards, held every year the day before the Oscars on Santa Monica beach, a few miles from Hollywood.

"It's very hard for me to accept the win-lose situation. I don't think there are any losers," Close told reporters on the red carpet.

Lady Gaga wowed fans and critics with her turn in "A Star is Born," and Yalitza Aparicio's nomination for her first acting role in "Roma" earned praise. But it looks to be Close's night.

"It is not her strongest role, but it is an opportunity for her to really own a small film, to carry it on her shoulders, and to remind the industry that here is one of our real treasures as an actress," Debruge said.

Mahershala Ali ("Green Book") and Regina King ("If Beale Street Could Talk") are the odds-on favourites in the supporting acting categories.

Better ratings this year?

The Academy -- desperate to boost television ratings that have plummeted in recent years -- is trying to stick to a three-hour telecast, but it hit a few bumps along the way.

Controversies over its efforts to save time included plans to present a handful of awards during commercial breaks and to feature only a few of the nominated songs. Both ideas have since been scrapped.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will sing their power ballad "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born." Songstresses Jennifer Hudson, Bette Midler and Gillian Welch will also perform.&nbsp;

But Variety reported that Kendrick Lamar and SZA would not perform "All the Stars" from "Black Panther," due to a "logistics and timing" issue.

The 91st Academy Awards begin Sunday at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday).&nbsp;

Hollywood's A-listers will hit the red carpet Sunday for the Oscars -- the climax of a long, eventful awards season that could yield some big surprises. Alfonso Cuaron's black-and-white cinematic ode to his childhood, "Roma," leads with 10 nominations and is a firm favourite for the coveted best picture Academy Award.

Hollywood's A-listers will hit the red carpet Sunday for the Oscars -- the climax of a long, eventful awards season that could yield some big surprises. Alfonso Cuaron's black-and-white cinematic ode to his childhood, "Roma," leads with 10 nominations and is a firm favourite for the coveted best picture Academy Award. If it does win, it will be the first foreign-language film, and the first from streaming giant Netflix, to earn the honour. But civil rights dramedy "Green Book" has overcome controversy to remain on the radar, and could benefit from the Academy's complex preferential voting system to snatch the top prize. Also read: Alexandre Desplat will not attend Oscars 2019 ceremony Hot on their heels are a variety of films, from offbeat royal romp "The Favourite" (also with 10 nominations), to Spike Lee's race drama "BlacKkKlansman," to crowd-pleasers like superhero flick "Black Panther" and musical romance "A Star Is Born." Two biopics -- "Vice" about former US vice president Dick Cheney and "Bohemian Rhapsody" about the band Queen -- round out the list of contenders for best picture. The 7,900-odd voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had bold choices in front of them -- traditional art-house Oscar bait, and big, rousing blockbusters. "With eight best picture nominees, every film has passionate supporters, but no film has a consensus," Tim Gray, awards editor for showbiz trade publication Variety, told AFP. All will be revealed at the Dolby Theatre, in a ceremony beamed around the world to millions of showbiz fans, with a twist -- there will be no host for the first time in three decades. The Academy opted to take the risk after comedian Kevin Hart withdrew from the gig in the face of a firestorm over past controversial tweets that were slammed as homophobic. "They still don't have an answer to a question that's been around since the first TV showing in 1953: is this a presentation of every category, or is it entertainment?" Gray said. "They want it to be both." The entertainment factor will be high when Queen opens the show with singer Adam Lambert fronting the iconic band. Will Glenn Close finally win? For top acting honours, Christian Bale's transformation into Cheney for "Vice" gave him the early lead in the Oscars race and several statuettes. But Rami Malek won respect from his peers -- and a Golden Globe, Bafta and a Screen Actors Guild award -- for his spellbinding turn as late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. "In Christian Bale's, I see an incredible actorly thing, but with Rami Malek, you see a role that just really connected with audiences," said Variety's chief film critic Peter Debruge. "I wouldn't be surprised if the newcomer disrupts in this case." The best actress race has a clear favourite, Glenn Close, who has swept the prizes for her gripping work in "The Wife" as a woman on the edge when her author husband wins the Nobel Prize in Literature. Close continued her success with the best actress trophy at Saturday's Film Independent Spirit Awards, held every year the day before the Oscars on Santa Monica beach, a few miles from Hollywood. "It's very hard for me to accept the win-lose situation. I don't think there are any losers," Close told reporters on the red carpet. Lady Gaga wowed fans and critics with her turn in "A Star is Born," and Yalitza Aparicio's nomination for her first acting role in "Roma" earned praise. But it looks to be Close's night. "It is not her strongest role, but it is an opportunity for her to really own a small film, to carry it on her shoulders, and to remind the industry that here is one of our real treasures as an actress," Debruge said. Mahershala Ali ("Green Book") and Regina King ("If Beale Street Could Talk") are the odds-on favourites in the supporting acting categories. Better ratings this year? The Academy -- desperate to boost television ratings that have plummeted in recent years -- is trying to stick to a three-hour telecast, but it hit a few bumps along the way. Controversies over its efforts to save time included plans to present a handful of awards during commercial breaks and to feature only a few of the nominated songs. Both ideas have since been scrapped. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will sing their power ballad "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born." Songstresses Jennifer Hudson, Bette Midler and Gillian Welch will also perform. But Variety reported that Kendrick Lamar and SZA would not perform "All the Stars" from "Black Panther," due to a "logistics and timing" issue. The 91st Academy Awards begin Sunday at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday).

Oscars night is here! Hollywood ready for glitzy gala

How much does an Oscar statue weigh? Which actor has received the most ever nominations? Who has the most Oscars ever? 
Here are some fun facts about the 91st Academy Awards, which will take place in Hollywood on Sunday:

- Uncle Oscars?-

Hollywood lore has it that the Academy Award was nicknamed Oscar after Academy librarian Margaret Herrick -- who eventually became executive director -- saw the trophy for the first time and thought it looked like her uncle Oscar. 
 
Hollywood legend Bette Davis allegedly claimed she had nicknamed the award Oscar as it reminded her of her first husband, musician Harmon Oscar Nelson Jr, but later withdrew that claim, according to IMDB. 
 
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially adopted the nickname in 1939.

- Heavy prize -

The Oscar statuette is solid bronze and plated in 24-karat gold. It stands 13.5 inches (34 centimeters) tall and weighs 8.5 pounds (3.8 kilograms). 
 
It takes three months for Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry in New York to manufacture a batch of 50 statuettes. More than 3,140 statuettes have been handed out since 1929. 
 
The trophy represents a knight holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes that refer to the five original branches of the Academy -- actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.

- Acting royalty -

Meryl Streep holds the record for the most nominations in the acting categories, with 21. She and Jack Nicholson -- the most nominated male actor with 12 nominations -- each have two statuettes for lead acting and one for supporting roles. 
 
The movie industry figure with the most Oscars is Walt Disney, who won 22, plus four honorary statuettes. 
 
Katharine Hepburn won the most Oscars for a performer, with four. Daniel Day-Lewis is the only person to have three best actor Oscars.

- Young and old winners -

The youngest person to receive an Oscar was six-year-old Shirley Temple in 1935, although it was a non-competitive honorary award for children to honor her work from the year before. 
 
The youngest to win a competitive Oscar was Tatum O'Neal, who was 10 when she bagged best supporting actress for "Paper Moon" in 1974. 
 
The oldest winner of an acting award was Christopher Plummer, who was 82 when he won his first Oscar for best supporting actor in 'Beginners' in 2012.

- Unfortunate streak -

Sound engineer Kevin O'Connell held the record for most Academy Award nominations without a win at 20. But the 21st time was the charm in 2017 when he finally won for best sound mixing for 'Hacksaw Ridge.'

&nbsp;

How much does an Oscar statue weigh? Which actor has received the most ever nominations? Who has the most Oscars ever? Here are some fun facts about the 91st Academy Awards, which will take place in Hollywood on Sunday: - Uncle Oscars?

