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.

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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

American singer-songwriter and now actress Lady Gaga and her fiancé Christian Carino may have called it quits four months after their engagement. 
&nbsp;A source told E! News that the ‘Shallow’ singer and her fiancé split last week. The source also revealed that Carino is "desperately trying to get back together" with her. 
 
However, two separate sources shared that the duo are still together. Fans speculated that the couple broke up when Carino didn`t attend the 2019 Grammys with the ‘A Star is Born’ actor. Gaga didn`t even wear her engagement ring to the award ceremony. 
 
"She just wasn`t wearing her ring due to performing. They have put all their wedding plans on hold until after Gaga`s busy season, but still plan to get married this year,” a source was quoated as saying to E!News.&nbsp; 
 
However, the duo started making headlines after the 32-year-old star didn’t mention her fiancé during her acceptance speech when she won a Grammy in best pop duo/group performance category for ‘Shallow’. 
 
The 2019 SAG Awards was the last time the couple was spotted together at a red carpet event. Gaga posed for photos with Carino by her side and also showed off her engagement ring.Before that, the two also attended the 2019 Golden Globes together. 
 
Lately, Gaga is not following Carino on Instagram. Although, he is still following her on the photo-sharing application. 
 
The ‘Just Dance’ singer confirmed her engagement to Carino in October 2018 at Elle`s 25th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration. During her speech, she also thanked her "fiancé Christian."However, it’s unclear when did Carino ask the singer to marry him.Earlier, Gaga broke off her engagement to Taylor Kinney in July 2016. The ‘Chicago Fire’ actor popped the big question on Valentine`s Day in 2015.&nbsp;

American singer-songwriter and now actress Lady Gaga and her fiancé Christian Carino may have called it quits four months after their engagement. A source told E!

American singer-songwriter and now actress Lady Gaga and her fiancé Christian Carino may have called it quits four months after their engagement. A source told E! News that the ‘Shallow’ singer and her fiancé split last week. The source also revealed that Carino is "desperately trying to get back together" with her. However, two separate sources shared that the duo are still together. Fans speculated that the couple broke up when Carino didn`t attend the 2019 Grammys with the ‘A Star is Born’ actor. Gaga didn`t even wear her engagement ring to the award ceremony. "She just wasn`t wearing her ring due to performing. They have put all their wedding plans on hold until after Gaga`s busy season, but still plan to get married this year,” a source was quoated as saying to E!News. However, the duo started making headlines after the 32-year-old star didn’t mention her fiancé during her acceptance speech when she won a Grammy in best pop duo/group performance category for ‘Shallow’. The 2019 SAG Awards was the last time the couple was spotted together at a red carpet event. Gaga posed for photos with Carino by her side and also showed off her engagement ring.Before that, the two also attended the 2019 Golden Globes together. Lately, Gaga is not following Carino on Instagram. Although, he is still following her on the photo-sharing application. The ‘Just Dance’ singer confirmed her engagement to Carino in October 2018 at Elle`s 25th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration. During her speech, she also thanked her "fiancé Christian."However, it’s unclear when did Carino ask the singer to marry him.Earlier, Gaga broke off her engagement to Taylor Kinney in July 2016. The ‘Chicago Fire’ actor popped the big question on Valentine`s Day in 2015.

Has Lady Gaga called-off her engagement with fiance Christian Carino?

Oscar-nominated short film 'Detainment' is possibly one of the most controversial films nominated for an Academy Award.

The film, which reenacts the 1993 interviews of 10 year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, before they became the youngest people ever to be convicted of murder in the UK after abducting and murdering two-year-old James Bulger.

Bulger's mother, Denise Fergus, has reacted angrily on Twitter about the inclusion of the film in the Oscar race, saying "I cannot express how disgusted and upset I am at this so-called film that has been made and now nominated for an Oscar."

An online petition has also been set up to demand the Academy withdraw the film from the short film competition. The Academy responded with a press release explaining its neutrality in the choosing of the films to compete.

When asked about the controversy, director Vincent Lambe replied "It's a hugely sensitive case and I have enormous sympathy for the Bulger family. I always have. And we never meant to cause any distress by making this film but it is a difficult film, I think, to make and because there's more than one perspective on the case, we decided to not contact any of the families involved in it and we focused solely on the factual material that was available and the transcripts that have been public knowledge for 25 years."

The case continues to be headlines in the United Kingdom 25 years on because of the horrific nature of the case.

Lambe said "I've never claimed that the film has the answers as to why these two boys did it but when I started to look into it, that's what I wanted to know. I could never understand how two 10-year-old boys could commit such a horrific crime. So it doesn't have the answers but it does allow people to ask the right questions and I would hope that they would want to research it more or try to get a deeper understanding of it after they've seen it."

He added "It would be great to get the recognition from the Academy because I do think it's an important film. I think it's a film that people need to see. It shows a different perspective on the case and I hope that people will be able to watch it with an open mind and if it helps heal or give it recognition, that would be great."

The award for short live-action film won't be televised but will be given out during a commercial break.

Meanwhile, the Academy is currently facing a backlash from Hollywood over its decision&nbsp;to give <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">technical Oscars during ad breaks.&nbsp;</a>

Oscar-nominated short film 'Detainment' is possibly one of the most controversial films nominated for an Academy Award. The film, which reenacts the 1993 interviews of 10 year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, before they became the youngest people ever to be convicted of murder in the UK after abducting and murdering two-year-old James Bulger.

