Nominations for the upcoming 84^th Academy Awards ceremony were announced on Tuesday by Jennifer Lawrence and Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Leading the ceremony with 11 nominations is “Hugo”, a film directed by Martin Scorsese. The adventurous drama was nominated for Best Picture, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Directing, Film Editing, Music (Original Score), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects and Writing (Adapted Screenplay).

Following “Hugo” with 10 nominations was “The Artist”, also running for Best Picture.

Other nominees for Best Picture are “The Descendants”, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”, “The Help”, “Midnight in Paris”, “Moneyball”, “The Tree of Life” and “War Horse”.

The ceremony will take place on February 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Here is the complete list of 84th Annual Academy Award nominations announced on Tuesday morning:

1. Best Picture: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Descendants,’’ ‘’Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,’’ ‘’The Help,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Midnight in Paris,’’ ‘’Moneyball,’’ ‘’The Tree of Life,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

2. Actor: Demian Bichir, ‘‘A Better Life”; George Clooney, ‘‘The Descendants”; Jean Dujardin, ‘‘The Artist”; Gary Oldman, ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”; Brad Pitt, ‘‘Moneyball.’’

3. Actress: Glenn Close, ‘‘Albert Nobbs”; Viola Davis, ‘‘The Help”; Rooney Mara, ‘‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Meryl Streep, ‘‘The Iron Lady”; Michelle Williams, ‘‘My Week With Marilyn.’’

4. Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh, ‘‘My Week With Marilyn”; Jonah Hill, ‘‘Moneyball”; Nick Nolte, ‘‘Warrior”; Christopher Plummer, ‘‘Beginners”; Max von Sydow, ‘‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.’’

5. Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo, ‘‘The Artist”; Jessica Chastain, ‘‘The Help”; Melissa McCarthy, ‘‘Bridesmaids”; Janet McTeer, ‘‘Albert Nobbs”; Octavia Spencer, ‘‘The Help.’’

6. Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, ‘‘The Artist”; Alexander Payne, ‘‘The Descendants”; Martin Scorsese, ‘‘Hugo”; Woody Allen, ‘‘Midnight in Paris”; Terrence Malick, ‘‘The Tree of Life.’’

7. Foreign Language Film: ‘‘Bullhead,’’ Belgium; ‘‘Footnote,’’ Israel; ‘‘In Darkness,’’ Poland; ‘‘Monsieur Lazhar,’’ Canada; ‘‘A Separation,’’ Iran.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, ‘‘The Descendants”; John Logan, ‘‘Hugo”; George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, ‘‘The Ides of March”; Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, ‘‘Moneyball”; Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.’’

9. Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, ‘‘The Artist”; Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, ‘‘Bridesmaids”; J.C. Chandor, ‘‘Margin Call”; Woody Allen, ‘‘Midnight in Paris”; Asghar Farhadi, ‘‘A Separation.’’

10. Animated Feature Film: ‘‘A Cat in Paris”; ‘‘Chico & Rita”; ‘‘Kung Fu Panda 2”; ‘‘Puss in Boots”; ‘‘Rango.’’

11. Art Direction: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Midnight in Paris,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

12. Cinematography: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’The Tree of Life,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

13. Sound Mixing: ‘‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Moneyball,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

14. Sound Editing: ‘‘Drive,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

15. Original Score: ‘‘The Adventures of Tintin,’’ John Williams; ‘‘The Artist,’’ Ludovic Bource; ‘‘Hugo,’’ Howard Shore; ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,’’ Alberto Iglesias; ‘‘War Horse,’’ John Williams.

16. Original Song: ‘‘Man or Muppet’’ from ‘‘The Muppets,’’ Bret McKenzie; ‘‘Real in Rio’’ from ‘‘Rio,’’ Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett.

17. Costume: ‘‘Anonymous,’’ ‘’The Artist,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Jane Eyre,’’ ‘’W.E.’’

18. Documentary Feature: ‘‘Hell and Back Again,’’ ‘’If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,’’ ‘’Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,’’ ‘’Pina,’’ ‘’Undefeated.’’

19. Documentary (short subject): ‘‘The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement,’’ ‘’God Is the Bigger Elvis,’’ ‘’Incident in New Baghdad,’’ ‘’Saving Face,’’ ‘’The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.’’

20. Film Editing: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Descendants,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Moneyball.’’