How much does an Oscar statue weigh? Which actor has received the most ever nominations? Who has the most Oscars ever? Here are some fun facts about the 91st Academy Awards, which will take place in Hollywood on Sunday: - Uncle Oscars?- Hollywood lore has it that the Academy Award was nicknamed Oscar after Academy librarian Margaret Herrick -- who eventually became executive director -- saw the trophy for the first time and thought it looked like her uncle Oscar. Hollywood legend Bette Davis allegedly claimed she had nicknamed the award Oscar as it reminded her of her first husband, musician Harmon Oscar Nelson Jr, but later withdrew that claim, according to IMDB. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially adopted the nickname in 1939. - Heavy prize - The Oscar statuette is solid bronze and plated in 24-karat gold. It stands 13.5 inches (34 centimeters) tall and weighs 8.5 pounds (3.8 kilograms). It takes three months for Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry in New York to manufacture a batch of 50 statuettes. More than 3,140 statuettes have been handed out since 1929. The trophy represents a knight holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes that refer to the five original branches of the Academy -- actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers. - Acting royalty - Meryl Streep holds the record for the most nominations in the acting categories, with 21. She and Jack Nicholson -- the most nominated male actor with 12 nominations -- each have two statuettes for lead acting and one for supporting roles. The movie industry figure with the most Oscars is Walt Disney, who won 22, plus four honorary statuettes. Katharine Hepburn won the most Oscars for a performer, with four. Daniel Day-Lewis is the only person to have three best actor Oscars. - Young and old winners - The youngest person to receive an Oscar was six-year-old Shirley Temple in 1935, although it was a non-competitive honorary award for children to honor her work from the year before. The youngest to win a competitive Oscar was Tatum O'Neal, who was 10 when she bagged best supporting actress for "Paper Moon" in 1974. The oldest winner of an acting award was Christopher Plummer, who was 82 when he won his first Oscar for best supporting actor in 'Beginners' in 2012. - Unfortunate streak - Sound engineer Kevin O'Connell held the record for most Academy Award nominations without a win at 20. But the 21st time was the charm in 2017 when he finally won for best sound mixing for 'Hacksaw Ridge.'

Here's why the Academy decided to call its award ceremony 'Oscars'

The ballots are in, the red carpet gowns are chosen and the golden statuettes are being polished: Sunday is Oscars night, Hollywood's biggest gala of the year, and the end of a topsy-turvy awards season.

Can Alfonso Cuaron's 'Roma' be the first foreign language film, and the first Netflix feature, to win best picture? Can Glenn Close finally win her first Academy Award? And what will a host-free Oscars look like?

Voting among some 7,900 Academy members ended Tuesday, so the die is cast. All will be revealed at the Dolby Theatre, in a ceremony beamed around the world to millions of showbiz fans.

While it has sometimes seemed easy to guess the winners before the big night, this year looks to feature a few surprises, with the industry's other top awards going to a variety of films and performers.

"With eight best picture nominees, every film has passionate supporters, but no film has a consensus," Tim Gray, awards editor for showbiz trade publication Variety, told AFP.

'Roma,' Cuaron's cinematic ode to his childhood in Mexico City and the women who raised him, led the nominations with 10 overall, tied with offbeat royal romp 'The Favourite,' about Britain's tragic Queen Anne.

But civil rights dramedy 'Green Book' has overcome controversy to remain on the radar, and could benefit from the Academy's complex preferential voting system to snatch the top prize.

Superhero blockbuster 'Black Panther,' the first movie in its genre to score a best picture nomination, is also in the mix, as are Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman,' Queen biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' musical romance 'A Star Is Born' and Dick Cheney biopic 'Vice.'

- Glorious acting -

For top acting honors, Christian Bale's transformation into the former US vice president for 'Vice' earned him a Golden Globe, a Bafta and a Critics' Choice Award.

But Rami Malek won respect from his peers -- and both a Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award -- for his spell-binding turn as late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

"If you ask me, they're two totally different qualities of performance," said Variety's chief film critic Peter Debruge.

"In Christian Bale's, I see an incredible actorly thing, but with Rami Malek, you see a role that just really connected with audiences, and I wouldn't be surprised if the newcomer disrupts in this case."

The best actress race seems to be one of the only contests with a clear favorite.&nbsp;

Close, 71, has swept the prizes for her gripping work in 'The Wife' as a woman on the edge when her author husband wins the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Lady Gaga wowed fans and critics with her turn in 'A Star is Born' opposite Bradley Cooper, and Yalitza Aparicio's nomination for her first acting role in 'Roma' earned praise.&nbsp;

But it looks to be Close's night.

"It is not her strongest role, but it is an opportunity for her to really own a small film, to carry it on her shoulders, and to remind the industry that here is one of our real treasures as an actress," Debruge said.

"They'll give Glenn Close a long-deserved Oscar."

- Gala without a host -

One of the biggest questions ahead of Oscars night is: what will the show look like?&nbsp;

After Kevin Hart surrendered the host gig amid a backlash over past homophobic tweets, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences opted to go without an emcee for the first time in 30 years.

It's a risky move -- the last time organisers went host-less, one of the most infamous moments in Oscars history was born: a song-and-dance number featuring actor Rob Lowe and... Snow White.

"They still don't have an answer to a question that's been around since the first TV showing in 1953: is this a presentation of every category, or is it entertainment?" Gray said. "They want it to be both."

The entertainment factor will be high when Queen opens the show with singer Adam Lambert fronting the iconic band.

Gaga and Cooper will lead the list of A-listers performing Oscar-nominated songs, along with rapper Kendrick Lamar, Jennifer Hudson and Bette Midler.

The Academy -- desperate to boost television ratings that have plummeted in recent years -- is trying to stick to a three-hour telecast, but it hit a few bumps along the way.

Controversies over its efforts to save time included plans to present a handful of awards during commercial breaks, and to feature only a few of the nominated songs. Both ideas have since been scrapped.

"The Academy's indecision in the past year has left people confused," Gray said.

The 91st Academy Awards take place Sunday at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday). Will the changes made be enough to draw in viewers? Stay tuned.

The ballots are in, the red carpet gowns are chosen and the golden statuettes are being polished: Sunday is Oscars night, Hollywood's biggest gala of the year, and the end of a topsy-turvy awards season.

The ballots are in, the red carpet gowns are chosen and the golden statuettes are being polished: Sunday is Oscars night, Hollywood's biggest gala of the year, and the end of a topsy-turvy awards season. Can Alfonso Cuaron's 'Roma' be the first foreign language film, and the first Netflix feature, to win best picture? Can Glenn Close finally win her first Academy Award? And what will a host-free Oscars look like? Voting among some 7,900 Academy members ended Tuesday, so the die is cast. All will be revealed at the Dolby Theatre, in a ceremony beamed around the world to millions of showbiz fans. While it has sometimes seemed easy to guess the winners before the big night, this year looks to feature a few surprises, with the industry's other top awards going to a variety of films and performers. "With eight best picture nominees, every film has passionate supporters, but no film has a consensus," Tim Gray, awards editor for showbiz trade publication Variety, told AFP. 'Roma,' Cuaron's cinematic ode to his childhood in Mexico City and the women who raised him, led the nominations with 10 overall, tied with offbeat royal romp 'The Favourite,' about Britain's tragic Queen Anne. But civil rights dramedy 'Green Book' has overcome controversy to remain on the radar, and could benefit from the Academy's complex preferential voting system to snatch the top prize. Superhero blockbuster 'Black Panther,' the first movie in its genre to score a best picture nomination, is also in the mix, as are Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman,' Queen biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' musical romance 'A Star Is Born' and Dick Cheney biopic 'Vice.' - Glorious acting - For top acting honors, Christian Bale's transformation into the former US vice president for 'Vice' earned him a Golden Globe, a Bafta and a Critics' Choice Award. But Rami Malek won respect from his peers -- and both a Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award -- for his spell-binding turn as late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. "If you ask me, they're two totally different qualities of performance," said Variety's chief film critic Peter Debruge. "In Christian Bale's, I see an incredible actorly thing, but with Rami Malek, you see a role that just really connected with audiences, and I wouldn't be surprised if the newcomer disrupts in this case." The best actress race seems to be one of the only contests with a clear favorite. Close, 71, has swept the prizes for her gripping work in 'The Wife' as a woman on the edge when her author husband wins the Nobel Prize in Literature. Lady Gaga wowed fans and critics with her turn in 'A Star is Born' opposite Bradley Cooper, and Yalitza Aparicio's nomination for her first acting role in 'Roma' earned praise. But it looks to be Close's night. "It is not her strongest role, but it is an opportunity for her to really own a small film, to carry it on her shoulders, and to remind the industry that here is one of our real treasures as an actress," Debruge said. "They'll give Glenn Close a long-deserved Oscar." - Gala without a host - One of the biggest questions ahead of Oscars night is: what will the show look like? After Kevin Hart surrendered the host gig amid a backlash over past homophobic tweets, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences opted to go without an emcee for the first time in 30 years. It's a risky move -- the last time organisers went host-less, one of the most infamous moments in Oscars history was born: a song-and-dance number featuring actor Rob Lowe and... Snow White. "They still don't have an answer to a question that's been around since the first TV showing in 1953: is this a presentation of every category, or is it entertainment?" Gray said. "They want it to be both." The entertainment factor will be high when Queen opens the show with singer Adam Lambert fronting the iconic band. Gaga and Cooper will lead the list of A-listers performing Oscar-nominated songs, along with rapper Kendrick Lamar, Jennifer Hudson and Bette Midler. The Academy -- desperate to boost television ratings that have plummeted in recent years -- is trying to stick to a three-hour telecast, but it hit a few bumps along the way. Controversies over its efforts to save time included plans to present a handful of awards during commercial breaks, and to feature only a few of the nominated songs. Both ideas have since been scrapped. "The Academy's indecision in the past year has left people confused," Gray said. The 91st Academy Awards take place Sunday at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday). Will the changes made be enough to draw in viewers? Stay tuned.

