Academy Awards

Academy Awards®

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	Academy Awards^® (Fortnight beginning Monday 23 Feb)
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The Academy Awards^®

Every year the non-profit organisation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honours achievers in all aspects of international film making. Affectionately known as the Oscars^®, these awards are the most prestigious of any film awards held around the globe. They are the oldest awards ceremony, having their origins back in May 1929 in California, USA.

How the statuette got the nickname Oscar isn't clear. A popular story has been that Academy librarian and eventual executive director Margaret Herrick said that it resembled her Uncle Oscar. A reporter allegedly overheard her and helped brand the golden awards.

Oscar Facts:

	First awards presented in 1927.
	First awards ceremony held in 1929.
	Ballotting process introduced in 1935 - Price Waterhouse Coopers as managers.
	The envelope system was introduced in 1941 ..."The envelope please..."
	To be honoured, a film must open in the 12 months before the Oscar ceremony.
	Until 1954 the Oscars were held on a Thursday evening, between 1955-58 they were presented on a Wednesday evening. From 1959-1998 they were held on a Monday evening and since 1999 they have taken place on a Sunday evening usually in March. In 2004 they took place in February to "improve ratings".

Films that have won several Academy Awards^®

	Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - 11 awards (2004)
	Titanic - 11 awards (1997)
	Ben Hur - 11 awards (1959)
	West Side Story - 10 awards (1961)
	The English Patient - 9 awards (1996)
	Gone With the Wind - 8 awards (1939)
	Ghandi - 8 awards (1982)
	Shakespeare in Love - 7 awards (1998)
	Out of Africa - 7 awards (1985)
	Dance With Wolves - 7 awards (1990)
	Chicago - 6 awards (2002)
	Interesting Fact: The Colour Purple was nominated for 11 awards in 1985 and came away empty handed!

Oscar Trivia

	Walt Disney was nominated for 64 Academy Awards^®.He won 26 of those awards.
	Meryl Streep has been nominated for best actress 13 times winning 2.
	Katherine Hepburn has won the most Best Actress Awards (4).
	Jack Nicholson has been nominated 12 times winning 3 Oscars^®.

Ideas for Reporting:

Report on some of the traditions of the Oscars Ceremony. (Location, past winners, past presenters, award presentation).

Write a review on the greatest movie of all time. You will have to decide which movie IS the greatest movie of all time. (Look up some of these Oscar winners: Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars).

Report on a controversial Oscar issue in history. You may like to research these topics:

Click here for more details on some surprising Oscar decions.

	Filmmaker Elia Kazan - Presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award despite his involvement in the Communist activity 50 years before and his act of "naming names".
	Maria Tomei - some people believe that her name was read out as a joke when she was announced the winner for best supporting actress for "My Cousin Vinny" in 1992.
	Judi Dench - for best supporting actress for "Shakespeare in Love" despite being on screen for less than eight minutes in 1998.