21. Makeup: ‘‘Albert Nobbs,’’ ‘’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’The Iron Lady.’’

22. Animated Short Film: ‘‘Dimanche/Sunday,’’ ‘’The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,’’ ‘’La Luna,’’ ‘’A Morning Stroll,’’ ‘’Wild Life.’’

23. Live Action Short Film: ‘‘Pentecost,’’ ‘’Raju,’’ ‘’The Shore,’’ ‘’Time Freak,’’ ‘’Tuba Atlantic.’’

24. Visual Effects: ‘‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Real Steel,’’ ‘’Rise of the Planet of the Apes,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon.’’

According to Fandango, “The King’s Speech” got a late-run boost in ticket sales, leading Fandango.com Monday with 21 percent of all daily ticket sales, doubling its sales since last Monday.

The film was the big winner during Sunday’s Academy Awards, winning several Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

Fandango users also responded to a few Oscar-related questions.

Oscar’s Most Awkward Moments:

1. James Franco in drag making a Charlie Sheen joke (34 percent of the vote)

2. Kirk Douglas’ “Best Supporting Actress” presentation (33 percent)

3. Melissa Leo’s rambling acceptance speech, complete with “F”-bomb (18 percent)

Oscar’s Biggest Snubs:

1. “Inception’s” Christopher Nolan losing Best Original Screenplay to “The King’s Speech’s” David Seidler (39 percent)

2. “True Grit’s” Hailee Steinfeld losing Best Supporting Actress to “The Fighter’s” Melissa Leo (23 percent)

3. “The Social Network’s” David Fincher losing Best Director to “The King’s Speech’s” Tom Hooper (22 percent)

Fandango moviegoers were also asked to rate James Franco’s performance as an Oscar host last night, and 57 percent of respondents said it was “below average.”

The Oscars are not for kids.

Scratch that. As a child, the Oscars gave me immense joy and pleasure.

But I’m under age 30, and no one my age should be allowed to host the Academy Awards.

The obvious attempt to inject a hip sense of youthfulness into the very mature annual primary movie award gala was a failed experiment that does not need repetition.

Now, Anne Hathaway looked cute as a button, and she was good in “Alice in Wonderland.” And James Franco was utterly amazing in 127 hours, certainly deserving of his nomination. That’s not what this is about.

They both, together and individually, proved to be terrible Oscar hosts.

Franco gave no emotion. His crooked smiles and sleepy line deliveries took away from the show. Hathaway giggled like a schoolgirl every 15 seconds and w00ted every, single person she introduced like some obsessed Twilight fangirl.

Was there also no need for an opening monologue or some humor or banter to start us off? The pair had virtually no chemistry and did not play off each other at all. They looked more like uncomfortable high school students asking each other to dance at a mixer.

The problem is that they’re only a few years removed from that portion of their lives. The hosts need to transcend the show and the stars they are honoring, not get all starry-eyed every time someone like Sandra Bullock (who would be a great host) or Oprah come up on stage.

It was so bad, that Billy Crystal’s cameo was the best bit of dialogue of the night, showing that while age isn’t everything, experience and talent sure help when it comes to hosting a major event live.

Well that’s a wrap. Complete list of winners is below.

By the way, compare the winners to our predictions!

Alice in Wonderland wins Achievement in Art Direction

Inception wins Achievement in Cinematography

Melissa Leo wins Best Supporting Actress.

The Lost Thing wins Best Animated Short.

Toy Story 3 wins Best Animated Picture.

Aaron Sorkin wins Best Adapted Screenplay.

David Seidler wins Best Original Screenplay.

In A Better World (Denmark) Wins Best Foreign Film

Christian Bale wins Best Supporting Actor

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross win Best Original Score for “The Social Network”

Inception wins for Best Sound Mixing

Inception wins for Best Sound Editing

The Wolfman wins for Best Makeup

Alice in Wonderland Wins Best Costume Design

Strangers No More Wins Best Documentary Short

God of Love wins Best Live Action Short Film

Inside Job wins Best Documenary

Inception wins Best Visual F/X

The Social Network wins Best Film Editing

“We Belong Together” Wins Best Original Song for Toy Story 3

Tom Hooper wins Best Director for “The King’s Speech”

Natalie Portman Wins Best Actress

Colin Firth Wins Best Actor

The King’s Speech Wins Best Picture

Actress Anne Hathaway, 28, told People about Oscar producers’ choice of her and James Franco, 32, to be the hosts of the next year’s Academy Awards, “I could not even begin to fathom their thought process.”