Oscar-nominated short film 'Detainment' is possibly one of the most controversial films nominated for an Academy Award. The film, which reenacts the 1993 interviews of 10 year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, before they became the youngest people ever to be convicted of murder in the UK after abducting and murdering two-year-old James Bulger. Bulger's mother, Denise Fergus, has reacted angrily on Twitter about the inclusion of the film in the Oscar race, saying "I cannot express how disgusted and upset I am at this so-called film that has been made and now nominated for an Oscar." An online petition has also been set up to demand the Academy withdraw the film from the short film competition. The Academy responded with a press release explaining its neutrality in the choosing of the films to compete. When asked about the controversy, director Vincent Lambe replied "It's a hugely sensitive case and I have enormous sympathy for the Bulger family. I always have. And we never meant to cause any distress by making this film but it is a difficult film, I think, to make and because there's more than one perspective on the case, we decided to not contact any of the families involved in it and we focused solely on the factual material that was available and the transcripts that have been public knowledge for 25 years." The case continues to be headlines in the United Kingdom 25 years on because of the horrific nature of the case. Lambe said "I've never claimed that the film has the answers as to why these two boys did it but when I started to look into it, that's what I wanted to know. I could never understand how two 10-year-old boys could commit such a horrific crime. So it doesn't have the answers but it does allow people to ask the right questions and I would hope that they would want to research it more or try to get a deeper understanding of it after they've seen it." He added "It would be great to get the recognition from the Academy because I do think it's an important film. I think it's a film that people need to see. It shows a different perspective on the case and I hope that people will be able to watch it with an open mind and if it helps heal or give it recognition, that would be great." The award for short live-action film won't be televised but will be given out during a commercial break. Meanwhile, the Academy is currently facing a backlash from Hollywood over its decision to give technical Oscars during ad breaks.

'Detainment' director addresses controversy around Oscar nomination

'Roma' star Yalitza Aparicio may have gotten a dream debut in Alfonso Cuaron's film but the actress did not really have a perfect childhood while growing up in Mexico. In a recent interview the actress opened about how has faced discrimination in the past because of the colour of her skin.In an interview to hollywoodreporter.com, the actress opened up about her experience with racism in Mexico.&nbsp;

Asked about her experience with racism in Mexico, she said: "I felt it quite strongly. I`ve been discriminated against because of the colour of my skin. When I was a kid, I wasn`t allowed into certain groups, for example. Also, my mother works in a house. Sometimes people didn`t see her work as dignified, and that was hard."

When she was asked about her experience in Hollywood, the actress was all praises. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/oscars-2019-get-to-know-the-best-actress-nominees-of-the-year-192317">Also see:&nbsp;Oscars 2019: Get to know the Best Actress nominees of the year</a>

"It is marvellous. I`ve always been very shy, and it`s surprising how I got over this. People are sending me beautiful messages. They`ve told me that to see me this way is like a source of inspiration for them, that they feel they can be in a movie, or on the cover of a magazine, regardless of their physical appearance. It`s a marvellous thing."&nbsp;

Yalitza has been nominated for her performance in 'Roma'&nbsp;in the Best Actress category at this year's Oscar awards. She revealed that acting as a profession happened by chance and that she actually wanted to pursue a career as a schoolteacher. She auditioned for Alfonso Cuaron`s film, which tackled the discrimination she endured growing up in Mexico. She said she was glad that she did the film.&nbsp;

'Roma' has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The Oscar ceremony will be held on 24th February and will be aired in India on Star Movies on 25th February morning.

'Roma' star Yalitza Aparicio may have gotten a dream debut in Alfonso Cuaron's film but the actress did not really have a perfect childhood while growing up in Mexico.

'Roma' star Yalitza Aparicio may have gotten a dream debut in Alfonso Cuaron's film but the actress did not really have a perfect childhood while growing up in Mexico. In a recent interview the actress opened about how has faced discrimination in the past because of the colour of her skin.In an interview to hollywoodreporter.com, the actress opened up about her experience with racism in Mexico. Asked about her experience with racism in Mexico, she said: "I felt it quite strongly. I`ve been discriminated against because of the colour of my skin. When I was a kid, I wasn`t allowed into certain groups, for example. Also, my mother works in a house. Sometimes people didn`t see her work as dignified, and that was hard." When she was asked about her experience in Hollywood, the actress was all praises. Also see: Oscars 2019: Get to know the Best Actress nominees of the year "It is marvellous. I`ve always been very shy, and it`s surprising how I got over this. People are sending me beautiful messages. They`ve told me that to see me this way is like a source of inspiration for them, that they feel they can be in a movie, or on the cover of a magazine, regardless of their physical appearance. It`s a marvellous thing." Yalitza has been nominated for her performance in 'Roma' in the Best Actress category at this year's Oscar awards. She revealed that acting as a profession happened by chance and that she actually wanted to pursue a career as a schoolteacher. She auditioned for Alfonso Cuaron`s film, which tackled the discrimination she endured growing up in Mexico. She said she was glad that she did the film. 'Roma' has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The Oscar ceremony will be held on 24th February and will be aired in India on Star Movies on 25th February morning.

Faced discrimination because of my skin colour, says 'Roma' star Yalitza Aparicio

Christian Bale has a penchant for creative roles.&nbsp;

The ‘Batman’ star is now nominated for Oscars in Best Actor category for his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/christian-bale-shaved-his-head-bleached-eyebrows-and-gained-18-kg-to-play-former-us-vp-dick-cheney-181320">portrayal of Dick Cheney</a>, the former US Vice President in the Bush administration in the film ‘Vice’. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscars-2019-complete-list-of-nominees-192050">See the complete list of nominees here.&nbsp;</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/oscars-2019-why-you-must-watch-all-the-best-picture-nominees-of-the-year-194109#roma-194092">In Photos:&nbsp;Why you must watch all the Best Picture nominees of Oscars 2019</a>

Speaking about his role and the film at the Berlin Film Festival on February 11, Bale feels that the film character he played is much richer than the current US President Donald Trump&nbsp;because Cheney exercised his massive power "in the shadows". &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/christian-bale-on-meeting-donald-trump-he-thought-i-was-bruce-wayne-183741">This is what Bale said after meeting Trump.&nbsp;</a>

He added that Cheney had been "phenomenally pivotal for the last few decades in America and global situations in politics".

