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The 17th Annual Hollywood Film Festival (HFF), hailed by “Variety” as “the ultimate networking opportunity” and by The New York Times as “the first mandatory stop in the awards season.” A long-standing and well-respected celebration of the very finest in big-screen storytelling, HFF presents promising filmmakers with countless opportunities to network with the industry’s top executives and brightest stars. It’s no wonder so many winners of HFF have secured representation and distribution deals through outlets including HBO, Miramax, IFC, 7th Art Releasing, Indican, and Starz, among others.
Jon Fitzgerald is the new Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Festival.
In the last ten years, HFF has seen a total 96 Oscar nominations and 32 Academy Awards presented its official selections and to the honorees of the Hollywood Film Awards, HFF’s companion event. HFF awards are covered by print and online media, as well as by cable and network television stations the world over. Heralded as a “pre-Oscar showcase” by “The Los Angeles Times,” last year’s event honored Richard Gere, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, John Hawkes, and Quentin Tarantino. Few events can compete with HFF’s heady mix of A-List star power and career-making industry exposure or with its desire to help deserving talents find their place on the world stage.
HFF has launched numerous successful careers and has exponentially increased the visibility of the talents it honors. After HFF hosted the world premiere of his first film, The Poor & Hungry, director Craig Brewer secured the sale of Hustle & Flow to Paramount Studios for a cool $9 million. That picture would go on to snag an Academy Award for Best Original Song and an Oscar nomination for its star, Terence Howard. Other notable HFF successes include director Robert DeFranco, (who sold his film, Telling You, to Miramax) and Zoe Clarke-Williams, who was signed to direct an MGM film after being honored at the festival. HFF-winning documentarian Janine Hoskins sold her film, My Khmer Heart, to HBO.
   
UPCOMING DEADLINE – SUBMIT TODAY
April 30, 2013 – Regular Deadline
MISSION AND OBJECTIVE
The Hollywood Film Festival bridges the gap between established Hollywood and the global creative community, providing an avenue of discovery for emerging filmmakers.
MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The Festival will initiate a series of meetings between independent filmmakers and industry professionals, through the Hollywood Network program. And with an aim toward promoting philanthropy and social awareness, HFF engineered the “Hollywood Gives Back” [...]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the ABC Television Network today announced the dates for the 86th and 87th Oscar® presentations. The 86th and 87th Academy Awards® will air live on ABC on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, and February 22, 2015, respectively.
Key dates for the Awards season are:
Saturday, November 16, 2013: The Governors Awards
Monday, December 2, 2013: Official Screen Credits due
Friday, December 27, 2013: Nominations voting begins
Wednesday, January 8, 2014: Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT
Thursday, January 16, 2014: Oscar nominations announced
Monday, February 10, 2014: Nominees Luncheon
Friday, February 14, 2014: Final voting begins
Saturday, February 15, 2014: Scientific and Technical Awards
Tuesday, February 25, 2014: Final voting ends 5 p.m. PT
Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014: 86th Academy Awards
Oscar Sunday, February 22, 2015: 87th Academy Awards
The 86th and 87th Academy Awards ceremonies will be held at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.
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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards–in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners–Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.
FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy
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Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. “42″ tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and trailblazing Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball.
From Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland (“L.A. Confidential”) comes the real-life drama “42,” starring Chadwick Boseman (“The Express”) as Jackie Robinson and Oscar® nominee Harrison Ford (“Witness”) as Branch Rickey.
In 1947, Branch Rickey put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking Major League Baseball’s infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and other players.
Facing blatant racism from every side, even his own team, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey’s hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking—ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.
In 1997, Major League Baseball retired the number 42 for all teams, making it the first number in sports to be universally retired. The only exception is every year on April 15th—Jackie Robinson Day—commemorating the date of his first game as a Brooklyn Dodger. On that day alone, players from every team proudly wear the number 42 to honor the man who altered the course of history.