Even though she told the magazine that she had no idea why she was chose, she is surely very excited to do that with Franco. She said, “I can’t go into anything about it … just that I’m doing it with him.”

Oscar looks good for 82.

In one of the most fun and breezy Oscar telecasts in years, co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin proved to be a terrific duo, keeping the long awards show rolling with consistent laughs. After giving the stage over to Neil Patrick Harris who opened the festivities with a show-stopping song and dance number, the “It’s Complicated” co-stars proved to be a winning combination, poking fun at Hollywood’s biggest stars without any of the awkwardness that exemplified Ricky Gervais’s shot as host of the Golden Globes.

The awards themselves proved fairly predictable.

The acting awards were all taken by the heavy favorites with Monique (“Precious”) and Christoph Waltz (“Inglorious Basterds”) winning supporting honors while Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”) and Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”) took the lead acting honors. It was the first win for all four, and the first nomination for all but Bridges.

The big winner in the battle for total award dominance belonged to “The Hurt Locker” which beat out box office behemoth “Avatar,” 6-3. The war film won both Best Picture and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow — making her the first woman to take home directing honors. While “Avatar’s” ginormous box office numbers and rave reviews made it the heavy favorite early in the award season, “The Hurt Locker” had dominated the last few weeks of the season and was considered a strong front runner going into tonight’s final leg.

On to the most stacked category of the night…Best Actor. Very cool bringing out some other fine actors to talk about the nominees. And congratulations Vera Farmiga for actually getting a smile out of the surprisingly moody Clooney. Wow these stories have been great, particularly the one where Morgan Freeman didn’t know Tim Robbins’ name the first day of shooting “The Shawshank Redemption.” And who wouldn’t want to go on a trip to Mexico with Colin Farrell and Jeremy Renner — even if you did have to share a pillow. Bet those guys can party.

I am not sure who to root for. This category is so strong top to bottom. I am hoping for Jeremy Renner — the guy was a force of nature in “The Hurt Locker,” but Jeff Bridges has waited so long and his turn as Bad Blake is certainly award-worthy. And presenting is the always luminous Kate Winslet. With a standing ovation, it is Jeff Bridges. Yeah, “The Dude” has an Oscar. Bit of a rambling speech, but the guy deserves it. And acting really is a “groovy” profession. Bridges is one of a kind.

Best Actress has been considered a two-person race for a few months now. Will it be Streep or Bullock? My personal choice would be Carey Mulligan for “An Education.” She was absolutely wonderful as the young and naive Jenny, but my money is on Sandra Bullock. Besides, I expect Mulligan, like Streep, will be back here a lot. I think it is going to be tough to give Streep a third instead of the well-liked Bullock a first. Really love the decision to have actors “present” each actress with a story. Hard to choose who to root for; all the stories were great.

And it’s Sandra Bullock. Who would have ever thought Bullock would ever be nominated, let alone win? But she found a heck of a part and played it well. Her speech should be used as a template by future winners. Just classy top to bottom. And great sentiment to end on, thanking the “moms who take care of the children and babies no matter where they come from.”

We are in the home stretch, people. Here comes Best Director. I think it is Bigelow’s year. It would certainly be a worthy first win for a female director.

And Kathryn Bigelow it is. She made a kick ass action flick and got some got some great performances from her entire cast. Great to see her come out with a win in such a strong year for the category. And in the bigger award battle, that makes it 5 for “The Hurt Locker” to “Avatar”‘s 3.

To end the show, we have the indelible Tom Hanks. And the winner is… “The Hurt Locker,” winning its sixth of the night. Sorry “Avatar,” you will have to live with the $2 Billion plus you have earned world-wide. Gotta love how pumped the whole cast is. Summit is no longer just the studio behind “Twilight.” Now they have an Oscar winner…. wow.