Comparing the two, Bale said, "Even though he might have led to this era, he's entirely different from Trump in the way that Cheney was always terrible at retail politics and didn't like it at all. With Trump, it seems to be the only thing he likes.”

"Cheney understood the power of silence... Trump can't be accused of that. He enjoyed knowing that true power was being in the shadows and working in that way."

Bale underwent extreme transformation to play Cheney’s part in the film. He gained more than 40 pounds (18 kilogrammes) to play his part. He added that if he was asked to do the same for Trump’s role, he couldn't imagine making the effort as he found his character uninteresting.

He said, "I think there'd be far better people playing Trump, right. You've probably seen some pretty good impersonations of him. But remember those books 'For Dummies'? You'd start with that, wouldn't you? Dictatorship for Dummies. That'd be the beginning."

It was not a cakewalk for Bale to play Cheney too. He said, "In terms of actual consequences of choices made and everything and power -- (Cheney was) far more powerful and terrifying than any other character I've ever come close to playing, any iconic character.”

"One thing that's essential is that you've gotta know you're going to be obsessed with it (a character) for at least three months, otherwise you're going to get bored part-way through filming which wouldn't be good news."

‘Vice’ is nominated for eight Academy Awards including best picture, best actor and best director. The Oscars 2019 will be announced on February 24 (February 25 in India).&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/from-christian-bale-to-bradley-cooper-heres-what-oscar-best-actor-nominees-have-been-busy-with-192516">In Photos:&nbsp;Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper, Oscars 2019 Best Actor nominees are a bunch of talent!</a>

Christian Bale has a penchant for creative roles. The ‘Batman’ star is now nominated for Oscars in Best Actor category for his portrayal of Dick Cheney, the former US Vice President in the Bush administration in the film ‘Vice’.

Christian Bale has a penchant for creative roles. The ‘Batman’ star is now nominated for Oscars in Best Actor category for his portrayal of Dick Cheney, the former US Vice President in the Bush administration in the film ‘Vice’. See the complete list of nominees here. In Photos: Why you must watch all the Best Picture nominees of Oscars 2019 Speaking about his role and the film at the Berlin Film Festival on February 11, Bale feels that the film character he played is much richer than the current US President Donald Trump because Cheney exercised his massive power "in the shadows". This is what Bale said after meeting Trump. He added that Cheney had been "phenomenally pivotal for the last few decades in America and global situations in politics". Comparing the two, Bale said, "Even though he might have led to this era, he's entirely different from Trump in the way that Cheney was always terrible at retail politics and didn't like it at all. With Trump, it seems to be the only thing he likes.” "Cheney understood the power of silence... Trump can't be accused of that. He enjoyed knowing that true power was being in the shadows and working in that way." Bale underwent extreme transformation to play Cheney’s part in the film. He gained more than 40 pounds (18 kilogrammes) to play his part. He added that if he was asked to do the same for Trump’s role, he couldn't imagine making the effort as he found his character uninteresting. He said, "I think there'd be far better people playing Trump, right. You've probably seen some pretty good impersonations of him. But remember those books 'For Dummies'? You'd start with that, wouldn't you? Dictatorship for Dummies. That'd be the beginning." It was not a cakewalk for Bale to play Cheney too. He said, "In terms of actual consequences of choices made and everything and power -- (Cheney was) far more powerful and terrifying than any other character I've ever come close to playing, any iconic character.” "One thing that's essential is that you've gotta know you're going to be obsessed with it (a character) for at least three months, otherwise you're going to get bored part-way through filming which wouldn't be good news." ‘Vice’ is nominated for eight Academy Awards including best picture, best actor and best director. The Oscars 2019 will be announced on February 24 (February 25 in India). In Photos: Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper, Oscars 2019 Best Actor nominees are a bunch of talent!

'Vice': Christian Bale feels Dick Cheney makes for a richer movie character than Donald Trump

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) decision to present four Oscar awards during commercial breaks of the 91st awards ceremony has drawn severe criticism on social media. The Academy has been facing backlash ever since it made its announcemnet from fans and people hailing from the film fraternity including Best Director nominee Alfonso Cuaron.&nbsp; 
 
The four awards -- best cinematography, film editing, live action short and makeup and hairstyling -- will be announced during the ads and the winning speeches will edited to remove the winners' walk from their seats to the stage. Each speech will be aired separately later in the telecast. 
 
The decision has not gone down well with many, including filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, on social media. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscars-best-actor-actress-nominees-to-get-usd-2000-worth-bottles-of-champagne-196966">Also read:&nbsp;Oscar's best actor, actress nominees to get bottles of champagne worth $2,000</a> 
 
Del Toro, who won the Best Director award for fantasy romance drama 'The Shape of Water' last year, tweeted, "If I may: I would not presume to suggest what categories to cut during the Oscars show but - Cinematography and Editing are at the very heart of our craft. They are not inherited from a theatrical tradition or a literary tradition: they are cinema itself."

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If I may: I would not presume to suggest what categories to cut during the Oscars show but - Cinematography and Editing are at the very heart of our craft. They are not inherited from a theatrical tradition or a literary tradition: they are cinema itself.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealGDT/status/1095139999270367232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The filmmaker's post was retweeted by del Toro's Mexican counterpart, Alfonso Cuaron, who has received one of his Oscar nominations in the Best Cinematography segment for his black-and-white feature 'Roma' and is the frontrunner in the category.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscars-2019-complete-list-of-nominees-192050">Check out the full list of nominees here.</a>

Cuaron, in a separate tweet, said it is not possible for cinema to exist without cinematography or editing.&nbsp; 
 
"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," he wrote.<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/from-christian-bale-to-bradley-cooper-heres-what-oscar-best-actor-nominees-have-been-busy-with-192516">Also see:&nbsp;Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper, Oscars 2019 Best Actor nominees are a bunch of talent</a>

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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.
— Alfonso Cuaron (@alfonsocuaron) <a href="https://twitter.com/alfonsocuaron/status/1095296467244326913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Director Jason Reitman, the maker of films such as 'Juno' and 'Up in the Air', tweeted, "Editing is filmmaking. Say it ain't so, Oscars."

