:: Spotlight :: 79th Academy AwardsBy: Carmine PascuzziThe 79th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Centre. It marks the achievement in film for the year 2006 and nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 in the Academy's Samuel Goldwun Theatre. We will keep you updated with all the lead-up news. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announced that Laura Ziskin will return to produce the 79th Annual Academy Awards telecast in February. It will be Ziskin's second involvement with the production of an Oscar telecast. Her first was in 2002 for the telecast of the 74th Academy Awards, the first time the ceremonies were broadcast from the Kodak Theatre. Ziskin currently is in post-production on “Spider-Man 3.” Other feature films on her plate include a number of projects for her home studio, Sony Pictures, including “Me and My Monster” with director McG and “The Crimson Petal and the White,” with Curtis Hanson directing, as well as “The Spellman Files” for Paramount and an HBO film on Katharine Graham written by Joan Didion. “I have wanted to produce the Academy Awards again for a long time,” Ziskin said. “It is a terrific, really fun challenge for a producer - commingling the thrills of putting on a live show, the creating of an exciting broadcast for the people watching at home and celebrating the extraordinary medium of film. I am delighted to have an opportunity to work with Sid Ganis and the spectacular Academy staff, and it is an honour to be in the company of past Academy Awards show producers such as Gil Cates, Joe Roth, Dick and Lilli Zanuck, Quincy Jones, Howard Koch, and others. There are a lot of award shows these days, but the Oscars remain unparalled.” ************************************************* Ellen DeGeneres has been announced as the host of the 79th Academy Awards telecast. It will be DeGeneres’ first time as Oscar host, as well as her first appearance on an Academy Awards telecast. “Ellen DeGeneres was born to host the Academy Awards.” said producer Laura Ziskin. “There is no more challenging hosting job in show business. It requires someone who can keep the show alive and fresh and moving, as well as someone who is a flat-out great entertainer. Ellen completely fits the bill. I can already tell she is going to set the bar very high for herself and therefore for all of us involved in putting on the show. Now all we need is a lot of great movies.” Academy President Sid Ganis said, “She just sparkles. She is such a pleasure to watch. Her wit cuts to the truth of things, but in a wonderfully warm-spirited way. I think she'll be a fantastic host for this show and we're extremely pleased that she's agreed to do it.” ************************************************* The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject entries has narrowed to eight films, from which three to five will earn Academy Award nominations. The eight films are listed below in alphabetical order: “The Blood of Yingzhou District” Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. ****************************************** A record 61 countries ranging from developing nations to industrialised powers, including new entrant Kazakhstan, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 79th Academy Awards. The 2006 submissions are: Algeria, “Days of Glory,” Rachid Bouchareb, director; In addition to the above, Finland submitted Aki Kaurismaki’s “Lights in the Dusk,” which the director subsequently indicated he wanted to withdraw from the competition. Foreign Language committee chair Mark Johnson has initiated a dialogue with Kaurismaki in an effort to persuade him to reverse that decision. Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. ************************************************* With 16 animated features submitted for consideration in 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences anticipates that its Animated Feature Film category, for the first time since 2002, may include a full slate of five nominees. The 16 features expected to compete for 79th Academy Awards nominations are: “The Ant Bully” Films submitted in the Animated Feature category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories. Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. ************************************************ The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 79th Academy Awards. Eighty-one pictures had originally qualified in the category. The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order: “Blindsight” The Documentary Branch screening committee viewed the eligible documentaries in a preliminary round of screenings. Documentary Branch members will now select the five 2006 nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist. *********************************************** 56 songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures are being considered in the Original Song category for the 79th Academy Awards. The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order: “Believe It” from “The Heart of the Game” On Tuesday, January 16, the Academy will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the Music Branch in both Beverly Hills and New York City. Following the screenings, members will vote to determine which three, four or five songs become nominees in the category. To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits. Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. ************************************************ Composer-conductor Ennio Morricone, who has composed more than 300 motion picture scores over a 45-year career, has been voted an Honorary Award by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Award, an Oscar statuette, will be given to Morricone at the 79th Academy Awards presentation on February 25, 2007, “for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music.” Morricone has earned five Academy Award nominations for original score - for “Days of Heaven” (1978), “The Mission” (1986), “The Untouchables” (1987), “Bugsy” (1991) and “Malèna” (2000) - but has not previously received an Oscar. “The board was responding not just to the remarkable number of scores that Mr. Morricone has produced,” said Academy President Sid Ganis, “but to the fact that so many of them are beloved and popular masterpieces.” While the bulk of his work has been on Italian films, including “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Once upon a Time in America” and “Cinema Paradiso,” Morricone has composed memorable scores for such international titles as “Bulworth,” “In the Line of Fire,” “La Cage aux Folles” and “Two Mules for Sister Sara.” His current project, “Leningrad,” has been announced for a 2008 release. Born in Rome, Morricone was hired in 1964 by Sergio Leone and began a long collaboration with the director on what came to be known as “spaghetti westerns,” though his career has spanned most film genres from comedy to romance to horror. Morricone’s Honorary Oscar will be presented, along with other Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006, on Sunday, February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Centre. *********************************************** The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that seven films are in consideration for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 79th Academy Awards. The films are listed below in alphabetical order: “Casino Royale” On Wednesday, January 17, the Academy’s Visual Effects Award nominating committee will view 15-minute film excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate three films for Oscar consideration. ****************************************** Nomination ballots for the 79th Academy Awards were mailed on Tuesday, December 26 to the 5,830 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Completed ballots must be returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers by 5pm on Saturday, January 13, 2007. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted. Nomination and final award ballots are tabulated by PricewaterhouseCoopers to ensure that all aspects of the balloting process are conducted with fairness and accuracy. Prior to mailing, the PricewaterhouseCoopers staff administers a thorough verification process to ensure there are no duplicate ballots and that none are missing. In addition to being counted and sorted, each ballot is numbered to guarantee that it is addressed to the appropriate Academy voter. The Reminder List of Eligible Releases - the list of 2006 motion pictures eligible for Oscar consideration - will be mailed along with the nomination ballots. Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. ************************************** 307 feature films are eligible for the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2006, it has been announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. To be eligible for the 79th Academy Awards consideration, feature films have until midnight, December 31, to open in a commercial motion picture theatre in Los Angeles County and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format. Films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category. *********************************************** As part of the festivities in the run-up to this year’s Oscar telecast, Laura Ziskin, 79th Annual Academy Awards producer, has announced “A Celebration of Oscar Fashion” – a live event presenting a unique retrospective of Oscar fashion. Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley will curate and call the invitation-only fashion celebration at 10.00am on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, in the Academy’s Grand Lobby in Beverly Hills. The presentation will highlight the famous and infamous fashions in Oscar show history. “Water cooler conversation about the Oscars focuses on the movies and the clothes,” said Ziskin. “Rather than trying to forecast what people might wear this year, we thought it would be more fun to put on a runway show that features many of the spectacular dresses that have been worn to the Oscars through the years. “We’ve had amazing success finding these dresses thanks to enthusiastic help from a lot of great designers and stars, but we’re missing some pieces we’d love to have.” Some of the gowns have been auctioned, sold or donated and Ziskin and Talley are reaching out to anyone who might have them. “We are still looking for some of the great dresses that were auctioned, like one of Mia Farrow’s disco-era outfits, Julie Andrews’s 1965 Oscar dress, one of Natalie Wood’s dresses, or an exquisite gown that we haven’t even thought of and that Andre may hope to include,” said Ziskin. “We have put together a show that recaptures unforgettable Oscar Night glamour,” said Talley. “When you see these gowns, you’ll immediately remember all these wonderful actresses in their Oscar Night glory – as far back as Ingrid Bergman and as recently as Renée Zellweger.” Talley, who selected the gowns to be showcased, will serve as host and editor of this first look at Oscar fashions of the past. Invited guests will be treated to a filmed retrospective and a live runway show with models wearing the Oscar gowns worn by such stars as Elizabeth Taylor, Carol Channing, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kim Basinger, Diane Keaton, Angelica Huston, Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone and Hilary Swank. To add to the event’s glamour, the Oscar gowns will be paired with contemporary jewels by Fred Leighton and other jewellers, and shoes and accessories from designers including Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, and Prada. *********************************************************** The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that seven films remain in competition for Achievement in Make-up for the 79th Academy Awards. The films are listed below in alphabetical order: “Apocalypto” *********************************************************** Nine films will advance in the voting process in the Foreign Language Film category for the 79th Academy Awards. Sixty-one films had originally qualified in the category. The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are: Algeria, “Days of Glory,” Rachid Bouchareb, director Foreign Language Film nominations for 2006 are being determined in two phases. The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 61 eligible films and their ballots determined the shortlist. A Phase II committee, made up of ten randomly selected members from the Phase I group, joined by additional ten-member contingents in New York and Los Angeles, will view the shortlisted films and select the five 2006 nominees for the category. Phase II screenings will take place from Friday, January 19, through Sunday, January 21, in both Hollywood and New York City. Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theatre. *********************************************************** On Oscar Night, Sunday, February 25, New York-area members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will celebrate the 79th Academy Awards at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. This marks the second year that the annual party, organised by the Academy’s New York Events Committee, will be held at the St. Regis. The event is open to all East Coast-based members of the Academy. “Last year’s party was a tremendous success. Our guests enjoyed a delicious meal while watching the Academy Awards telecast,” said Arlene Dahl, chair of the Academy’s Oscar Night party. “The ambience of the hotel is one of sheer elegance.” Following a cocktail reception in the St. Regis’ Louis XVI Suite, the invited guests will adjourn to the Versailles Room for dinner and viewing of the Awards telecast on the ABC Television Network. The menu will be created by Executive Chef Richard Brown. “Not only do the festivities and the historic setting of the St. Regis recall the original Academy Awards banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, but the hotel itself has a very strong connection to New York filmmaking, which makes the night even more special for our guests,” added Bud Rosenthal, chair of the Academy’s New York Events Committee. A 1904 Beaux Arts landmark in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the St. Regis Hotel has been used as a shooting location for many films, including “The Godfather,” “Taxi Driver,” “Miss Congeniality,” “The First Wives Club,” “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Radio Days,” “Live and Let Die,” and “The Devil Wears Prada.” The St. Regis Hotel is located at 2 East 55th Street in Manhattan. *************************************************************** Ganis and Hayek, who was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002 for her lead performance in “Frida,” announced the nominations in 10 of the 24 categories at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills. Nominations in all categories then were distributed to the over 400 international media representatives in attendance and via the Internet on the official Academy Awards website Academy members from the various branches selected the nominees in their corresponding award categories, with the exception of the Animated Feature and Foreign Language Film categories, in which nominations were determined by vote of screening committees composed of members from several branches. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees. Ballots were mailed to 5,830 voting members in late December and were returned directly to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the international accounting firm, for tabulation. The Academy’s entire active and life membership is eligible to select the winners in all categories, although in five of them – the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, and Foreign Language Film categories – members can vote only after attesting that they have seen all of the nominated films in the category. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Centre. Here is the list of nominations. Performance by an actor in a leading role Leonardo DiCaprio in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) Performance by an actor in a supporting role Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight) Performance by an actress in a leading role Penélope Cruz in “Volver” (Sony Pictures Classics) Performance by an actress in a supporting role Adriana Barraza in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Best animated feature film of the year “Cars” (Buena Vista) John Lasseter Achievement in art direction “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) “The Good Shepherd” (Universal) “Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) “The Prestige” (Buena Vista) Achievement in cinematography “The Black Dahlia” (Universal) Vilmos Zsigmond Achievement in costume design “Curse of the Golden Flower” (Sony Pictures Classics) Yee Chung Man Achievement in directing “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu Best documentary feature “Deliver Us from Evil” (Lionsgate) “An Inconvenient Truth” (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions) “Iraq in Fragments” (Typecast Releasing) “Jesus Camp” (Magnolia Pictures) “My Country, My Country” (Zeitgeist Films) Best documentary short subject “The Blood of Yingzhou District” “Recycled Life” “Rehearsing a Dream” “Two Hands” Achievement in film editing “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) - Stephen Mirrione and Douglas Crise Best foreign language film of the year “After the Wedding” A Zentropa Entertainments 16 Production Denmark Achievement in make-up “Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Gustavo Santaolalla Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) “I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth” (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions) “Listen” from “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) “Love You I Do” from “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) “Our Town” from “Cars” (Buena