SAN DIEGO – In the early morning hours while most of the nation begins to wake up from their sleep, the award season in Hollywood continues on and this time with 2010′s Academy Award nominations. Leading the ceremony is last year’s nominee for leading actress, Anne Hathaway whose announcement could be viewed live on the internet  via LiveStream.com.     The one major difference this year will be the expansion of the Best Film category which now includes room for ten nominations.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Mo’Nique in Precious

Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air

Pen©lope Cruz in Nine

Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart

Actor in a Supporting Role

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Christopher Plummer in The Last Station

Matt Damon in Invictus

Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones

Woody Harrelson in The Messengers

Actor in a Leading Role

Morgan Freeman in Invictus

Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

George Clooney in Up in the Air

Colin Firth in A Single Man

Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

Actress in a Leading Role

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side

Helen Mirren in The Last Station

Gabourey Sidibe in Precious

Carey Mulligan in An Education

Animated Feature Film

Up (Pete Docter and Bob Peterson)

The Princess and the Frog (Ron Clements and John Musker)

Coraline (Henry Selick)

Fantastic Mr Fox (Wes Anderson)

Secret of Kells

Foreign Language Film

Ajami (Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, Israel)

A Prophet (Jacques Audiard, France)

The Secret of Her Eyes (Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina)

The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, Germany)

The Milk of Sorrow (Claudia Llosa, Peru)

Directing

Avatar (James Cameron)

The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)

Lee Daniels (Precious)

Writing (adapted screenplay)

District 9 (Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell)

An Education (Nick Hornby)

Precious (Geoffrey Fletcher)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner)

In the Loop (Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin and Tony Roche)

Writing (original screenplay)

The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen)

Up (Pete Docter and Bob Petersen)

The Messenger (Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman)

Best Picture

Avatar (James Cameron –  director; Brooke Breton , Laeta Kalogridis, Jon Landau, Josh McLaglen, Janace Tashjian, Peter M Tobyansen, Colin Wilson – producers)

District 9 (Neill Blomkamp – director, Bill Block, Philippa Boyens, Carolynne Cunningham, Elliot Ferwerda, Paul Hanson, Peter Jackson, Ken Kamins, Michael S Murphey – producers)

An Education (Lone Scherfig)

The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Precious (Lee Daniels)

A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)

The Blind Side (John Lee Hancock)

Up

Art Direction

Avatar

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (art direction: Dan Hermansen and Denis Schnegg; set decoration: Caroline Smith and Shane Vieau)

Nine (art direction: Peter Findley, Phil Harvey, Simon Lamont; set decoration: Gordon Sim)

Sherlock Holmes (art direction: James Foster, Nick Gottschalk, Matthew Gray, Niall Moroney; set decoration: Katie Spencer)

The Young Victoria

Cinematography

Avatar (Mauro Fiore)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Hurt Locker (Barry Ackroyd)

Inglourious Basterds (Robert Richardson)

The White Ribbon (Christian Berger)

Costume Design

Bright Star

Coco Before Chanel (Catherine Leterrier)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Monique Prudhomme)

Nine (Colleen Atwood)

The Young Victoria (Sandy Powell)

Documentary (Feature)

Burma VJ

The Cove (Louie Psihoyos)

Food, Inc (Robert Kenner)

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith)

Which Way Home?

Documentary (Short Subject)

China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province

The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner

The Last Track: Closing of a GM Plant

Music by Prudence

Rabbit a la Berlin

Film Editing

Avatar

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

Makeup

Il Divo

The Young Victoria

Star Trek

Music (Original Score)

Avatar (James Horner)

Fantastic Mr Fox (Alexandre Desplat)

Up (Michael Giacchino)

The Hurt Locker (Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders)

Sherlock Holmes (Hans Zimmer)

Music (Original Song)

Almost There, from The Princess and the Frog by Randy Newman

Down in New Orleans, from The Princess and the Frog by Randy Newman

Loin de Paname, from Paris 36

Take it All, from Nine by Maury Yeston

The Weary Kind, from Crazy Heart by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be nominating 10 films for the next Academy Awards, said Academy President Sid Ganis in a press conference Wednesday.

The decision marks a return to the first years of the Oscars, when an average of ten nominees were chosen each year for the top prize. The last time the Academy nominated that number was in 1943 (the winner was “Casablanca”).

“We will be casting our net wider,” said Ganis. “And in casting that net wider, who knows what will turn up?”

Ganis said the decision was based on the hope that more nominations will leave room for films that are usually left out of the top honors but are well-regarded in other categories. He demonstrated the new plans using the crop of films nominated for Best Picture in 1939, which are part of a retrospective the Academy is currently running. That year held ten nominations, including masterpieces: “Gone with the Wind,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Ganis said that it would have been virtually impossible to narrow these films down to five contenders in 1939, as would have been the case if they were nominated today.

“I can only bet that each of us would answer that question differently,” said Ganis, “but one thing is obvious: Whichever five movies you selected, you’d be losing five extraordinary films.”