Oscars 2019: Hollywood royalty set for gala night as organisers go host-less

Fashion forecasting Oscar's red carpet

Red roses, bespoke champagne readied for Governors Ball

Oscar-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat will be unable to attend the Academy Award ceremony because of recent throat surgery.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

The French music composer, who is already a two-time Oscar winner for 2014's 'Grand Budapest Hotel'&nbsp;and 2017's 'The Shape of Water', is nominated this year for his Japanese-flavored score for Wes Anderson's 'Isle of Dogs'.

The composer had hoped to fly to LA for the Oscars ceremony, but doctors have advised him "to refrain from flying long distances at this stage of his recovery," Desplat's representative told Variety.

He is currently working on the score for 'The Secret Life of Pets 2'.

The other four original-score nominees --Terence Blanchard ('BlacKkKlansman'), Ludwig Goransson ('Black Panther'), Nicholas Britell ('If Beale Street Could Talk') and Marc Shaiman ('Mary Poppins Returns').

Oscar-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat will be unable to attend the Academy Award ceremony because of recent throat surgery. The French music composer, who is already a two-time Oscar winner for 2014's 'Grand Budapest Hotel' and 2017's 'The Shape of Water', is nominated this year for his Japanese-flavored score for Wes Anderson's 'Isle of Dogs'.

Oscar-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat will be unable to attend the Academy Award ceremony because of recent throat surgery. The French music composer, who is already a two-time Oscar winner for 2014's 'Grand Budapest Hotel' and 2017's 'The Shape of Water', is nominated this year for his Japanese-flavored score for Wes Anderson's 'Isle of Dogs'. The composer had hoped to fly to LA for the Oscars ceremony, but doctors have advised him "to refrain from flying long distances at this stage of his recovery," Desplat's representative told Variety. He is currently working on the score for 'The Secret Life of Pets 2'. The other four original-score nominees --Terence Blanchard ('BlacKkKlansman'), Ludwig Goransson ('Black Panther'), Nicholas Britell ('If Beale Street Could Talk') and Marc Shaiman ('Mary Poppins Returns').

Alexandre Desplat will not attend Oscars 2019 ceremony

A foreign language film has never won the movie industry's most prestigious honour, the best picture Oscar. That may be about to change, if Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron's critically-acclaimed 'Roma'&nbsp;scores the big win on Sunday (February 24).

Shot entirely in Spanish and an indigenous Mexican language, 'Roma' broke out of the foreign language film category, scoring nominations, not only for best picture, but also director, lead and supporting actress, screenplay, and multiple technical fields.

Other foreign language-nominated films followed suit.

Florian Henckel von Donnersmark's 'Never Look Away', about a struggling artist in Nazi, and then Communist, eastern Germany, is also nominated for best cinematography. Poland's 'Cold War,'&nbsp;the story of a dark romance between a pianist and a singer, scored a best director nomination for Pawel Pawlikowski.

Whether the surge of interest in foreign language films is fleeting or sign of things to come split opinions at a reception on Thursday (February 21) celebrating the nominated foreign language films.

"This year, because of 'Roma,' I suppose, which is a huge film and by a director who is kind of familiar here as well, I think the foreign language has transcended its usual slot. But I think maybe it's an anomaly. I'm not sure it's a sign of massive changes," Pawlikowski told Reuters.

"I think the Academy has always been surprisingly open and ahead of its time in its internationality, so I just see this as a continuation of something that they've always been doing," said Henckel von Donnersmark.

Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, whose film 'Capernaum'&nbsp;tells the story of a 12-year-old boy in a Beirut slum, was more hopeful.

"I feel like it's changing, especially this year, you can see that the films that are in the foreign film category are really strong and everybody's talking about how strong this year is. So I think there's a change. There's some kind of shift," she said.

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda said increased diversity in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that hands out the Oscars, could see more recognition for international films.

"I actually have the right to vote as an Academy member as well and I think that when you get a greater variety of people being involved in the voting, then that's going to shift the result, I think," the "Shoplifters" director said.

The Academy Awards will be handed out on Sunday in a live ceremony. (Monday morning in India)

A foreign language film has never won the movie industry's most prestigious honour, the best picture Oscar. That may be about to change, if Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron's critically-acclaimed 'Roma' scores the big win on Sunday (February 24).

A foreign language film has never won the movie industry's most prestigious honour, the best picture Oscar. That may be about to change, if Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron's critically-acclaimed 'Roma' scores the big win on Sunday (February 24). Shot entirely in Spanish and an indigenous Mexican language, 'Roma' broke out of the foreign language film category, scoring nominations, not only for best picture, but also director, lead and supporting actress, screenplay, and multiple technical fields. Other foreign language-nominated films followed suit. Florian Henckel von Donnersmark's 'Never Look Away', about a struggling artist in Nazi, and then Communist, eastern Germany, is also nominated for best cinematography. Poland's 'Cold War,' the story of a dark romance between a pianist and a singer, scored a best director nomination for Pawel Pawlikowski. Whether the surge of interest in foreign language films is fleeting or sign of things to come split opinions at a reception on Thursday (February 21) celebrating the nominated foreign language films. "This year, because of 'Roma,' I suppose, which is a huge film and by a director who is kind of familiar here as well, I think the foreign language has transcended its usual slot. But I think maybe it's an anomaly. I'm not sure it's a sign of massive changes," Pawlikowski told Reuters. "I think the Academy has always been surprisingly open and ahead of its time in its internationality, so I just see this as a continuation of something that they've always been doing," said Henckel von Donnersmark. Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, whose film 'Capernaum' tells the story of a 12-year-old boy in a Beirut slum, was more hopeful. "I feel like it's changing, especially this year, you can see that the films that are in the foreign film category are really strong and everybody's talking about how strong this year is. So I think there's a change. There's some kind of shift," she said. Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda said increased diversity in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that hands out the Oscars, could see more recognition for international films. "I actually have the right to vote as an Academy member as well and I think that when you get a greater variety of people being involved in the voting, then that's going to shift the result, I think," the "Shoplifters" director said. The Academy Awards will be handed out on Sunday in a live ceremony. (Monday morning in India)

International films break out of Oscars foreign category, led by 'Roma'

There will not be a host and Sunday`s Oscars ceremony will not open with the traditional monologue in which celebrities and politicians are skewered. 
Yet, with rock band Queen, pop superstar Lady Gaga and two musicals in the race for best picture, the highest honours in the movie industry will have an unusually strong music vibe as the Oscars seek to regain television audiences. 
 
British band Queen, featuring Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, will open the 24th February show with a live performance celebrating the box-office success of best picture nominee 'Bohemian Rhapsody,'&nbsp;a representative of the band told Reuters.&nbsp; 
 
Bette Midler, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez and record producer Pharrell Williams are also set to attend or present, along with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, tennis champion Serena Williams, ' Black Panther' &nbsp;star Chadwick Boseman and comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. 
 
Details have been scant about the first Academy Awards ceremony in 30 years to go ahead without a host, bringing a curiosity factor to the last and biggest awards show of the season. Comedian Kevin Hart withdrew from the host job in December after past homophobic tweets resurfaced. 
 
"Hollywood is all about suspense," said Tom O`Neil, founder of awards website Goldderby.com.

