“And The Oscar Goes To…” YOU! Si, mi gente, the Academy of Motion Pictures and Science has made a once in a lifetime invitation available to all. Now fans and hopefuls have the opportunity to view exclusive screenings; live the red carpet experience; and finally give the ever famous acceptance speech, you wrote when you were 8 years old, all while remaining in NYC and going home with a memento!
New York City kicked off the celebration with A Weekend With Oscar hosted at the Academy Theatre, at the Lighthouse International, on February 19th and 20th. Attendees had the rare opportunity to screen all nominee subjects in the categories of Live Action and Animated Short and Documentary Short. At the beginning of each of the four screenings, 210 proud attendees had a chance to win official award posters and an autograph collectors book, 80 Years of the Oscar the Official History of the Academy Awards by Robert Osborne. To add to the surprise, special guest appearances were made by Luke Matheny and Ivan Goldschmidt, both nominees in the Live Action Short Subject category.
New York native and film student, Luke Matheny, wrote and directed “God of Love.” Luke, a talented and hilarious character, was among the 2010 Student Academy Award winners and now officially in the running for the golden man. A ten day shoot, resulted in 19 short minutes filled with the complexities of destiny, love, purpose, and archery. When asked how he felt, Luke responded “As if I am planning a wedding in only a month and everyone is now claiming to be a relative.” Director and writer, Ivan Goldschmidt, has gone beyond making a nomination worthy short and has opened a film school program in Burundi , where he filmed the short “Na Wewe.”
Documentary Short Subject Nominees: Jed Rothstein for “ Killing in the Name,” Sara Nesson and Mitchell W. Block for “Poster Girl,” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon for “Strangers No More,” Nicolas Sohmerkin for “Sun Come Up,” and Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon for “The Warriors of Quigang.”
Ready for your red carpet experience? On February 22nd, Academy Member and Actress, Celia Weston gave us an exclusive welcomed onto The Academy’s Virtual Oscar Sidewalk Display. Located at 1333 Broadway, the high-tech interactive Oscar-themed sidewalk display gives visitors the opportunity to pose for photos while “holding” a virtual Oscar statuette. Fans are able to e-mail their customized photo for FREE to either themselves or to friends and family, sharing their moment of stardom.
Celia Weston is the Co-Chair of Oscar Night for New York Membership. New York Academy members will celebrate and view a direct feed of the Awards Show on Sunday, at The Carlyle. “Every year there are some exclusion that surprise people, some inclusions that surprise people. People are expecting a lot of The King’s Speech.“ shared Weston. Weston has been a cast member of several Academy nominated films, including “In the Bedroom,” “Far from Heaven,” and “Dead Man Walking.” Celia Weston keeps beating the odds and we can look forward to seeing her on the big screen in the upcoming film “Crippled” and in her recurring role on the television series “Modern Family.”
Still need more of an Oscar experience? Remember the Oscar speech you gave, to the audience of one, when you were 8 years old? Whoppi Goldberg says its time to share the speech , only this time, you will be holding the actual golden man and your guaranteed to be heard by at least 100 passerby’s as you “Meet the Oscars” at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal.
The exhibition opened on Wednesday, February 23, with an opening ceremony hosted by Oscar-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi took center stage cutting the big red ribbon and sharing the spotlight and excitement with young fans who attended the ceremony.
“Meet the Oscars, Grand Central” gives movie fans the opportunity to have their picture taken holding an actual Oscar statuette. In addition, the exhibition features a display of Oscars in various stages of completion, as manufactured by R.S. Owens & Company in Chicago. The Best Picture Oscar awarded to Billy Wilder for “The Apartment” (1960) will also be on view.
On Friday, February 25, the statuettes designated for this year’s Best Actor and Best Actress will make their way back to Hollywood where they will be reunited with the rest of the Oscars to be presented on Oscar Night®.
Public viewing hours are 1–7 p.m. on February 23, and 7–7 p.m. through Sunday, February 27. Admission is free.
Visitors who “check-in” at “Meet the Oscars, Grand Central” via the Foursquare app on their cell phone and show the screen to a “Meet the Oscars” staffer will receive an official 83rd Academy Awards poster. Guests who tweet their “Meet the Oscars” photo along with the hashtag #Oscars to @TheAcademy will be entered to win a limited edition 83rd Academy Awards Poster Collection.
And for the grand finale, when viewing the Oscars on Sunday, be transported and entertained by young musical talents from P.S. 22 of Staten Island and listen as they bring the audience “Over the Rainbow.”
Enjoy your night of glamour, elegance, and recognition, te lo mereces!