No category of film will be restricted from the Best Picture category. In recent tradition, comedies, documentaries, foreign film and summer blockbusters have been ignored in favor of a specific category of dramatic feature films, deemed “Oscar-bait” by film insiders. Ganis said his hope was that wider category will allow for more genres of film and a more open-minded approach to what is considered Oscar-worthy.

“It may make it more interesting, and less cloistered,” Ganis said. “It will be more open with more possibilities and more potential.”

The changes will go into effect for next year’s 82nd Academy Awards. The nominees will be announced in February 2010.

In the middle of the celeb-fest that is the Academy Awards, among the Meryl Streeps and the Brangelinas of the evening, it’s easy to forget the smaller filmmakers who are also being honored that night. Most people don’t get a chance to see the short film nominees, who tell their varied stories within minutes instead of hours.

“New Boy,” was one such story, and one of the nominated films for Best Live Action Short — the winner on Sunday was “Spielzeugland (Toyland).” Based on a Roddy Doyle short story, “New Boy” is the depiction of Joseph, a boy from Africa, as he starts his first day of school after emigrating to Ireland. The 11-minute film covers Joseph’s less-than-welcome reception by the other boys and the extraordinary circumstances that brought him to this strange new country.

Blast spoke by phone to Tamara Anghie, the producer of “New Boy,” recently. Anghie told us about the joys of short film making, “New Boy,” and why preparing for the Oscars is like getting ready for a wedding.

Emma Rose Johnson: Well, I just want to start by saying congratulations on your nomination. I thought that it’s a really lovely little film.

Tamara Anghie: Thank you so much, thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

EJ: I did, I did, very much. You’ve produced several short films. I know a lot of people aren’t familiar with the form, as it’s not something you usually see in your multiplex. Tell me about producing a short film; what does it look like, how does it work?

TA: Well, really producing a short film in many ways is the same sort of tools and the same sort of skills that you put into any production. And I think a lot of people don’t realize that the amount of work that goes into producing a short is actually close to being what you would do on a much longer film feature as well. I guess why I’m attracted to them is I think short stories in a very short space of time can actually convey so much. I think in the process of story telling, some of the best stories that you hear are conveyed in ten minutes- you don’t sit and listen to somebody talking for an hour and a half. And the mechanics of it- it’s really very much the same producing skills in terms of raising the finance, getting the appropriate people together, and really having a very strong relationship with the writer and director to make sure that the best quality material is put up on the screen.

EJ: How does one finance short film, because these are not films are not exactly blockbusters. Do you work with other producers or with studios to get these up?

TA: Well, we’re very lucky in Ireland to have a film board that is very supportive of emerging film makers, which has put into place programs that finance short films, and has done so for over ten years. And there are also small community organizations that work with the national broadcasters that also provide an opportunity to do short film making for a much smaller amount of money. There tends to be in certain European countries this desire to help emerging film makers and a real desire to support the short film making process; it’s seen as a craft in itself. So I’ve been fortunate that I’ve applied for grants or loans with my short films. I had done a few where I’ve had to raise it through private finance and private equity, which is really going and speaking to organizations and people that have some money who are interested in the project, because they love the story or who’s involved. It’s certainly not a money-making exercise- it’s certainly not something where any of us involved in it make any money from it. We do it for the love of doing it, and really having the opportunity to exercise our craft.

EJ: Absolutely. So it’s just for the love of film, the love of film making.

TA: Definitely. And telling stories. It really comes down to the expression of story-telling, and the wanting to be part of that process. In a visual way.

EJ: I do want to talk about this film in particular- what attracted you to this project?

TA: Very much the story; I have to give credit to my long-time writer/director partner Steph Green, who came across the short story. It’s based on a short story by the well-known Irish writer Roddy Doyle. He had published it in a multi-cultural magazine called Metro Ireland. Metro Eireann, it’s called in Ireland. She came across the story, and immediately knew that she would be able to make a great short film from this. And so we approached Roddy Doyle and asked if we could get the option to make it into a film, which he granted, and it went from there. But I think the qualities of the story that appealed to both of us, was that there’s a universality of being the new person, whatever age you are and whatever your circumstances, there is a quality of feeling alien and having to make those adjustments. And certainly that’s true on a personal level for me: I’m an Australian living in Ireland now, and I originally was born in Sri Lanka and moved to Australia, so I’ve had a lot of new starts. So I think I can really relate to the character of Joseph and what he was going through.