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Editing is filmmaking. Say it ain’t so, Oscars.
— Jason Reitman (@JasonReitman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonReitman/status/1095237859735269377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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For every young person who might watch the Oscars and dream of one day being an editor or cinematographer or make-up artist, I hope you enjoy all the musical numbers.
— Jason Reitman (@JasonReitman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonReitman/status/1095243384761896961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Mexican writer and director Issa Lopez wrote,"The fundamental role of @TheAcademy should be to recognise and showcase the talent and work of those who make movies better. By limiting the spotlight to those who already have it, it makes its core job null."

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The fundamental role of <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAcademy</a> should be to recognize and showcase the talent and work of those who make movies better. By limiting the spotlight to those who already have it, it makes its core job null.
— Issa López (@IssitaLopez) <a href="https://twitter.com/IssitaLopez/status/1095276929324904448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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One of the users pointed out to veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins' win for 'Blade Runner 2049'. He finally went home with the coveted award last year after being previously nominated 14 times. 
 
"So if we had these rules before we would have never seen Roger Deakins win his first Oscar. Such a terrible decision, you're supposed to be about celebrating movies, and cinematography and film editing are two of the most important parts of making a movie," the user said.

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So if we had these rules before we would have never seen Roger Deakins win his first Oscar. Such a terrible decision, your supposed to be about celebrating movies, and cinematography and film editing are two of the most important parts of making a movie.
— MSMartin (@MSMartin44) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSMartin44/status/1095087625705320449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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There were others with similar reactions.&nbsp;

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The Academy choosing to hand out the Oscar for Best Cinematography during a goddamn commercial break is just the latest hilarious misstep in what's shaping up to be one of the most ill-advised Oscars telecasts of all time.
— Scott Wampler™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottWamplerBMD/status/1095089607048351750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The only way to fix the Oscar controversy (of giving out 4 of the awards -- including cinematography and editing -- during the TV commercial breaks) is for the stars to say they won't show up for the show. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars2019</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllCategoriesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllCategoriesMatter</a>
— Jim The Screenwriter (@JimScreenwriter) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimScreenwriter/status/1095340298069143553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Soo... We're boycotting this year's Oscars, right? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresentAll24?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresentAll24</a>
— Daga (@daga_broh) <a href="https://twitter.com/daga_broh/status/1095334742910631937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Academy president John Bailey, a celebrated cinematographer himself, had made the announcement in a letter emailed to the members on Monday. He also explained that the four delayed presentations will be streamed live online via Oscars official website. 
 
He said that the board of governors has committed to a three-hour show this year.&nbsp; 
 
At the annual nominees luncheon last week, this was one of the focal points emphasised by Bailey and the show's producers, Glenn Weiss and Donna Gigliotti. "When you head to the stage, move quickly. Show us how eager you are to get up there," Bailey said. 
 
He added the winners will have 90 seconds from the moment their name is called to reach the stage and complete their speech.

This year the ceremony will be livestreamed, which is a first for the Oscars. 
 
"And, with the help of our partners at ABC, we also will stream these four award presentations online for our global fans to enjoy, live, along with our audience.&nbsp; 
 
"Fans will be able to watch on Oscar.Com and on the Academy's social channels. The live stream is a first for our show, and will help further awareness and promotion of these award categories," Bailey said in the letter. 
 
The Academy has not yet announcement a replacement for Kevin Hart as the host of this year's Academy Awards and it is being presumed that the Oscars will be a hostless ceremony.&nbsp; 
 