One thing is certain; it will not be shorter. A pledge to broadcaster ABC to keep the show to three hours was wrecked last week when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bowed to protests and scrapped plans to hand out four of the 24 Oscars during commercial breaks. 
 
In 1989, the last time there was no host, the telecast opened with an 11-minute song and dance number featuring Rob Lowe and an actress dressed as Snow White that was widely derided. 
 
Under pressure to deliver a compelling show for viewers after last year`s TV audience hit an all-time low, producers have made the most of the best original song contenders.&nbsp; 
 
Lady Gaga and actor-director Bradley Cooper will perform a live duet of her hit song "Shallow" from their best picture contender 'A Star is Born,' &nbsp;while Jennifer Hudson has been tapped to sing 'Fight' from documentary 'RBG.' 
 
Midler will do the honours for the 'Mary Poppins Returns' song "The Place Where Lost Things Go" and country duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will perform "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings."&nbsp; 
 
"That is one of the places where the star wattage can make a difference," said Alison Willmore, critic and culture writer at BuzzFeed News. 
 
"Lady Gaga is a music superstar and I would imagine her hard core fans will be tuning in for her," Willmore added. 
 
Organizers have not said whether rapper Kendrick Lamar will perform his Oscar-nominated song "All the Stars" from superhero movie 'Black Panther.' 
 
The academy on Wednesday said that Serena Williams, talk show host Trevor Noah and Congressman John Lewis would appear to talk about what the best picture nominees mean to them. Spanish-American chef Jose Andres, musician Tom Morello and Barbra Streisand will also be among those introducing the nominees.&nbsp; 
 
Sunday`s show is also expected to dispense with the segments between award handouts that in recent years have focused on pizza deliveries or surprising people on bus tours. 
 
"I`m not going to miss a lot of those little bits. That often feels like the part that makes the ceremony long, so maybe without a host it won`t feel like it`s dragging," said BuzzFeed`s Willmore.

There will not be a host and Sunday`s Oscars ceremony will not open with the traditional monologue in which celebrities and politicians are skewered. Yet, with rock band Queen, pop superstar Lady Gaga and two musicals in the race for best picture, the highest honours in the movie industry will have an unusually strong music vibe as the Oscars seek to regain television audiences.

There will not be a host and Sunday`s Oscars ceremony will not open with the traditional monologue in which celebrities and politicians are skewered. Yet, with rock band Queen, pop superstar Lady Gaga and two musicals in the race for best picture, the highest honours in the movie industry will have an unusually strong music vibe as the Oscars seek to regain television audiences. British band Queen, featuring Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, will open the 24th February show with a live performance celebrating the box-office success of best picture nominee 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' a representative of the band told Reuters. Bette Midler, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez and record producer Pharrell Williams are also set to attend or present, along with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, tennis champion Serena Williams, ' Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman and comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Details have been scant about the first Academy Awards ceremony in 30 years to go ahead without a host, bringing a curiosity factor to the last and biggest awards show of the season. Comedian Kevin Hart withdrew from the host job in December after past homophobic tweets resurfaced. "Hollywood is all about suspense," said Tom O`Neil, founder of awards website Goldderby.com. One thing is certain; it will not be shorter. A pledge to broadcaster ABC to keep the show to three hours was wrecked last week when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bowed to protests and scrapped plans to hand out four of the 24 Oscars during commercial breaks. In 1989, the last time there was no host, the telecast opened with an 11-minute song and dance number featuring Rob Lowe and an actress dressed as Snow White that was widely derided. Under pressure to deliver a compelling show for viewers after last year`s TV audience hit an all-time low, producers have made the most of the best original song contenders. Lady Gaga and actor-director Bradley Cooper will perform a live duet of her hit song "Shallow" from their best picture contender 'A Star is Born,' while Jennifer Hudson has been tapped to sing 'Fight' from documentary 'RBG.' Midler will do the honours for the 'Mary Poppins Returns' song "The Place Where Lost Things Go" and country duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will perform "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings." "That is one of the places where the star wattage can make a difference," said Alison Willmore, critic and culture writer at BuzzFeed News. "Lady Gaga is a music superstar and I would imagine her hard core fans will be tuning in for her," Willmore added. Organizers have not said whether rapper Kendrick Lamar will perform his Oscar-nominated song "All the Stars" from superhero movie 'Black Panther.' The academy on Wednesday said that Serena Williams, talk show host Trevor Noah and Congressman John Lewis would appear to talk about what the best picture nominees mean to them. Spanish-American chef Jose Andres, musician Tom Morello and Barbra Streisand will also be among those introducing the nominees. Sunday`s show is also expected to dispense with the segments between award handouts that in recent years have focused on pizza deliveries or surprising people on bus tours. "I`m not going to miss a lot of those little bits. That often feels like the part that makes the ceremony long, so maybe without a host it won`t feel like it`s dragging," said BuzzFeed`s Willmore.

No host? No problem. Queen, Lady Gaga to bring Grammys vibe to Oscars

From Lebanese street children to love behind the Iron Curtain and the daily life of a Mexican housekeeper, this year`s Oscar-nominated foreign language films draw from real life and, in some cases, deeply personal experiences. 
 
While Poland`s 'Cold War" and Germany`s 'Never Look Away'&nbsp;are set decades ago, Japan`s 'Shoplifters'&nbsp;and Lebanon`s 'Capernaum'&nbsp;take on contemporary themes, while "Roma" is the most personal film ever made by Alfonso Cuaron. 
 
'Roma,' inspired by Cuaron`s 1970s childhood in Mexico City`s Colonia Roma neighborhood, is seen as the favorite to take not only the foreign language Oscar on Sunday but could make history by also winning best picture. 
 
The film, shot entirely in black and white, is inspired by the two women who raised Cuaron: his mother and a domestic worker. 
 
"The source material were my memories, but then the film took on its own life," Cuaron said. "Now my memories are tainted by the film."&nbsp; 
 
LOVE AND CHAOS&nbsp; 
 
Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski was inspired by the love life of his parents for 'Cold War,' a dark romance between a pianist and a singer set in both Communist-led Poland and postwar France. The lead characters, Wiktor and Zula, are named after his parents. 
 
"It was very personal to start with because that`s where the idea came from," Pawlikowski said. "It`s inspired by the tempestuous and chaotic relationships which involved many divorces, separations, marrying other people, remarrying, moving countries and so on."

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck also looked back to World War Two for 'Never Look Away.' The story about a struggling artist in Nazi-era Germany and then Communist-ruled East Germany spans four decades. 
 
Donnersmarck was born in West Germany in 1973 and partly grew up in the United States.&nbsp; 
 
Donnersmarck said he wanted to "see how within one family drama you have the murderers and the victims and the Nazis and those whom they abused and killed and destroyed living under one roof." 
 
In Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda`s drama "Shoplifters," an elderly widow, three adults, a boy and a girl create a family unit that is united by financial and emotional need. 
 
They steal to supplement their working-class wages, all while hiding from authorities after kidnapping the girl from her abusive parents.&nbsp; 
 
The film employs a "ripped-from-the-headlines" approach based on news reports Kore-eda read about families who commit crimes.&nbsp; 
 
Lebanese director Nadine Labaki cast street children in "Capernaum" to tell the story of a 12-year-old boy in a Beirut slum who tries to stop his younger sister from being married off. 
 
The plot was largely based on events Labaki witnessed or cast members experienced, and took more than four years to make. The film`s young protagonist is played by a Syrian refugee. Another young cast member was jailed during the shoot, and a third was deported to Kenya. 
 
"None of it was make-believe," Labaki said.

From Lebanese street children to love behind the Iron Curtain and the daily life of a Mexican housekeeper, this year`s Oscar-nominated foreign language films draw from real life and, in some cases, deeply personal experiences.