EJ: That’s actually something I wanted to ask you; this is an Irish story, it was filmed in Ireland, but the main character is an African boy. And I know that Ireland has been dealing with having a recent influx of immigrants. Do you consider this an Irish film, or do you think it’s more international in nature?

TA: Well, I think because there’s a universality of the themes that are explored in the story, I think that people can relate to it from all around the world. I think that’s what we’ve seen happen as it’s made it’s first festival run and been received so well in the festivals. But I do think very intrinsically that it is an Irish story, largely because Roddy Doyle’s writing is very specifically Irish. He has an Irish voice. And I think in this story, he is portraying what’s happening in Ireland in a very specific way. I think the answer to that question is it does both, but it is very much reflecting what is going on in Ireland at the moment.

EJ: Did you get to work personally with Roddy Doyle at all? Was he involved in the filming in any way?

TA: Very much so. I didn’t specifically, that was more Steph as the writer and the director. Roddy gave Steph the permission to adapt the story herself, which was very gracious because normally he writes his own screenplays. But Steph had several meetings with him, and went through the first draft of the screenplay with him. Then through the casting process, we sent him clips of the various people that we were casting, as a courtesy as much anything else, in case he had anything insightful in terms of the characters we were casting. And then he also commented right down to the edits. So we kept him involved in the process all along the way. He’s been terrific, just absolutely been terrific with us.

EJ: Oh, wonderful. Has he seen the film yet?

TA: Oh yes, he saw the premiere. He came to the cast and crew screening that we had a couple of years ago now, because we made the film a couple of years ago. And he really loved it. I think we knew we had succeeded when he said his eight-year-old daughter, I think she was eight at the time, just kept playing it over and over and over again. So once we knew we had her seal of approval, we knew we had his too. (laughter)

EJ: That’s got to be very gratifying to know that the original man who created the source material really enjoyed the film.

TA: It was very important to us that that happened. Which is I think why we involved him so much in the process- Steph has such integrity in her film making, and she wanted to be sure that she was representing, as you say, the source material, in a way that was heartening to and accurate for the originator of the material.

EJ: Absolutely. I do want to ask- have you been to the Oscars before?

TA: Never! Never, this is my first experience.

EJ: You must be very excited.

TA: It is extremely exciting. And you know, the thing that I have really taken from this is it’s a wonderful experience, but you don’t realize how much is involved. The whole process. And the planning that goes into getting everything together for it is almost like a wedding planning. It’s the dress, and the fittings, and the shoes, and the accessories, and everything else. And then the people who are coming along. It’s a process, but it’s fabulous, absolutely fabulous.

Who would have thought this time last year that Robert Pattinson would be presenting at the Oscars?

“Twilight”, with the help of millions of screaming girls, has brought Bert a long way. He was in surprising demand to be interviewed considering the superstars present at the event, and one channel even cut away from an interview with the “Slumdog Millionaire” kids to show him posing for pictures along the red carpet. That’s a big deal because those kids were an adorable favorite for the night.

It was a pleasant surprise, no doubt, to thousands of girls out there (and probably his managers as well) to see that his beloved, trademark locks are growing back in quickly for the upcoming filming of New Moon in March. Wearing a classic black tux and skinny bow tie, Rob showed us he really can clean up well. He even shaved off most of the surprisingly sexy hobo beard he had forming.

After walking the red carpet, which was much calmer than I’m sure he’s used to, being free of fangirls, Rob could be seen sitting almost directly behind Mickey Rourke during the show (note: Rob Pattinson had a better seat than Tina Fey who was about two rows behind him. How did that happen?). Rob took the stage with Amanda Seyfried from “Mama Mia!” to introduce a montage of what Romance looked like in film in 2008. After a few lines, and a few chuckles from the audience, it was hard not to wonder what happened to Rob’s accent. Was he channeling Edward Cullen to dazzle the audience? It just might have worked.

At the Vanity Fair after party, Pattinson could be seen chatting with fellow heartthrob Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. What some teens out there wouldn’t give to find those three in one room…

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“Slumdog Millionaire” struck it rich at the 81^st Academy Awards Sunday. The Danny Boyle film about life in the slums of Mumbai garnered eight Oscars, leaving its competition “Milk” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” in the dust.

Boyle, upon taking the stage to receive his award for Best Director, jumped up and down furiously. He then said that he’d promised his children that “if this miracle ever happened, that I would receive it in the spirit of Tigger from ‘Winnie the Pooh.’” After presenter Stephen Spielberg announced that “Slumdog” had won, the stage was besieged with cast and crew from the movie, including several children who appeared in the film.

