Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, or more popularly known as the Oscars, are recognition of excellence in the arena of motion pictures. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). They are based in USA yet films from all over the world are recognized and awarded to their true merit in this most popular and probably most authentic award ceremonies in the world of international cinema. The Oscars are usually the most coveted and most commercially recognized international awards for cinematic excellence. They include directors, actors, writers and other special specialists from different spectra of cinema. Though often criticized as an award form of more commercial value than artistic value in international cinema, it has upheld its grace and swagger in more ways than one.
The 1st Academy Awards ceremony was hosted at Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood on 16th May, 1929. It honored achievements in international filmmaking in 1927 as well as 1928. The latest Academy Awards ceremony, the 79th was held on 25th February, 2007 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood again.
AMPAS, an honorary but professional organization, maintains a voting-member count of 5,830as of 2007. Of these, actors number up to 1,311 members. These members watch the nominated films and cast their votes, based on which the final decisions are made.
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on 24th February, 2008. The spectacle and fantabulous aura of this award ceremony is being waited for with bated breath. The largest Award ceremony of international cinema, though 80 years old, is still as priceless and coveted artifact as a stone from the face of the moon!
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