(With PTI inputs)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) decision to present four Oscar awards during commercial breaks of the 91st awards ceremony has drawn severe criticism on social media.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) decision to present four Oscar awards during commercial breaks of the 91st awards ceremony has drawn severe criticism on social media. The Academy has been facing backlash ever since it made its announcemnet from fans and people hailing from the film fraternity including Best Director nominee Alfonso Cuaron. The four awards -- best cinematography, film editing, live action short and makeup and hairstyling -- will be announced during the ads and the winning speeches will edited to remove the winners' walk from their seats to the stage. Each speech will be aired separately later in the telecast. The decision has not gone down well with many, including filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, on social media. Also read: Oscar's best actor, actress nominees to get bottles of champagne worth $2,000 Del Toro, who won the Best Director award for fantasy romance drama 'The Shape of Water' last year, tweeted, "If I may: I would not presume to suggest what categories to cut during the Oscars show but - Cinematography and Editing are at the very heart of our craft. They are not inherited from a theatrical tradition or a literary tradition: they are cinema itself." If I may: I would not presume to suggest what categories to cut during the Oscars show but - Cinematography and Editing are at the very heart of our craft. They are not inherited from a theatrical tradition or a literary tradition: they are cinema itself. — Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) February 12, 2019 × The filmmaker's post was retweeted by del Toro's Mexican counterpart, Alfonso Cuaron, who has received one of his Oscar nominations in the Best Cinematography segment for his black-and-white feature 'Roma' and is the frontrunner in the category. Check out the full list of nominees here. Cuaron, in a separate tweet, said it is not possible for cinema to exist without cinematography or editing. "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," he wrote.Also see: Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper, Oscars 2019 Best Actor nominees are a bunch of talent 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. — Alfonso Cuaron (@alfonsocuaron) February 12, 2019 × Director Jason Reitman, the maker of films such as 'Juno' and 'Up in the Air', tweeted, "Editing is filmmaking. Say it ain't so, Oscars." Editing is filmmaking. Say it ain’t so, Oscars. — Jason Reitman (@JasonReitman) February 12, 2019 × For every young person who might watch the Oscars and dream of one day being an editor or cinematographer or make-up artist, I hope you enjoy all the musical numbers. — Jason Reitman (@JasonReitman) February 12, 2019 × Mexican writer and director Issa Lopez wrote,"The fundamental role of @TheAcademy should be to recognise and showcase the talent and work of those who make movies better. By limiting the spotlight to those who already have it, it makes its core job null." The fundamental role of @TheAcademy should be to recognize and showcase the talent and work of those who make movies better. By limiting the spotlight to those who already have it, it makes its core job null. — Issa López (@IssitaLopez) February 12, 2019 × One of the users pointed out to veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins' win for 'Blade Runner 2049'. He finally went home with the coveted award last year after being previously nominated 14 times. "So if we had these rules before we would have never seen Roger Deakins win his first Oscar. Such a terrible decision, you're supposed to be about celebrating movies, and cinematography and film editing are two of the most important parts of making a movie," the user said. So if we had these rules before we would have never seen Roger Deakins win his first Oscar. Such a terrible decision, your supposed to be about celebrating movies, and cinematography and film editing are two of the most important parts of making a movie. — MSMartin (@MSMartin44) February 11, 2019 × There were others with similar reactions. The Academy choosing to hand out the Oscar for Best Cinematography during a goddamn commercial break is just the latest hilarious misstep in what's shaping up to be one of the most ill-advised Oscars telecasts of all time. — Scott Wampler™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) February 11, 2019 × The only way to fix the Oscar controversy (of giving out 4 of the awards -- including cinematography and editing -- during the TV commercial breaks) is for the stars to say they won't show up for the show. #Oscars2019 #AllCategoriesMatter — Jim The Screenwriter (@JimScreenwriter) February 12, 2019 × Soo... We're boycotting this year's Oscars, right? #PresentAll24 — Daga (@daga_broh) February 12, 2019 × Academy president John Bailey, a celebrated cinematographer himself, had made the announcement in a letter emailed to the members on Monday. He also explained that the four delayed presentations will be streamed live online via Oscars official website. He said that the board of governors has committed to a three-hour show this year. At the annual nominees luncheon last week, this was one of the focal points emphasised by Bailey and the show's producers, Glenn Weiss and Donna Gigliotti. "When you head to the stage, move quickly. Show us how eager you are to get up there," Bailey said. He added the winners will have 90 seconds from the moment their name is called to reach the stage and complete their speech. This year the ceremony will be livestreamed, which is a first for the Oscars. "And, with the help of our partners at ABC, we also will stream these four award presentations online for our global fans to enjoy, live, along with our audience. "Fans will be able to watch on Oscar.Com and on the Academy's social channels. The live stream is a first for our show, and will help further awareness and promotion of these award categories," Bailey said in the letter. The Academy has not yet announcement a replacement for Kevin Hart as the host of this year's Academy Awards and it is being presumed that the Oscars will be a hostless ceremony. (With PTI inputs)

Academy faces backlash from Hollywood as it decides to give technical Oscars during ad breaks

You win or lose the coveted golden statue but you will go home on a 'high' on Oscar night. French champagne house Piper-Heidsieck is giving Oscar nominated actors and actresses $ 2,000 worth bottles of champagne.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscars-2019-complete-list-of-nominees-192050">Check out the full list of nominees here.</a> 
 
As part of the deal for the 91st Oscars ceremony to be held on February 24, all best actor and best actress nominees have been gifted a bottle of Rare Le Secret<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/oscars-2019-get-to-know-the-best-actress-nominees-of-the-year-192317">. Also see:&nbsp;Oscars 2019: Get to know the Best Actress nominees of the year</a> 
 
Furthermore, during the ceremony, 1,500 bottles (or 8,500 glasses) will be served including Cuvée Brut Limited Edition Magnums, Rare 2002, and Rare 1998 Magnums. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/from-christian-bale-to-bradley-cooper-heres-what-oscar-best-actor-nominees-have-been-busy-with-192516">Also see:&nbsp;Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper, Oscars 2019 Best Actor nominees are a bunch of talent!</a> 
 
The limited-edition magnum is being custom made for the Oscars and features the brand`s signature cuvée brut. 
 
The champagne will be poured exclusively at the awards ceremony inside the Dolby Theatre and at the Governors Ball, the Academy’s official Oscars after-party in the adjacent Dolby Ballroom. 
 
In addition, Piper-Heidsieck champagne will be poured at Academy events in Los Angeles, New York and London.&nbsp;

You win or lose the coveted golden statue but you will go home on a 'high' on Oscar night. French champagne house Piper-Heidsieck is giving Oscar nominated actors and actresses $ 2,000 worth bottles of champagne.

You win or lose the coveted golden statue but you will go home on a 'high' on Oscar night. French champagne house Piper-Heidsieck is giving Oscar nominated actors and actresses $ 2,000 worth bottles of champagne. Check out the full list of nominees here. As part of the deal for the 91st Oscars ceremony to be held on February 24, all best actor and best actress nominees have been gifted a bottle of Rare Le Secret. Also see: Oscars 2019: Get to know the Best Actress nominees of the year Furthermore, during the ceremony, 1,500 bottles (or 8,500 glasses) will be served including Cuvée Brut Limited Edition Magnums, Rare 2002, and Rare 1998 Magnums. Also see: Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper, Oscars 2019 Best Actor nominees are a bunch of talent! The limited-edition magnum is being custom made for the Oscars and features the brand`s signature cuvée brut. The champagne will be poured exclusively at the awards ceremony inside the Dolby Theatre and at the Governors Ball, the Academy’s official Oscars after-party in the adjacent Dolby Ballroom. In addition, Piper-Heidsieck champagne will be poured at Academy events in Los Angeles, New York and London.

Oscar's best actor, actress nominees to get bottles of champagne worth $2,000

The 2019 BAFTA film and television awards ceremony was dominated by two films – 'The Favourite', a romp through 18th-century British history, and 'Roma', a love letter to director Alfonso Cuarón’s home town of Mexico City.