There were few surprises in terms of the winners this year. The only bit of disappointment was that the Academy gave Sean Penn Best Actor for his role in “Milk,” instead of sealing fellow nominee Mickey Rourke’s fabulous comeback in “The Wrestler.” But Penn was gracious towards Rourke in his speech: “Mickey Rourke rises again, and he is my brother!”

To the surprise of no one, Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor for “The Dark Knight.” Ledger’s family took the stage to accept the award on his behalf, giving a simple, eloquent and heartbreaking speech about their lost loved one. “We proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful Matilda,” Ledger’s sister Kate said, referring to Ledger’s three-year-old daughter.

The event was cast as a “scaled down” Oscars this year, in view of the recession, but host Hugh Jackman and the evening’s architects made it look far more like the Tonys than the Oscars on a budget. There were several musical numbers, involving Jackman (in a wonderful duet with nominee Anne Hathaway, among other things), Queen Latifah, John Legend, Beyonce, A.R. Rahman (who won best song for “Slumdog”), and a coterie of dancing girls and boys.

The whole show had a scrappy, off-the-cuff feeling that was quite a nice surprise after years of pretentious montages and extended acceptance speeches. When Bill Maher announced that “Man on Wire” had won Best Documentary, Philippe Petit, the subject of the film, ran onstage, gave a shout-out to fellow nominee Werner Herzog, did a magic trick, and then balanced the Oscar statuette on his chin. Steve Martin and Tina Fey had a terrific exchange of scripted banter to introduce the nominees for Best Screenplay. Judd Apatow and actors Seth Rogan and James Franco filmed a skit in which the two actors get high with famed cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and laugh hysterically through “The Reader.”

And so it would seem that this evening, unlike many that had proceeded before it, was truly about artistry, humility and, above all, having one hell of a good time.

There were two questions running through everyone’s mind at the‚  81st Academy Awards: 1. Who will take home the most awards — Slumdog Millionaire or Benjamin Button, and 2. Why is Philip Seymore Hoffman wearing that beanie?

Fashion has always been a huge part of the hype surrounding the Academy Awards and Sunday was no different. With Hollywood’s brightest stars walking the red‚  carpet in their finest, we can always expect to see some characters.

Best of the Evening

Taraji P. Henson

With a white, curve-hugging dress by Alberta Ferretti, Taraji keeps you captivated from head to toe. A stunning, sharp necklace contrasts with the dress as it softly unfolds into a train.
Anne Hathaway

This lucky lady actually got to wear two dresses at the Academy Awards tonight. Her red carpet dress by Armani kept with the neutral tones of the evening, fishtailing at the bottom with bright paillettes throwing light and intrigue into her look. Once on the stage with Hugh, you might have noticed she changed into something a little more danceable, but no less charming.
Angelina Jolie

Less is more. Angelina kept it simple and striking with a black Elie Saab gown, and green Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. There’s really not much to say about how this woman constantly keeps up her track record for being undeniably attractive. Not to mention the arm candy that never goes out of style – Brad Pitt.
Freida Pinto

Despite being part of the stand-out movie of the year, Freida could have been spotted anywhere on the red carpet with her deep blue, one sleeved John Galliano gown. She looked timelessly beautiful, which was fitting considering her diamond ring was 150 years old.

Penelope Cruz

Another neutral color, but by no means plain. Penelope’s dress was vintage, ruched, and brilliantly embellished. It’s hard to believe, but this dress has waited in the shop for Penelope for 8 years. We’re glad she found it again.

Hugh Jackman

He was just too brilliant to look anything but spectacular. It might have been the song and dance that blinded us, but his simple, sharp tux really looked great on a stage worthy of the old glamorous Hollywood.

Robert Pattinson

We can’t help but mention our new favorite Brit. In a classic old-school tux with a skinny bow tie, Rob showed us how well he can clean up. Not only did he shed a bit of his new beard, but also a bit of his British accent for presenting this evening.

Worst of the Evening

Jessica Biel

Although white might have been in this year, Biel missed the target with this shape-contorting block by Prada. With one of the best bodies in Hollywood, it’s a shame she decided to cover those curves up with this tiered mess of extra material.