Rounding out the main cast of “42″ are: Nicole Beharie as Rachel Robinson; Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher; Andre Holland as Wendell Smith; Lucas Black as Pee Wee Reese; Hamish Linklater as Ralph Branca; and Ryan Merriman as Dixie Walker.
Written and directed by Brian Helgeland, “42″ is produced by Thomas Tull, with Dick Cook, Jon Jashni, and Jason Clark serving as executive producers, and Darryl Pryor and Jillian Zaks co-producing.
Helgeland’s behind-the-scenes collaborators included Oscar®-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), production designer Richard Hoover, costume designer Caroline Harris, and editors Kevin Stitt and Peter McNulty. The music is composed by Oscar® nominee Mark Isham (“A River Runs Through It”).
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present, a Legendary Pictures Production, a Brian Helgeland film, “42.” The film opens on April 12, 2013, in time to commemorate the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson Day, on April [...]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a new digital restoration of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” in celebration of the film’s 25th anniversary on Thursday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The evening will feature a post-screening onstage discussion with director Robert Zemeckis and members of the cast and crew, including actress Joanna Cassidy, voice actor Charles Fleischer, supervising animator Andreas Deja, screenwriter Peter S. Seaman and associate producers Don Hahn and Steve Starkey. The panel will be moderated by director Rich Moore, who received an Oscar® nomination for Animated Feature Film for “Wreck-It Ralph” this past year.
A masterful blend of live-action filmmaking and classic animation, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” boldly announced the rebirth of the Disney animation studio. The film endures as an inventive tribute to animation’s golden age that also set a new standard for what the medium could achieve.
“‘Roger Rabbit’ brought together the greatest animators, the most skilled technicians, and the finest talent of the day,” said Zemeckis. “It’s good to have this chance to show our work to both those who remember the film as well as to a new audience.”
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988) received Oscars® for Film Editing, Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects, and a Special Achievement Award for Richard Williams’s animation direction. It also was nominated for Art Direction, Cinematography and Sound.
This digital restoration is provided courtesy of the Walt Disney Studios. The Disney restoration team used the original 35mm picture, VistaVision optical work and original sound elements to create this pristine digital version.
Tickets for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID, and may be purchased online at oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office, or by mail. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit oscars.org.
# # #
ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards–in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners–Academy presents a diverse year-round slate [...]

Congratulations to the 2013 Oscar nominees and winners… for complete list of winners pls scroll down.
Best Supporting Actor:
Christoph Waltz – “Django Unchained”
Best Animated Short:
“Paperman” – John Kahrs
Best Animated Feature:
“Brave” – Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
Cinematography:
“Life of Pi” – Claudio Miranda
Visual Effects:
“Life of Pi” – Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
Costume Design:
“Anna Karenina” – Jacqueline Durran
Makeup/Hairstyling:
“Les Misérables” – Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell
Live Action Film:
“Curfew” – Shawn Christensen
Documentary Short Subject:
“Inocente” – Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
Documentary Feature:
“Searching for Sugar Man”
Sound Mixing:
“Les Misérables” – Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
Sound Editing:
“Zero Dark Thirty” – Paul N.J. Ottosson
Supporting Actress:
Anne Hathaway – “Les Miserables”
Film Editing:
“Argo” – William Goldenberg
Original Score:
Mychael Danna, “Life of Pi”
Original Song:
Adele – “Skyfall”
Adapted Screenplay:
Chris Terrio, “Argo”
Original Screenplay:
Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained”
Director:
Ang Lee, “Life of Pi”
Best Actress:
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Best Picture:
“Argo”
For the first time, viewers in the U.S. will be able to stream tonight’s Oscars show in its entirety across multiple platforms including ABC.com, the ABC Player app, and the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service. The show will also be available via ABC On Demand, the network’s fast forward-disabled VOD service.
The Oscars, in its entirety, will be available to stream within hours of its broadcast completion, beginning Monday, Feb. 25th at 6:00 a.m. EST through Wednesday, February 27, at midnight EST.