'The Favourite' has been greeted with considerable critical acclaim in the UK and it was no surprise that it took home seven awards, including best British film. But the best film gong went to 'Roma' and Cuarón also picked up best director. The Netflix film has already attracted several awards (including best director for Cuarón at the Golden Globes), but beating big British films 'The Favourite' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to the top prize is a considerable coup for the streaming service, a relative newcomer to the world of movie awards.

'Roma'’s success cements Netflix’s position as a place for original and high-quality movies. It’s an unusual winner in several ways: A foreign language film shot in black and white and featuring largely unknown actors. Such films are often well-received but rarely pick up the biggest gongs.

'Roma'’s win means that the Oscar race for best picture is well and truly open. The Golden Globes awarded the big prizes to 'Bohemian Rhapsody', for best drama, and 'Green Book' for best musical or comedy, and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) gave Black Panther a nod for best ensemble cast. But I wouldn’t rule 'The Favourite' out of contention yet, either.

The players

Best actress awards have been a two-horse race this year between Olivia Colman (in 'The Favourite') and Glenn Close (in 'The Wife'). They each bagged a Golden Globe, for example, due to those awards using different categories for drama and comedy/musical, while Close won the SAG Award. Now Colman&nbsp;has the BAFTA, too. It’s unsurprising that the British awards ceremony celebrated Colman – and it’s too close to call as to which will bring home the Oscar in a few weeks’ time.

Personally, I’m torn, because both genuinely deserve it – and it’s an exceptionally strong category this year (in any other year, Melissa McCarthy’s superlative turn in 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' would have been a strong favourite as well). But my heart says it should be Close, not only for her performance in 'The Wife' – she is heartbreakingly good – but because it’s crazy that an actor of her stature has yet to win an Academy Award.

Rami Malek took the best actor award for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' – with the British film again taking precedence over Christian Bale’s outstanding performance as former US vice-president Dick Cheney in Vice. As with Colman and Close, Bale and Malek have been in a close race for awards, with both picking up Golden Globes. But Malek’s triumph both at the BAFTAs and at the SAG awards must make his Oscar chances stronger.

Mahershala Ali – who is proving an astonishingly versatile performer – picked up another best-supporting actor trophy for 'Green Book', while Rachel Weisz took the best supporting actress award for 'The Favourite'. These wins highlight some of the issues with defining the difference between “lead” and “supporting”. 'Green Book' is largely a two-hander between Ali and Viggo Mortensen, while Weisz, Colman and Emma Stone are equal leads in 'The Favourite'. Colman herself pointed this out in her acceptance speech.

Talking points

The biggest misses of the night were the presenters’ scripts. Unfunny joke after unfunny joke were greeted with awkward silences and gritted teeth. When even talented comedic performers such as Melissa McCarthy, Riz Ahmed and host Joanna Lumley can’t raise a smile, there’s something seriously wrong. Jettisoning jokes altogether would have been far less embarrassing than “gags” that were barely coherent, never mind amusing.

Last year’s awards season was all about the big political statement, with the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements and big speeches from the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Frances McDormand. This year, there have been fewer grand gestures –nunless we count Rising Star winner Letitia Wright’s somewhat cringeworthy speech about God, which might have worked across the Atlantic, but in the British context just felt awkward.

Variety show

But let’s not forget that the darlings of this awards season have included a film about a woman whose husband has kept her in the shadows taking back control (The Wife), a female-centred power battle featuring lesbianism and political satire ('The Favourite') and a Spike Lee film about a black man infiltrating the KKK ('BlackKKlansman', which won best adapted screenplay).

We also had a critique of the political elite ('Vice'), a celebration of a queer idol ('Bohemian Rhapsody'), a multiracial buddy story featuring a gay black musician encountering racial hatred in the Deep South ('Green Book'), and two triumphantly diverse superhero flicks ('Black Panther' and best animation winner 'Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse'). Not to mention Cuarón’s story of a Mexican housekeeper, set against a time of political upheaval, with clear messages about nation, gender and class ('Roma').

It remains to be seen which films the Oscars will recognise – and what those choices might say about the Trump era. Awards for stories celebrating women, and the black and LGBTQ+ communities would send a message about the need for these voices to be heard (although there is still some way to go), but as plans for the president’s beloved wall project are under intense scrutiny, I wouldn’t bet against another triumph for the Mexican film.

(Ruth Deller is Reader and Principal Lecturer in Media and Communication, Sheffield Hallam University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/baftas-2019-diverse-set-of-winners-led-by-the-favourite-and-roma-bodes-well-for-the-oscars-111395">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

The 2019 BAFTA film and television awards ceremony was dominated by two films – 'The Favourite', a romp through 18th-century British history, and 'Roma', a love letter to director Alfonso Cuarón’s home town of Mexico City.