From Lebanese street children to love behind the Iron Curtain and the daily life of a Mexican housekeeper, this year`s Oscar-nominated foreign language films draw from real life and, in some cases, deeply personal experiences. While Poland`s 'Cold War" and Germany`s 'Never Look Away' are set decades ago, Japan`s 'Shoplifters' and Lebanon`s 'Capernaum' take on contemporary themes, while "Roma" is the most personal film ever made by Alfonso Cuaron. 'Roma,' inspired by Cuaron`s 1970s childhood in Mexico City`s Colonia Roma neighborhood, is seen as the favorite to take not only the foreign language Oscar on Sunday but could make history by also winning best picture. The film, shot entirely in black and white, is inspired by the two women who raised Cuaron: his mother and a domestic worker. "The source material were my memories, but then the film took on its own life," Cuaron said. "Now my memories are tainted by the film." LOVE AND CHAOS Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski was inspired by the love life of his parents for 'Cold War,' a dark romance between a pianist and a singer set in both Communist-led Poland and postwar France. The lead characters, Wiktor and Zula, are named after his parents. "It was very personal to start with because that`s where the idea came from," Pawlikowski said. "It`s inspired by the tempestuous and chaotic relationships which involved many divorces, separations, marrying other people, remarrying, moving countries and so on." Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck also looked back to World War Two for 'Never Look Away.' The story about a struggling artist in Nazi-era Germany and then Communist-ruled East Germany spans four decades. Donnersmarck was born in West Germany in 1973 and partly grew up in the United States. Donnersmarck said he wanted to "see how within one family drama you have the murderers and the victims and the Nazis and those whom they abused and killed and destroyed living under one roof." In Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda`s drama "Shoplifters," an elderly widow, three adults, a boy and a girl create a family unit that is united by financial and emotional need. They steal to supplement their working-class wages, all while hiding from authorities after kidnapping the girl from her abusive parents. The film employs a "ripped-from-the-headlines" approach based on news reports Kore-eda read about families who commit crimes. Lebanese director Nadine Labaki cast street children in "Capernaum" to tell the story of a 12-year-old boy in a Beirut slum who tries to stop his younger sister from being married off. The plot was largely based on events Labaki witnessed or cast members experienced, and took more than four years to make. The film`s young protagonist is played by a Syrian refugee. Another young cast member was jailed during the shoot, and a third was deported to Kenya. "None of it was make-believe," Labaki said.

Oscars 2019: From street kids to war romance, best foreign-film nominees keeps it real

We are one more award down before the prestigious Oscars takes place next week. The Costume Designers Guild (CDG) handed out trophies for the 21st annual CDG Awards on Tuesday night. &nbsp;

The night saw Kate Walsh host the ceremony as it took place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. It celebrated excellence in costume design, honouring film and TV in three categories: contemporary, period and sci-fi/fantasy.&nbsp;

The CDG also honoured Ruth E. Carter, Glenn Close, Betty Pecha Madden and Ryan Murphy with special awards.

Here is the full list of CDG Award winners:&nbsp;

Excellence in Period Film 
The Favourite, Sandy Powell

Excellence in Contemporary Film 
Crazy Rich Asians, Mary E. Vogt

Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film 
Black Panther, Ruth E. Carter

Excellence in Short Form Design 
Childish Gambino: “This is America”, music video, Natasha Newman-Thomas

Excellence in Variety, Reality-Competition, Live Television 
RuPaul’s Drag Race, Zaldy Goco

Excellence in Period Television 
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Donna Zakowska

Excellence in Contemporary Television 
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Lou Eyrich &amp; Allison Leach

Excellence in Sci-Fi / Fantasy Television 
Westworld, Sharen Davis

Career Achievement Award 
Ruth E. Carter

Spotlight Award 
Glenn Close

Distinguished Service Award 
Betty Pecha Madden

Distinguished Collaborator Award 
Ryan Murphy

We are one more award down before the prestigious Oscars takes place next week. The Costume Designers Guild (CDG) handed out trophies for the 21st annual CDG Awards on Tuesday night.

We are one more award down before the prestigious Oscars takes place next week. The Costume Designers Guild (CDG) handed out trophies for the 21st annual CDG Awards on Tuesday night. The night saw Kate Walsh host the ceremony as it took place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. It celebrated excellence in costume design, honouring film and TV in three categories: contemporary, period and sci-fi/fantasy. The CDG also honoured Ruth E. Carter, Glenn Close, Betty Pecha Madden and Ryan Murphy with special awards. Here is the full list of CDG Award winners: Excellence in Period Film The Favourite, Sandy Powell Excellence in Contemporary Film Crazy Rich Asians, Mary E. Vogt Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film Black Panther, Ruth E. Carter Excellence in Short Form Design Childish Gambino: “This is America”, music video, Natasha Newman-Thomas Excellence in Variety, Reality-Competition, Live Television RuPaul’s Drag Race, Zaldy Goco Excellence in Period Television The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Donna Zakowska Excellence in Contemporary Television The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Lou Eyrich & Allison Leach Excellence in Sci-Fi / Fantasy Television Westworld, Sharen Davis Career Achievement Award Ruth E. Carter Spotlight Award Glenn Close Distinguished Service Award Betty Pecha Madden Distinguished Collaborator Award Ryan Murphy

'Crazy Rich Asians', 'Black Panther' win awards by Costume Designers Guild; see winners list

Directors of Oscar-nominated documentaries attended a reception in their honour at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday (February 19).

Filmmaker RaMell Ross, whose film 'Hale County This Morning, This Evening'&nbsp;is an intimate portrait of two young black men in rural Alabama, said the nomination has opened up the documentary genre to more experimental films.

"It's allowed a lot of other filmmakers who are interested in making films that are kind of outside of the norm a permission and a sort of marker for them to reference or for them to look to for the language that perhaps can be accepted," he said.

'Free Solo'&nbsp;director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi said she hopes the film's story of the first person to climb Yosemite National Park's El Capitan rock formation without a rope, inspires viewers to follow their dreams.

"You never know how it is going to land, but we just hope that people come away inspired by Alex's courage and this idea that if you work really, really hard towards your dream, anything is possible."

To make 'Of Fathers and Sons,'&nbsp;director Talal Derki spent two and a half years living with an Islamist family in Syria. He said the hardest part was seeing the impact of the father's decisions on his children.

"I had emotion for the kids because they are innocent, it's not their mistake, it's the adult mistake that takes them on this path, to be a jihadist fighter and I wish all of this not to happen," he said.

'RBG,'&nbsp;about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, should uplift viewers, director Julie Cohen said, joking that it should also inspire them to take up planking, which Ginsburg is seen doing during her gym sessions in the film.

"We hope people learn something about how equal rights for women were secured in the US, about how far we've come for women's legal rights, but we were also hoping that people would come out of movie theatres or come away from television streaming seeing this movie and feeling really good, really inspired and ready to take on the world and start planking," she said.

The final film competing for the Oscar is 'Minding the Gap,'&nbsp;which follows a group of young men who share a love of skateboarding as they grow up in the US midwest. Director Bing Liu said he resisted exploring the group's political views as the 2016 election campaign took place.

"It's a film that's very evergreen. I mean, we had an opportunity to actually go into the political leanings of one of the characters around 2016, but we chose not to. I mean this is a story that, I mean, me being from this community could have kind of told in different eras, just because so much of it is just cyclical. Again, it's like, why are these same patterns happening over and over," he said.

The Oscars, the highest honours in the movie industry, will be handed out in Hollywood on Sunday (February 24).

Directors of Oscar-nominated documentaries attended a reception in their honour at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday (February 19).

Directors of Oscar-nominated documentaries attended a reception in their honour at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday (February 19). Filmmaker RaMell Ross, whose film 'Hale County This Morning, This Evening' is an intimate portrait of two young black men in rural Alabama, said the nomination has opened up the documentary genre to more experimental films. "It's allowed a lot of other filmmakers who are interested in making films that are kind of outside of the norm a permission and a sort of marker for them to reference or for them to look to for the language that perhaps can be accepted," he said. 'Free Solo' director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi said she hopes the film's story of the first person to climb Yosemite National Park's El Capitan rock formation without a rope, inspires viewers to follow their dreams. "You never know how it is going to land, but we just hope that people come away inspired by Alex's courage and this idea that if you work really, really hard towards your dream, anything is possible." To make 'Of Fathers and Sons,' director Talal Derki spent two and a half years living with an Islamist family in Syria. He said the hardest part was seeing the impact of the father's decisions on his children. "I had emotion for the kids because they are innocent, it's not their mistake, it's the adult mistake that takes them on this path, to be a jihadist fighter and I wish all of this not to happen," he said. 'RBG,' about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, should uplift viewers, director Julie Cohen said, joking that it should also inspire them to take up planking, which Ginsburg is seen doing during her gym sessions in the film. "We hope people learn something about how equal rights for women were secured in the US, about how far we've come for women's legal rights, but we were also hoping that people would come out of movie theatres or come away from television streaming seeing this movie and feeling really good, really inspired and ready to take on the world and start planking," she said. The final film competing for the Oscar is 'Minding the Gap,' which follows a group of young men who share a love of skateboarding as they grow up in the US midwest. Director Bing Liu said he resisted exploring the group's political views as the 2016 election campaign took place. "It's a film that's very evergreen. I mean, we had an opportunity to actually go into the political leanings of one of the characters around 2016, but we chose not to. I mean this is a story that, I mean, me being from this community could have kind of told in different eras, just because so much of it is just cyclical. Again, it's like, why are these same patterns happening over and over," he said. The Oscars, the highest honours in the movie industry, will be handed out in Hollywood on Sunday (February 24).