“Tonight’s show included remarkable performances that will surely have people talking. This is an easy, convenient way for anyone who missed the show to catch up and join the conversation,” said Karin Gilford, Senior Vice President of Digital Media, ABC Entertainment. “It’s also perfect for anyone who just wants to relive the most magical moments of the night.”
“Our goal is to give fans as many ways to enjoy and engage with the Oscars as possible and this will provide another great opportunity for them,” said Christina Kounelias, the Academy’s Chief Marketing Officer.
The full streaming will be advertiser supported with :15 or :30 video spots running intermittingly from Blue Diamond, Diet Coke, Hyundai, JC Penney, Samsung and The University of Phoenix.
Additionally, during the telecast, Oscar.com offered a plethora of “Real Time Oscar Highlights” to viewers almost instantly after they debuted on the live broadcast. Those special moments from telecast as well as numerous highlights from the Red Carpet and backstage during the show, are currently available on the show’s official site, Oscar.com.
Oscar.com and the official Oscars app [...]

I can’t confirm this offhand, but I’m pretty sure Snitch has the biggest opening weekend of all time for a film based on a Frontline documentary.
The ‘mandatory minimum sentences are evil’ action drama debuted with $13 million this weekend. That’s not a huge figure, but it’s above the sub-$8 million debuts from Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jason Statham in the last two months. Lionsgate/Summit procured the film for just $5 million, so this is a solid win all-around. The picture played 77% 18-49 and 53% male, earning a B from Cinemascore.
The solid 3.17x weekend multiplier, especially considering the predicted Oscar drop today, means that the film may have legs and an outside shot at $45 million. It’s not a massive success, and it means that Dwayne Johnson needs a viable franchise to be ‘box office’, but for a film with nothing but The Rock to sell, this isn’t a bad debut at all (it’s higher than the $8 million debut for 2010′s Faster, for example). Johnson still has G.I. Joe: Retaliation next month and the sure to be *huge* Fast & Furious 6 on tap for May, so this almost qualifies as his “one for me” art film. It’s a good movie that I hope finds an audience and it’s clearly a better choice for action junkies than A Good Day to Die Hard.
To read more go to Mendelson’s Memos
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Twas the night before Oscars and all through the town, everyone was stirring and no one was down. Indeed, Hollywood seemed ebullient on Saturday night as limos careened back and forth up and down Sunset Blvd. from the Chateau Marmont to Soho House and up to the Beverly Hills Hotel carrying actors, actresses, and celebrities. Meanwhile, at the Dolby Theater, in rehearsal, you could hear the cast of “Les Miserables” and a 48 person strong chorus belting out show tunes, and Dame Shirley Bassey polishing up her “Goldfinger” for the big event.
At Madeo’s on Beverly Boulevard, Charles Finch held his annual pre Oscar dinner, sponsored by Chanel, and featuring Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain. Finch, the British impresario, is also the son of late great actor Peter Finch, and he knows a thing or two about theater. The result is that his parties are like little presentations, cozily lit, super-salons.
And who did we see? Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane, Ioann Grufudd and Alice Ryan, producer Ed Pressman and wife Annie with producer Laura Bickford, Jared Harris and producer Cassian Elwes and so on, sprinkled in among fashionistas. Livia Firth, Colin’s wife, explained her Oscar winning husband was abroad shooting his second film in a row with Nicole Kidman. Cool.
And all through the low ceilinged room of Madeo’s you could hear the word “Argo” burbling along. Chastain, a pragmatist, told me: “I’m not going to win, and it’s fine.” She and her Italian boyfriend — Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo– are headed to Milan next week for a break before Jessica begins work on her next film. Between “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Heiress” on Broadway, Chastain has had an extraordinary run this year.
Some other guests included writer Brett Easton Ellis, and married actors Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer.
Meantime, back at the newly refreshed and just reopened Polo Lounge, Warren Beatty caused a stir when he walked in– and headed straight over to a table hosted by producer Brian Grazer. Soon it was clear that Ron Burkle and Steve Bing were also there, and some attractive young ladies filled in the extra seats. But the Polo was buzzing. Brett Ratner arrived in a wool cap.
“Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan had the table for eight right next to the Beatty-Bing-Grazer, while Alanna Stewart got her own table., Phillippe Dauman, the man who runs Viacom, was fully ensonced in a banquette. And the in [...]

Michael Feinstein, two-time Emmy® and five-time Grammy® Award-nominated entertainer dubbed “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” will take the stage on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Academy’s official post-Oscar ® celebration, the Governors Ball.
Feinstein is considered one of the premier interpreters of American standards. His 200-plus shows a year have included performances at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace.
Feinstein has received national recognition for his commitment to celebrating America’s popular song and preserving its legacy for the next generation. In 2007, he founded the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, Master Classes, and the annual High School Vocal Academy and Competition, which awards scholarships and prizes to students across the country. Through his live performances, recordings, film and television appearances, and his songwriting (in collaboration with Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Lindy Robbins and Carole Bayer Sager), Feinstein is an all-star force in American music.
Feinstein will perform for the Ball’s 1,500 guests, which will include Oscar winners and nominees, show presenters and performers, and other luminaries. The Ball will be held in The Ray Dolby Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center®.
Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane. The Oscar presentation will be televised live on the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries worldwide. For more information go to Oscar.com or download the official Oscars app.
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Multiple Academy Award® winners Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman will present on this year’s Oscar telecast, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.
Nicholson has been nominated 12 times and won for his leading performances in “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) and ”As Good as It Gets” (1997). He also won the award for supporting actor in 1983 for “Terms of Endearment.”
Hoffman, who has been nominated seven times, won for his leading performances in “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979) and “Rain Man” (1988). He has received critical acclaim for his feature film “Quartet,” which marks his directorial debut and is currently in theaters.
“Between the two of them, Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman have created more iconic characters than any other pair of actors in the world,” said Zadan and Meron. “Their participation in this year’s Oscars completes a list of presenters and performers that truly represents that great breadth and depth of acting talent in film today.”

Previously announced Oscar presenters include Jane Fonda, Jennifer Garner, Kristen Stewart, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Aniston, Michael Douglas, Jamie Foxx, Paul Rudd, Salma Hayek Pinault, Melissa McCarthy, Liam Neeson, John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, Ted and “Marvel’s The Avengers” cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep; “Chicago” cast members Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones; special guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron; and performers including Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit and Helena Bonham, Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.
Oscars® for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24 at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide. For more information go to Oscar.com or download the official Oscars app.
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Academy Award® winner Jane Fonda will join Jennifer Garner, Kristen Stewart and Kerry Washington to present on the Oscar telecast, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.
Fonda earned seven nominations and won Academy Awards for her roles in “Klute” and “Coming Home.” Garner was seen in this year’s “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” and will be seen next in “Dallas Buyers Club.” Stewart is best known for her role as Bella Swan in the “Twilight” saga and also starred in 2012′s “On the Road” and “Snow White and the Huntsman.” Washington starred in the Best Picture Nominee “Django Unchained” and was seen in “A Thousand Words.” Washington is also the star of ABC’s hit drama “Scandal.”
Fonda, Garner, Stewart and Washington join a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters including Jennifer Aniston, Michael Douglas, Jamie Foxx, Paul Rudd, Salma Hayek Pinault, Melissa McCarthy, Liam Neeson, John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, Ted and “Marvel’s The Avengers” cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep; “Chicago” cast members Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones; special guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron; and performers including Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit and Helena Bonham,Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.
Oscars® for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24 at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide. For more information go to Oscar.com or download the official Oscars app.
ABOUT CRAIG ZADAN AND NEIL MERON
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are producers of critically acclaimed and award-winning feature films, television movies, series, and Broadway productions. Their feature films include The Bucket List, Footloose, Hairspray, and Chicago, which won six Academy Awards including one for “Best Picture.” For television, they’ve produced films of “Steel Magnolias,” ”Life with Judy Garland,” and “A Raisin in the Sun,” among many others and the series “Smash” and “Drop Dead Diva.” They recently returned to their [...]