The 2019 BAFTA film and television awards ceremony was dominated by two films – 'The Favourite', a romp through 18th-century British history, and 'Roma', a love letter to director Alfonso Cuarón’s home town of Mexico City. 'The Favourite' has been greeted with considerable critical acclaim in the UK and it was no surprise that it took home seven awards, including best British film. But the best film gong went to 'Roma' and Cuarón also picked up best director. The Netflix film has already attracted several awards (including best director for Cuarón at the Golden Globes), but beating big British films 'The Favourite' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to the top prize is a considerable coup for the streaming service, a relative newcomer to the world of movie awards. 'Roma'’s success cements Netflix’s position as a place for original and high-quality movies. It’s an unusual winner in several ways: A foreign language film shot in black and white and featuring largely unknown actors. Such films are often well-received but rarely pick up the biggest gongs. 'Roma'’s win means that the Oscar race for best picture is well and truly open. The Golden Globes awarded the big prizes to 'Bohemian Rhapsody', for best drama, and 'Green Book' for best musical or comedy, and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) gave Black Panther a nod for best ensemble cast. But I wouldn’t rule 'The Favourite' out of contention yet, either. The players Best actress awards have been a two-horse race this year between Olivia Colman (in 'The Favourite') and Glenn Close (in 'The Wife'). They each bagged a Golden Globe, for example, due to those awards using different categories for drama and comedy/musical, while Close won the SAG Award. Now Colman has the BAFTA, too. It’s unsurprising that the British awards ceremony celebrated Colman – and it’s too close to call as to which will bring home the Oscar in a few weeks’ time. Personally, I’m torn, because both genuinely deserve it – and it’s an exceptionally strong category this year (in any other year, Melissa McCarthy’s superlative turn in 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' would have been a strong favourite as well). But my heart says it should be Close, not only for her performance in 'The Wife' – she is heartbreakingly good – but because it’s crazy that an actor of her stature has yet to win an Academy Award. Rami Malek took the best actor award for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' – with the British film again taking precedence over Christian Bale’s outstanding performance as former US vice-president Dick Cheney in Vice. As with Colman and Close, Bale and Malek have been in a close race for awards, with both picking up Golden Globes. But Malek’s triumph both at the BAFTAs and at the SAG awards must make his Oscar chances stronger. Mahershala Ali – who is proving an astonishingly versatile performer – picked up another best-supporting actor trophy for 'Green Book', while Rachel Weisz took the best supporting actress award for 'The Favourite'. These wins highlight some of the issues with defining the difference between “lead” and “supporting”. 'Green Book' is largely a two-hander between Ali and Viggo Mortensen, while Weisz, Colman and Emma Stone are equal leads in 'The Favourite'. Colman herself pointed this out in her acceptance speech. Talking points The biggest misses of the night were the presenters’ scripts. Unfunny joke after unfunny joke were greeted with awkward silences and gritted teeth. When even talented comedic performers such as Melissa McCarthy, Riz Ahmed and host Joanna Lumley can’t raise a smile, there’s something seriously wrong. Jettisoning jokes altogether would have been far less embarrassing than “gags” that were barely coherent, never mind amusing. Last year’s awards season was all about the big political statement, with the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements and big speeches from the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Frances McDormand. This year, there have been fewer grand gestures –nunless we count Rising Star winner Letitia Wright’s somewhat cringeworthy speech about God, which might have worked across the Atlantic, but in the British context just felt awkward. Variety show But let’s not forget that the darlings of this awards season have included a film about a woman whose husband has kept her in the shadows taking back control (The Wife), a female-centred power battle featuring lesbianism and political satire ('The Favourite') and a Spike Lee film about a black man infiltrating the KKK ('BlackKKlansman', which won best adapted screenplay). We also had a critique of the political elite ('Vice'), a celebration of a queer idol ('Bohemian Rhapsody'), a multiracial buddy story featuring a gay black musician encountering racial hatred in the Deep South ('Green Book'), and two triumphantly diverse superhero flicks ('Black Panther' and best animation winner 'Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse'). Not to mention Cuarón’s story of a Mexican housekeeper, set against a time of political upheaval, with clear messages about nation, gender and class ('Roma'). It remains to be seen which films the Oscars will recognise – and what those choices might say about the Trump era. Awards for stories celebrating women, and the black and LGBTQ+ communities would send a message about the need for these voices to be heard (although there is still some way to go), but as plans for the president’s beloved wall project are under intense scrutiny, I wouldn’t bet against another triumph for the Mexican film. (Ruth Deller is Reader and Principal Lecturer in Media and Communication, Sheffield Hallam University) (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.)

BAFTA 2019: Diverse set of winners led by 'The Favourite' and 'Roma' bodes well for the Oscars

Oscar nominees get together for an official lunch ahead of the big night

"Bohemian Rhapsody" heads into this year's Oscars with five nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Rami Malek and his portrayal of Freddie Mercury.

The movie charts the rise, the successes and challenges of the iconic, flamboyant frontman and the British rock band, Queen.

Despite a mixed reaction from critics, and controversy surrounding the film's director, "Bohemian Rhapsody" has proved to be a force to be reckoned with this awards season having already walked secured two Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Actor and the SAG Award for Best Male Actor.

At the Oscars, Malek will face off against Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Willem Dafoe and Viggo Mortensen.

Matthew Belloni of industry publication The Hollywood Reporter said a win could change Malek's life and the course of his career.

"This is his first major movie role where he's playing the star of the movie and, lo and behold, he gets nominated for best actor. He wins the Golden Globe. The movie makes 800 million dollars worldwide. Rami Malek is now a box office star and if he wins the Oscar, he's a pedigreed actor with an Oscar win -- he'll be able to do big budget mainstream, whatever he wants," he said.

The winners will be announced in Los Angeles on February 24, 2019.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" heads into this year's Oscars with five nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Rami Malek and his portrayal of Freddie Mercury.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" heads into this year's Oscars with five nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Rami Malek and his portrayal of Freddie Mercury. The movie charts the rise, the successes and challenges of the iconic, flamboyant frontman and the British rock band, Queen. Despite a mixed reaction from critics, and controversy surrounding the film's director, "Bohemian Rhapsody" has proved to be a force to be reckoned with this awards season having already walked secured two Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Actor and the SAG Award for Best Male Actor. At the Oscars, Malek will face off against Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Willem Dafoe and Viggo Mortensen. Matthew Belloni of industry publication The Hollywood Reporter said a win could change Malek's life and the course of his career. "This is his first major movie role where he's playing the star of the movie and, lo and behold, he gets nominated for best actor. He wins the Golden Globe. The movie makes 800 million dollars worldwide. Rami Malek is now a box office star and if he wins the Oscar, he's a pedigreed actor with an Oscar win -- he'll be able to do big budget mainstream, whatever he wants," he said. The winners will be announced in Los Angeles on February 24, 2019.

How Freddie Mercury paved the way to the Oscars for Rami Malek

In what might not come as a surprise anymore, the Oscar ceremony this year will run without a host. This will only be so for the second time in the history of the prestigious awards ceremony. The news came out on February 5 as an ABC television executive confirmed the same. This is<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscars-2019-complete-list-of-nominees-192050">&nbsp;the full list of nominees</a>.