Oscar-nominated documentaries celebrated at pre-awards reception

First, it was the furore over a proposed new<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/academy-postpones-most-popular-film-category-after-facing-severe-backlash-164112"> "popular" film category</a>, then it was the fiasco over planned <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/im-over-it-comedian-kevin-hart-rules-out-hosting-the-oscars-189323">host Kevin Hart,</a> and last month the organisers of the Oscars were accused of intimidating celebrities not to present at rival award shows.

Last week, another storm erupted when, as part of a pledge to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-academy-faces-backlash-from-cuaron-del-toro-as-it-decides-to-give-techincal-oscars-during-ad-break-196991">shorten next Sunday's Oscars ceremony</a>, plans to present awards for cinematography, film editing, live-action shorts and makeup/hairstyling during commercial breaks were slammed as insulting by actors, directors and cinematographers. Five days later, the plan was scrapped.

It's been a tough 12 months for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as it battles to restore its annual Oscars show to a must-see event after the US television audience slumped to an all-time low last year.

"This year, the bigger question than who will win at the Oscars is what the heck is going on at the academy?" said Tim Gray, awards editor at Hollywood trade publication Variety.

"There have been a slew of bungles," Gray added. "I feel they are flailing around and acting out of desperation."

Under pressure from the ABC television network to trim and liven up the ceremony, the academy has seen many of its efforts backfire.

Bungles include a retreat in September over a proposed new "popular film" category, the withdrawal in December of Oscars host Kevin Hart because of past homophobic tweets, and an accusation in January by the US&nbsp;actors union that the academy was pressuring celebrities not to appear or present at award ceremonies other than the Oscars.

The Oscars is the last in a long Hollywood season that sees award shows and celebrity-packed red carpets every week over two months.

"The academy is caught between its role as a venerable institution that confers honours for the ages on film and the demands of the hurly-burly of social media, the 24/7 news cycle and the demands of the ratings," said Sharon Waxman, founder and editor in chief of Hollywood website The Wrap.

The Academy did not return a request for comment for this story, but said in a letter to members last week that show producers "have given great consideration to both Oscar tradition and our broad global audience."

ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke told reporters earlier this month she believed that the publicity around the Kevin Hart withdrawal showed the Oscars was still relevant. "I, ironically, have found that the lack of clarity around the Oscars has kept the Oscars really in the conversation and that the mystery has really been compelling," Burke said. "People really care."

The missteps have all but drowned out initial kudos over this year's diverse Oscar nominations list, which range from art house films like 'Roma'&nbsp;to superhero blockbuster 'Black Panther'&nbsp;and crowd-pleasing musicals 'Bohemian Rhapsody'&nbsp;and 'A Star is Born.'

Awards watchers say the Academy's efforts to deliver a compelling show for viewers next week still risk falling flat.

"The Academy is dealing yet again with what appears to be a leading film that is a very small film, in Spanish, and in black and white, that has not been seen by that many people," Waxman said, referring to best picture front-runner 'Roma.'&nbsp;Recent best-picture winners include small art-house films 'The Shape of Water'&nbsp;last year and 'Moonlight'&nbsp;in 2017.

"That is the more fundamental problem the Academy is facing with this telecast," Waxman added.

Variety's Gray said that, for the movie industry, the Oscars ceremony is always an enjoyable family get-together.

"The Oscars should also be fun for the viewing audience," he said. "We will see if they are."

First, it was the furore over a proposed new "popular" film category, then it was the fiasco over planned host Kevin Hart, and last month the organisers of the Oscars were accused of intimidating celebrities not to present at rival award shows.

First, it was the furore over a proposed new "popular" film category, then it was the fiasco over planned host Kevin Hart, and last month the organisers of the Oscars were accused of intimidating celebrities not to present at rival award shows. Last week, another storm erupted when, as part of a pledge to shorten next Sunday's Oscars ceremony, plans to present awards for cinematography, film editing, live-action shorts and makeup/hairstyling during commercial breaks were slammed as insulting by actors, directors and cinematographers. Five days later, the plan was scrapped. It's been a tough 12 months for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as it battles to restore its annual Oscars show to a must-see event after the US television audience slumped to an all-time low last year. "This year, the bigger question than who will win at the Oscars is what the heck is going on at the academy?" said Tim Gray, awards editor at Hollywood trade publication Variety. "There have been a slew of bungles," Gray added. "I feel they are flailing around and acting out of desperation." Under pressure from the ABC television network to trim and liven up the ceremony, the academy has seen many of its efforts backfire. Bungles include a retreat in September over a proposed new "popular film" category, the withdrawal in December of Oscars host Kevin Hart because of past homophobic tweets, and an accusation in January by the US actors union that the academy was pressuring celebrities not to appear or present at award ceremonies other than the Oscars. The Oscars is the last in a long Hollywood season that sees award shows and celebrity-packed red carpets every week over two months. "The academy is caught between its role as a venerable institution that confers honours for the ages on film and the demands of the hurly-burly of social media, the 24/7 news cycle and the demands of the ratings," said Sharon Waxman, founder and editor in chief of Hollywood website The Wrap. The Academy did not return a request for comment for this story, but said in a letter to members last week that show producers "have given great consideration to both Oscar tradition and our broad global audience." ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke told reporters earlier this month she believed that the publicity around the Kevin Hart withdrawal showed the Oscars was still relevant. "I, ironically, have found that the lack of clarity around the Oscars has kept the Oscars really in the conversation and that the mystery has really been compelling," Burke said. "People really care." The missteps have all but drowned out initial kudos over this year's diverse Oscar nominations list, which range from art house films like 'Roma' to superhero blockbuster 'Black Panther' and crowd-pleasing musicals 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'A Star is Born.' Awards watchers say the Academy's efforts to deliver a compelling show for viewers next week still risk falling flat. "The Academy is dealing yet again with what appears to be a leading film that is a very small film, in Spanish, and in black and white, that has not been seen by that many people," Waxman said, referring to best picture front-runner 'Roma.' Recent best-picture winners include small art-house films 'The Shape of Water' last year and 'Moonlight' in 2017. "That is the more fundamental problem the Academy is facing with this telecast," Waxman added. Variety's Gray said that, for the movie industry, the Oscars ceremony is always an enjoyable family get-together. "The Oscars should also be fun for the viewing audience," he said. "We will see if they are."

Fiascos and fumbles: Oscar organisers stumble to restore glory

&nbsp;A year after best actress winner Frances McDormand used the Oscars stage to advocate for more women in front of and behind the camera, Hollywood is celebrating some progress - but remains far from reaching parity with men. 
 
McDormand urged powerful celebrities to insist on inclusion riders: contractual provisions that require producers to interview female candidates for jobs ranging from gaffer to director.&nbsp; 
 
In the aftermath of McDormand`s speech, one major Hollywood studio, Warner Bros., adopted policies based on the idea, and A-list stars such as Matt Damon and Michael B. Jordan, who also work as producers, committed to pushing for inclusion riders. 
 
"It`s been remarkable," said Kalpana Kotagal, a civil rights attorney who co-developed the inclusion rider concept, which also is being used to encourage hiring of people of color, as well as gay, disabled and older people. "We are actually seeing it being implemented." 
 
Kotagal pointed to coming-of-age movie 'Hala,'&nbsp;which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and will be distributed by Apple Inc. Producers adopted inclusion riders and filled many off-screen jobs, including the majority of department head positions, with women. 
 
The publicity around the riders kick-started a nascent effort to pressure filmmakers into boosting female representation. 
 
A study released this month showed some gains. Forty of the top 100 films in 2018 featured a female as a lead character, the highest number since tracking began 12 years earlier, according to University of Southern California`s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Those movies included best picture nominees 'A Star is Born,' 'The Favourite'&nbsp;and 'Roma.'