Vista) “Patience” from “Dreamgirls" Best motion picture of the year “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) “The Departed” (Warner Bros.) “Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight) “The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Best animated short film “The Danish Poet” (National Film Board of Canada) “Lifted” (Buena Vista) “The Little Matchgirl” (Buena Vista) “Maestro” (Szimplafilm) “No Time for Nuts” (20th Century Fox) Best live action short film “Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)” “Éramos Pocos (One Too Many)” (Kimuak) “Helmer & Son” “The Saviour” (Australian Film Television and Radio School) “West Bank Story” Achievement in sound editing “Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) “Flags of Our Fathers” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Paramount) “Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) Achievement in sound mixing “Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) “Flags of Our Fathers” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Paramount) “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) Achievement in visual effects “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) “Poseidon” (Warner Bros.) “Superman Returns” (Warner Bros.) Adapted screenplay “Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (20th Century Fox) “Children of Men” (Universal) “The Departed” (Warner Bros.) “Little Children” (New Line) “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight) Original screenplay “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) “Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight) “Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) “The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) ********************************************************* Abigail Breslin has been named a presenter at the 79th Academy Awards ceremony. This will be her first time presenting an Academy Award. Breslin, who is nominated for her supporting performance in “Little Miss Sunshine,” will be seen next in “No Reservations” and “Definitely, Maybe.” Her other film credits include “The Ultimate Gift,” “Raising Helen” and “Signs.” ********************************************************* Smith, who is the son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, co-starred in his first film role opposite his father in this year’s “The Pursuit of Happyness.” ********************************************************* Two years ago, at the 77th Academy Awards, Blanchett took home the Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Katharine Hepburn in “The Aviator.” She received her first Oscar nomination in 1998 in the Leading Actress category for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in “Elizabeth.” Blanchett appeared in this year’s “Babel” and “The Good German” and can currently be seen in “Notes on a Scandal.” Her other film credits include “Veronica Guerin,” “Charlotte Gray,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. ******************************************************** Carell recently starred in “Little Miss Sunshine” and will next star in “Evan Almighty” and “Dan in Real Life.” His other film credits include “The 40 Year-Old Virgin,” “Bewitched,” “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and “Bruce Almighty.” ******************************************************** Cruz just received her first Oscar nomination for her lead performance in “Volver.” She will next be seen in “The Good Night” and “Manolete” opposite Adrien Brody. Her other film credits include “Sahara,” “Head in the Clouds,” “Gothika,” “Vanilla Sky,” “Captain Corelli's Mandolin” and “Blow.” ******************************************************** Actress Rachel Weisz will present at the 79th Academy Awards ceremony. Last year, Weisz received her first Oscar nomination and took home the award for her supporting performance in “The Constant Gardener.” Most recently, she was heard as the voice of Saphira in “Eragon” and starred opposite Hugh Jackman in “The Fountain.” She will be seen next in “Definitely, Maybe.” Her other film credits include “Constantine,” “Runaway Jury,” “The Shape of Things,” “About a Boy” and “Stealing Beauty.” ******************************************************** In 1997, Affleck and Matt Damon won the Oscar for Original Screenplay for “Good Will Hunting.” Affleck can currently be seen in “Smokin’ Aces” and will make his directing debut with the upcoming “Gone, Baby, Gone.” Affleck’s other acting credits include “Hollywoodland,” “Clerks II,” “The Sum of All Fears,” “Changing Lanes,” “Shakespeare in Love” and “Chasing Amy.” ******************************************************** Tom Cruise will be a presenter for the 79th Academy Awards. Cruise has twice been nominated in the Actor in a Leading Role category, for “Born on the Fourth of July” in 1989 and for “Jerry Maguire” in 1996. In 1999, he was nominated for his supporting performance in “Magnolia.” Cruise will be seen next in “Lions for Lambs” and was last seen in “Mission: Impossible III.” Cruise’s other film credits include “Collateral,” “The Last Samurai,” “Minority Report,” “Vanilla Sky,” “Mission: Impossible,” “The Firm,” “A Few Good Men” and “Rain Man.” ******************************************************** Actress Kirsten Dunst will present at the 79th Academy Awards. Dunst was recently seen in “Marie Antoinette” and will be seen next in “Spider-Man 3.” Her other film credits include the first two “Spider-Man” films, “Elizabethtown,” “Wimbledon,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Mona Lisa Smile,” “The Cat’s Meow,” “Crazy/Beautiful” and “Bring It On.” ******************************************************** Winslet recently received her fifth Oscar nomination for her leading performance in “Little Children.” She received a leading actress nomination in 1997 for her performance in “Titanic” and another in 2004 for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Winslet received supporting nominations for her performances in “Sense and Sensibility” in 1995 and for “Iris” in 2001. She was recently seen in “The Holiday” and “All the Kings Men.” Her other film credits include “Finding Neverland” and “The Life of David Gale.” ******************************************************** Ross is a prolific, award-winning composer and arranger whose work has spanned feature films, television and the recording industry. He recently composed music for the motion picture “September Dawn.” Ross has composed music for other films such as “The Game of Their Lives,” “Ladder 49,” “Tuck Everlasting” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Centre. ******************************************************** The Makeup Symposium will be hosted by Makeup Branch Governor Leonard Engelman, whose film credits include “Moonstruck,” “The Accidental Tourist,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Featuring the nominated makeup artists (subject to their availability) in a panel discussion, the event will also present film clips of each achievement and an opportunity for questions from the audience. The 2006 nominated films for Achievement in Makeup are: “Apocalypto,” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano The Linwood Dunn Theatre is located at the Academy’s Pickford Centre for Motion Picture Study at 1313 North Vine Street in Hollywood. Free parking is available behind the building through the entrance on Homewood Avenue. For more information, call (310) 247-3600. ******************************************************** The open format, created by Ball producer Cheryl Cecchetto, will allow the Ball’s 1,500 guests to choose among a variety of seating configurations while enjoying the cuisine created specifically for the event by master chef Wolfgang Puck. Guests will enter beneath a wrought iron archway that will span the width of the ballroom. The archway and five decorative pergolas will be lined with a living canopy of woven vines, flowers and ivy evoking the rich and vibrant textures of the Tuscan countryside. The Academy’s Governors Ball will be held in the Grand Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Centre. *********************************************************** Last year, Clooney took home his first Oscar for his supporting performance in “Syriana” and received two nominations for directing and co-writing “Good Night, and Good Luck.” He can currently be seen in “The Good German” and will be seen next in “Ocean’s Thirteen.” Clooney’s other film credits include “Ocean’s Twelve,” “Intolerable Cruelty,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “The Perfect Storm,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “Three Kings.” *********************************************************** Diaz recently appeared in “The Holiday” and will lend her voice to the character of Fiona in the third installment of the animated “Shrek” films, “Shrek the Third.” Her other film credits include “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” “Gangs of New York,” “The Sweetest Thing,” “Vanilla Sky,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Any Given Sunday,” “There’s Something about Mary,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “The Mask.” *********************************************************** Green played Vesper Lynd opposite Daniel Craig in the latest Bond installment, “Casino Royale.” She will be seen next in “His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass.” Green’s other film credits include “Kingdom of Heaven” and “The Dreamers.” *********************************************************** Jackman, who recently was heard as the voice of the character Memphis in the animated feature “Happy Feet,” will be seen next in “The Tourist.” His other film credits include “The Prestige,” “The Fountain,” the “X-Men” trilogy, “Van Helsing,” “Kate & Leopold,” “Swordfish” and “Someone Like You.” *********************************************************** Craig starred as James Bond in “Casino Royale” in the latest installment in the Bond series. His other film credits include “Munich,” “Layer Cake,” “The Jacket,” “Sylvia,” and “Road to Perdition.” *********************************************************** Kidman took home a Best Actress Oscar in 2002 for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in “The Hours.” She also received a nomination in 2001 for her lead performance in “Moulin Rouge!” Kidman, who was heard in this year’s animated feature “Happy Feet” as the voice of Norma Jean, will be seen next in “The Invasion,” “The Golden Compass” and “Margot at the Wedding.” Her other film credits include “Cold Mountain,” “Dogville,” “The Others,” “The Portrait of a Lady,” “To Die For” and “Dead Calm.” *********************************************************** Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, who each hold the record for most Academy Award nominations by actors, in their respective categories will join Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as presenters on the 79th Academy Awards. They will be joined by Oscar nominees Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey, Jr., Greg Kinnear, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts. It was also announced that Gael Garcia Bernal, Emily Blunt, Catherine Deneuve, former Vice President Al Gore, James McAvoy and Jerry Seinfeld will be presenting. These presenters will join Ben Affleck, Jessica Biel, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, George Clooney, Daniel Craig, Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Will Ferrell, Jodie Foster, Eva Green, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Diane Keaton, Nicole Kidman, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Tobey Maguire, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, John Travolta, Rachel Weisz, Kate Winslet and Reese Witherspoon on the telecast. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Centre. ********************************************************* |
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