Karey Burke, ABC entertainment president said that the event will not have a host and "just have presenters host the Oscars." For the uninitiated, ABC is a unit of Walt Disney Co that televises the Oscars ceremony annually and is closely involved in planning the telecast.

Oscars never planned to go hostless but it happened after comedian Kevin Hart stepped back from the role, two days after accepting it. He dropped from the job after there were reports that he was asked to apologise for his past homophobic tweets. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kevin-hart-steps-down-as-oscars-2019-host-following-outcry-over-his-controversial-past-tweets-182112">Read what happened here.</a>

After the withdrawal, Burke said that the Academy was clear on not getting a replacement. She told reporters, "After that, it was pretty clear that we were going to stay the course and just have presenters host the Oscars. We all got on board with that idea pretty quickly."&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-oscar-nominees-get-together-for-an-official-lunch-ahead-of-the-big-night-195355">Also</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-oscar-nominees-get-together-for-an-official-lunch-ahead-of-the-big-night-195355"> see in pictures: Oscar nominees get together for an official lunch ahead of the big night</a>

On whether Oscars is still relevant, she said, "I have found that the lack of clarity around the Oscars has kept the Oscars in the conversation and that the mystery has been really compelling. People really care."

The only time Oscars went without a host, was in 1989.&nbsp;

In what might not come as a surprise anymore, the Oscar ceremony this year will run without a host. This will only be so for the second time in the history of the prestigious awards ceremony.

In what might not come as a surprise anymore, the Oscar ceremony this year will run without a host. This will only be so for the second time in the history of the prestigious awards ceremony. The news came out on February 5 as an ABC television executive confirmed the same. This is the full list of nominees. Karey Burke, ABC entertainment president said that the event will not have a host and "just have presenters host the Oscars." For the uninitiated, ABC is a unit of Walt Disney Co that televises the Oscars ceremony annually and is closely involved in planning the telecast. Oscars never planned to go hostless but it happened after comedian Kevin Hart stepped back from the role, two days after accepting it. He dropped from the job after there were reports that he was asked to apologise for his past homophobic tweets. Read what happened here. After the withdrawal, Burke said that the Academy was clear on not getting a replacement. She told reporters, "After that, it was pretty clear that we were going to stay the course and just have presenters host the Oscars. We all got on board with that idea pretty quickly." Also see in pictures: Oscar nominees get together for an official lunch ahead of the big night On whether Oscars is still relevant, she said, "I have found that the lack of clarity around the Oscars has kept the Oscars in the conversation and that the mystery has been really compelling. People really care." The only time Oscars went without a host, was in 1989.

It's confirmed! The Oscars this year will not have a host

Oscar nominees gather for lunch in LA

Christian Bale to Bradley Cooper, Oscars 2019 Best Actor nominees are a bunch of talent!

Oscars 2019: Get to know the Best Actress nominees of the year

Pop singer Lady Gaga, Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron and African-American filmmaker Spike Lee were among scores of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscars-2019-complete-list-of-nominees-192050">Oscar nominees</a> who gathered for a group photo on Monday ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony in three weeks time, when only a handful will go home as winners.

Actors Glenn Close, Bradley Cooper, Rami Malek and Amy Adams, along with dozens of producers, editors, costume designers, documentary makers and musicians in 24 categories were also among those attending the annual Oscar nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills.

John Bailey, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences whose members vote on the Oscar winners, said the class of 2019 was notable for its diversity.

"This year has the largest class of women nominees. Far from parity, and of course we need to do better. Gender parity is an industry matter, not just an Academy matter," Bailey told the guests.

"Inclusion, diversity, racial, ethnic and gender equality are not just buzzwords. They go to the heart of what our Academy is doing," he added.

The luncheon took place with still no official word on whether the Feb. 24 Oscar ceremony would go ahead without a host for only the second time in its 91-year history.

The Oscar show producers urged the eventual winners to keep their acceptance speeches short on the big night, particularly as the Academy has pledged to cut this year's telecast by about 30 minutes to three hours.

Producer Glenn Weiss said the goal was to deliver "an enjoyable and entertaining evening while we work hard to produce a three-hour show for the first time."

Cuaron's 'Roma'&nbsp;and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos comedy 'The Favourite'&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/oscars-2019-meet-the-nominees-192058">lead nominations for the Oscars</a> with 10 apiece.

Pop singer Lady Gaga, Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron and African-American filmmaker Spike Lee were among scores of Oscar nominees who gathered for a group photo on Monday ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony in three weeks time, when only a handful will go home as winners.

Pop singer Lady Gaga, Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron and African-American filmmaker Spike Lee were among scores of Oscar nominees who gathered for a group photo on Monday ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony in three weeks time, when only a handful will go home as winners. Actors Glenn Close, Bradley Cooper, Rami Malek and Amy Adams, along with dozens of producers, editors, costume designers, documentary makers and musicians in 24 categories were also among those attending the annual Oscar nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills. John Bailey, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences whose members vote on the Oscar winners, said the class of 2019 was notable for its diversity. "This year has the largest class of women nominees. Far from parity, and of course we need to do better. Gender parity is an industry matter, not just an Academy matter," Bailey told the guests. "Inclusion, diversity, racial, ethnic and gender equality are not just buzzwords. They go to the heart of what our Academy is doing," he added. The luncheon took place with still no official word on whether the Feb. 24 Oscar ceremony would go ahead without a host for only the second time in its 91-year history. The Oscar show producers urged the eventual winners to keep their acceptance speeches short on the big night, particularly as the Academy has pledged to cut this year's telecast by about 30 minutes to three hours. Producer Glenn Weiss said the goal was to deliver "an enjoyable and entertaining evening while we work hard to produce a three-hour show for the first time." Cuaron's 'Roma' and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos comedy 'The Favourite' lead nominations for the Oscars with 10 apiece.

Oscars 2019: Academy raises a glass to diversity as nominees gather for class photo and lunch

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