And 28 percent of this year`s Oscar nominees are women, the highest percentage in history. 
 
The industry is taking other steps to promote gender diversity.&nbsp; 
 
The 4 Percent Challenge asks for a commitment to announcing at least one feature film with a female director in the next 18 months. Four percent refers to the pool of women-directed films among the top 1,200 movies of the past 10 years. 
 
"For decades, directors have been viewed as a male job," said Oscar-nominated 'Vice'&nbsp;director Adam McKay. 
 
But he said that attitude is changing, and his production company has made five feature films with female directors. 
 
"I think you are seeing the whole town rally around the idea that there are voices that need to heard," he said. 
 
More than 120 actors, producers and writers, and seven studios, have signed on to the 4 Percent Challenge. Many studios also have established mentoring programs for women.&nbsp;Still, "the work is far from done," Kotagal said. 
 
The industry remains far below the 50/50 parity that advocates are pushing for among on-screen talent, behind-the-scenes workers and studio executives. The number of female cinematographers is particularly low, comprising just 3 percent of last year`s 100 top-grossing films, according to data from San Diego State University. 
 
And none of the major studios aside from AT&amp;T Inc-owned Warner Bros. has committed to using inclusion riders across the board on productions.&nbsp; 
 
Actress Natalie Portman said she had encountered resistance to the idea. "I think a lot of people are making the argument that you`re hiring people for their talent, not their gender," she told Hollywood website Deadline in December. 
 
A common refrain across the movie business is that decades of inequality make it hard to find qualified women to fill positions.&nbsp; 
 
Betsy West, co-director of Oscar-nominated documentary 'RBG'&nbsp;about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, rejected that argument. Key jobs on "RBG," including editor, producer and cinematographer, were performed by women.&nbsp; 
 
"People say `How did you find the people?`" West said. "It wasn`t that hard. They are out there, and you just have to look."

A year after best actress winner Frances McDormand used the Oscars stage to advocate for more women in front of and behind the camera, Hollywood is celebrating some progress - but remains far from reaching parity with men.

A year after best actress winner Frances McDormand used the Oscars stage to advocate for more women in front of and behind the camera, Hollywood is celebrating some progress - but remains far from reaching parity with men. McDormand urged powerful celebrities to insist on inclusion riders: contractual provisions that require producers to interview female candidates for jobs ranging from gaffer to director. In the aftermath of McDormand`s speech, one major Hollywood studio, Warner Bros., adopted policies based on the idea, and A-list stars such as Matt Damon and Michael B. Jordan, who also work as producers, committed to pushing for inclusion riders. "It`s been remarkable," said Kalpana Kotagal, a civil rights attorney who co-developed the inclusion rider concept, which also is being used to encourage hiring of people of color, as well as gay, disabled and older people. "We are actually seeing it being implemented." Kotagal pointed to coming-of-age movie 'Hala,' which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and will be distributed by Apple Inc. Producers adopted inclusion riders and filled many off-screen jobs, including the majority of department head positions, with women. The publicity around the riders kick-started a nascent effort to pressure filmmakers into boosting female representation. A study released this month showed some gains. Forty of the top 100 films in 2018 featured a female as a lead character, the highest number since tracking began 12 years earlier, according to University of Southern California`s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Those movies included best picture nominees 'A Star is Born,' 'The Favourite' and 'Roma.' And 28 percent of this year`s Oscar nominees are women, the highest percentage in history. The industry is taking other steps to promote gender diversity. The 4 Percent Challenge asks for a commitment to announcing at least one feature film with a female director in the next 18 months. Four percent refers to the pool of women-directed films among the top 1,200 movies of the past 10 years. "For decades, directors have been viewed as a male job," said Oscar-nominated 'Vice' director Adam McKay. But he said that attitude is changing, and his production company has made five feature films with female directors. "I think you are seeing the whole town rally around the idea that there are voices that need to heard," he said. More than 120 actors, producers and writers, and seven studios, have signed on to the 4 Percent Challenge. Many studios also have established mentoring programs for women. Still, "the work is far from done," Kotagal said. The industry remains far below the 50/50 parity that advocates are pushing for among on-screen talent, behind-the-scenes workers and studio executives. The number of female cinematographers is particularly low, comprising just 3 percent of last year`s 100 top-grossing films, according to data from San Diego State University. And none of the major studios aside from AT&T Inc-owned Warner Bros. has committed to using inclusion riders across the board on productions. Actress Natalie Portman said she had encountered resistance to the idea. "I think a lot of people are making the argument that you`re hiring people for their talent, not their gender," she told Hollywood website Deadline in December. A common refrain across the movie business is that decades of inequality make it hard to find qualified women to fill positions. Betsy West, co-director of Oscar-nominated documentary 'RBG' about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, rejected that argument. Key jobs on "RBG," including editor, producer and cinematographer, were performed by women. "People say `How did you find the people?`" West said. "It wasn`t that hard. They are out there, and you just have to look."

Women in Hollywood see some gains after Oscars equality plea

Making an unforgettable movie is not the only requirement to win the prestigious best picture Oscar. Add millions of dollars for TV and digital ads, plus actors' travel, hair and makeup for events to promote their work on the busy film campaign trail.

If the race is close, as it is heading into Sunday's awards ceremony, studios must dig deeper to gain an edge with the roughly 8,000 voters in the Academy for Motion Picture Arts &amp; Sciences.

Netflix Inc and AT&amp;T Inc's Warner Bros. are among the distributors opening their chequebooks to try to land the most-coveted golden statuette.

"You have to spend money," said Matthew Belloni, editorial director at The Hollywood Reporter. "You have to shake hands. You have to have a message for your movie."

"It's about working the people out there and getting the academy to know you and to believe in your film," he added.

For the eventual winner, the investment will pay off. A best picture trophy brings in extra box office dollars, plus cachet to help attract A-listers for future projects.

So from December through late February, actors, directors, producers and writers attend a heavy schedule of lunches, screenings, cocktail receptions and panel discussions, crisscrossing the country to get in front of voters in the industry hubs of New York and Los Angeles.

Aside from the movie's stars, studios recruit A-list fans to host events, such as a 'Roma'&nbsp;screening with Angelina Jolie, part of Netflix's push to secure the first best picture award for a streaming service.

The 'Roma'&nbsp;publicity campaign cost roughly $25 million, according to estimates from Hollywood publication Variety. The tab for Warner Bros.' 'A Star is Born'&nbsp;was just under $20 million, Variety said.

Much of that spending was dedicated to TV commercials, plus online ads on Hollywood-oriented news sites or Facebook. Some ads also are aimed at encouraging consumers to see films.

Part of the Warner Bros. campaign involved covering a Sunset Strip billboard with a picture of Ally, Lady Gaga's 'A Star is Born'&nbsp;character. The signage is a replica of one seen in the film and looks like a promotion for the fictional star.

Studios also are trying out new experiences, said Marc Becker, chief executive of The Tangent Agency, which works with Hollywood studios on marketing campaigns. Netflix, for example, put together an exhibition of 'Roma'&nbsp;costumes and props.

"They have always wined and dined people," Becker said of awards campaigners, "but now they are immersing them even more in the world of the properties."

Other films in the best-picture race are 'Green Book'&nbsp;and 'BlacKkKlansman'&nbsp;from Comcast Corp, 21st Century Fox's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'&nbsp;and 'The Favourite,'&nbsp;Annapurna Pictures' 'Vice,'&nbsp;and Walt Disney Co's 'Black Panther.'

Disney's campaign elevated 'Black Panther'&nbsp;from superhero tale to an important cinematic milestone for its celebration of black culture, Belloni said.

"They've successfully reintroduced this comic book movie as a very serious artistic endeavour," he said, "and they've been rewarded for that."

Making an unforgettable movie is not the only requirement to win the prestigious best picture Oscar. Add millions of dollars for TV and digital ads, plus actors' travel, hair and makeup for events to promote their work on the busy film campaign trail.

Making an unforgettable movie is not the only requirement to win the prestigious best picture Oscar. Add millions of dollars for TV and digital ads, plus actors' travel, hair and makeup for events to promote their work on the busy film campaign trail. If the race is close, as it is heading into Sunday's awards ceremony, studios must dig deeper to gain an edge with the roughly 8,000 voters in the Academy for Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Netflix Inc and AT&T Inc's Warner Bros. are among the distributors opening their chequebooks to try to land the most-coveted golden statuette. "You have to spend money," said Matthew Belloni, editorial director at The Hollywood Reporter. "You have to shake hands. You have to have a message for your movie." "It's about working the people out there and getting the academy to know you and to believe in your film," he added. For the eventual winner, the investment will pay off. A best picture trophy brings in extra box office dollars, plus cachet to help attract A-listers for future projects. So from December through late February, actors, directors, producers and writers attend a heavy schedule of lunches, screenings, cocktail receptions and panel discussions, crisscrossing the country to get in front of voters in the industry hubs of New York and Los Angeles. Aside from the movie's stars, studios recruit A-list fans to host events, such as a 'Roma' screening with Angelina Jolie, part of Netflix's push to secure the first best picture award for a streaming service. The 'Roma' publicity campaign cost roughly $25 million, according to estimates from Hollywood publication Variety. The tab for Warner Bros.' 'A Star is Born' was just under $20 million, Variety said. Much of that spending was dedicated to TV commercials, plus online ads on Hollywood-oriented news sites or Facebook. Some ads also are aimed at encouraging consumers to see films. Part of the Warner Bros. campaign involved covering a Sunset Strip billboard with a picture of Ally, Lady Gaga's 'A Star is Born' character. The signage is a replica of one seen in the film and looks like a promotion for the fictional star. Studios also are trying out new experiences, said Marc Becker, chief executive of The Tangent Agency, which works with Hollywood studios on marketing campaigns. Netflix, for example, put together an exhibition of 'Roma' costumes and props. "They have always wined and dined people," Becker said of awards campaigners, "but now they are immersing them even more in the world of the properties." Other films in the best-picture race are 'Green Book' and 'BlacKkKlansman' from Comcast Corp, 21st Century Fox's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'The Favourite,' Annapurna Pictures' 'Vice,' and Walt Disney Co's 'Black Panther.' Disney's campaign elevated 'Black Panther' from superhero tale to an important cinematic milestone for its celebration of black culture, Belloni said. "They've successfully reintroduced this comic book movie as a very serious artistic endeavour," he said, "and they've been rewarded for that."

Want to win an Oscar? Spend millions on the film campaign trail

As the Oscars 2019 approaches, new update reveals that the famous British rock band Queen will perform live at the awards ceremony. This, after the massive success of the film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ made on the life of deceased band member Freddie Mercury, portrayed by Rami Malek. The film is among the nominees of Best Picture as well as Best Actor for Rami.&nbsp;

While making the announcement, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on its official Twitter feed: "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? We welcome @QueenWillRock and @adamlambert to this year's Oscars!"&nbsp;

Among those performing will be original members Brian May and Roger Taylor with former ‘American Idol’ star Adam Lambert taking on vocals.

In response to the honour, the band tweeted: "Queen and @adamlambert will ROCK YOU.”

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has five Academy Award nominations in total. The film chronicles the life of Freddie Mercury, his love for music, forming Queen, their rise to fame and sudden death. Freddie died of AIDS in London in 1991 at the age of 45.

As far as the music is concerned, there is no news of what songs will be performed or when they would appear on the stage during the telecast. The Oscars this year will be hostless, so it will be quite fun to watch how the night progresses or maybe not! This will be so for the first time in 30 years.&nbsp;

As the Oscars 2019 approaches, new update reveals that the famous British rock band Queen will perform live at the awards ceremony. This, after the massive success of the film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ made on the life of deceased band member Freddie Mercury, portrayed by Rami Malek.

As the Oscars 2019 approaches, new update reveals that the famous British rock band Queen will perform live at the awards ceremony. This, after the massive success of the film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ made on the life of deceased band member Freddie Mercury, portrayed by Rami Malek. The film is among the nominees of Best Picture as well as Best Actor for Rami. While making the announcement, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on its official Twitter feed: "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? We welcome @QueenWillRock and @adamlambert to this year's Oscars!" Among those performing will be original members Brian May and Roger Taylor with former ‘American Idol’ star Adam Lambert taking on vocals. In response to the honour, the band tweeted: "Queen and @adamlambert will ROCK YOU.” ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has five Academy Award nominations in total. The film chronicles the life of Freddie Mercury, his love for music, forming Queen, their rise to fame and sudden death. Freddie died of AIDS in London in 1991 at the age of 45. As far as the music is concerned, there is no news of what songs will be performed or when they would appear on the stage during the telecast. The Oscars this year will be hostless, so it will be quite fun to watch how the night progresses or maybe not! This will be so for the first time in 30 years.

British rock band Queen to perform live at the Oscars 2019

George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Robert de Niro on Thursday joined a growing protest in Hollywood over plans by Oscars organizers to present cinematography, editing and some other awards during commercial breaks at next week`s Academy Awards ceremony. 
 
Sandra Bullock, Emma Stone and Jon Hamm also added their names to an open letter signed by directors Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and Alfonso Cuaron demanding the decision be reversed. 
 
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced earlier this week that the Oscars for best cinematography, film editing, short films and makeup/hairstyling would be presented during the commercials in the Feb. 24 telecast. The academy said edited versions of the winner acceptance speeches would be included later in the live broadcast. 
 
The plan is part of an effort to make the Oscar telecast shorter and boost television viewership. A total of 24 Oscars are handed out at the Hollywood ceremony. Organizers have pledged to trim its duration by about 40 minutes to three hours this year. 
 
But the open letter, signed by more than 50 directors, actors and filmmakers, accused the academy of "relegating these essential crafts to lesser status" and insulting the professionals who work in the four areas. 
 
The academy on Wednesday defended the changes, blaming "inaccurate reporting and social media posts" that it said had "understandably upset many Academy members." 
 
Some news reports suggested that the winners of the four Oscars would not be included at all on the Oscars telecast. 
 
In a letter to its 8,000 members, the academy said representatives of the four branches affected had volunteered to take part in the new plan. 
 
"No award category at the 91st Oscars ceremony will be presented in a manner that depicts the achievements of its nominees and winners as less than any others," the academy letter said. 
 
The changes were also attacked on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-academy-faces-backlash-from-cuaron-del-toro-as-it-decides-to-give-techincal-oscars-during-ad-break-196991">Twitter by the likes of Cuaron,</a> who is Oscar-nominated for both cinematography and directing his best-picture contender, 'Roma.' 
 
"In the history of CINEMA, masterpieces have existed without sound, without color, without a story, without actors and without music. No one single film has ever existed without CINEMAtography and without editing," the Mexican filmmaker tweeted.

George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Robert de Niro on Thursday joined a growing protest in Hollywood over plans by Oscars organizers to present cinematography, editing and some other awards during commercial breaks at next week`s Academy Awards ceremony.

George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Robert de Niro on Thursday joined a growing protest in Hollywood over plans by Oscars organizers to present cinematography, editing and some other awards during commercial breaks at next week`s Academy Awards ceremony. Sandra Bullock, Emma Stone and Jon Hamm also added their names to an open letter signed by directors Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and Alfonso Cuaron demanding the decision be reversed. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced earlier this week that the Oscars for best cinematography, film editing, short films and makeup/hairstyling would be presented during the commercials in the Feb. 24 telecast. The academy said edited versions of the winner acceptance speeches would be included later in the live broadcast. The plan is part of an effort to make the Oscar telecast shorter and boost television viewership. A total of 24 Oscars are handed out at the Hollywood ceremony. Organizers have pledged to trim its duration by about 40 minutes to three hours this year. But the open letter, signed by more than 50 directors, actors and filmmakers, accused the academy of "relegating these essential crafts to lesser status" and insulting the professionals who work in the four areas. The academy on Wednesday defended the changes, blaming "inaccurate reporting and social media posts" that it said had "understandably upset many Academy members." Some news reports suggested that the winners of the four Oscars would not be included at all on the Oscars telecast. In a letter to its 8,000 members, the academy said representatives of the four branches affected had volunteered to take part in the new plan. "No award category at the 91st Oscars ceremony will be presented in a manner that depicts the achievements of its nominees and winners as less than any others," the academy letter said. The changes were also attacked on Twitter by the likes of Cuaron, who is Oscar-nominated for both cinematography and directing his best-picture contender, 'Roma.' "In the history of CINEMA, masterpieces have existed without sound, without color, without a story, without actors and without music. No one single film has ever existed without CINEMAtography and without editing," the Mexican filmmaker tweeted.

George Clooney, Brad Pitt among Hollywood actors yelling 'cut' over Oscar award changes

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