Tilda Swinton

Why would such a dignified woman and actress dress in something that made her look like a cigarette? The black and grayish-white number by Lanvin left her skin looking even more pale than normal and reduced her figure to one hard line.

Mickey Rourke

It’s hard to say this is one of the worst when he’s donning a necklace in memory of his dear Loki, but alas, it’s true. His white Jean Paul Gaultier number definitely shows the gusto we expect from Rourke, not to mention the random chains and wicked witch of the west shoes that we should have expected, really.

Sarah Jessica Parker

This “barely mint” Dior Haute Couture strapless seems like a shout out to her recurring character Carrie Bradshaw. It definitely makes her cleavage “barely” avoidable, but in conjunction with her overstated makeup, leads us to remember that Carrie often wore some pretty ugly (though supposedly fashion forward) stuff.

Sophia Loren

It’s hard to put into words really – and it seems it must have been hard to put into fabric. A neutral, yellowish, puffy octopus inspired dress oozed around Sophia while sallowing her skin color and clashing with her hair.

Heidi Klum

Think origami inspired ’80s Jetsons and you’ve imagined Heidi Klum’s red Roland Mouret gown. Bold, yes. Tacky? Just maybe. Fashion forward? I guess we’ll see in a century or two.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

We saved the best for last. Sure, the tux was normal, but we kept getting distracted by the beanie. With sweeping locks falling from underneath the hat, we figure that maybe he’s trying out the young look we’ve seen so many of our heart throbs wear out on the towns, but at the Academy Awards? On Philip Seymour Hoffman. It just doesn’t add up.

Now let us know what you think. Were you as equally dazzled by our stars and starlets? Do you think Miley Cyrus deserved to be on this list in one way or another? Think the beanie was hot? Reveal your fashion highs and lows of the night below in the comment box.

What’s happening folks!! This is Emma Rose Johnson here in my glamorous apartment in Boston, observing the Red Carpet. It’s not the Vanity Fair party, but it’ll do.

Blast Entertainment Editor Terri Schwartz is with me, and will be assisting the outpouring of snappy bon mots. Plus we’ve got a whole bottle of wine, so as the evening wears on, I’ll be more and more hilarious.

Ooh, they’re starting! Let’s watch!

8:30 p.m.: Hugh!!!! He’ll be better than Jon Stewart at this, maybe!

8:32: “Next year I’ll be starring in a movie called New Zeland,” – not bad, Hugh, not bad

8:34: Jackman’s made this The Tonys! Which means we may not fall asleep… this is already a thousand times more fun than any other awards show ever made.

8:38: I like that “scaled down” means Oscar’s cut out of paper.

8:41: Montage #1: supporting actresses…and the curtains don’t work. Man this is scaled down.

8:43: And now they’ve hauled them all out for the supporting actress award: Tilda Swinton says that they’re here welcoming another person into group…like a sorority, or a cult.

8:45: “It’s not easy being a nun.”- Whoopie might have one of the best lines of the night.

8:47: The winner is… Penelope Cruz!! Thought Viola Davis had it, but what are ya gonna do?

8:52: haha Jackman just yelled at the band. Teach you to cut people off.

8:53: Steve and Tina! What are you doing here? Excellent intro, and I like how they’re introducing the noms for best screenplay.

8:58: Dustin Lance Black is getting me all feclempt.

9:01: Simon Beafoy wins best adapted screenplay for “Slumdog,” hooray!

9:04: Animation’s next up- they’re getting the big stuff in early this year. I need to know when the technical awards are out so I can go get a pizza or something.

9:08: Wall-E: the only sure winner besides Heath Ledger.

9:10: domo arigato, Mr. Roboto. Sank you.

9:16: The production design stage is very cool- I would love to have my apartment designed like this.

9:17: B.Button won for it’s fussy CGI design, yay.

9:19: Oooh, Sarah Jessica Parker looks like a pretty, pretty princess. And The Duchess won for costume design. It should have won for the giant blue hat with fox fur all over it alone.

9:22: Daniel looks hot, but really uncomfortable. B.Button wins for its admittedly awesome age makeup.

9:25: Pattinson is looking mad vampiric right now, but I think it’s just the lighting. Ooh, romance montage! It makes my heart sing!

9:27: ROBERT!!!!

9:28: To clarify, that outburst was for Downey, Jr., not Pattinson.

9:30: We will be back tomorrow to liveblog the interview with octomom’s lover.

9:32: At first I thought Stiller was supposed to be a rabbi, but he’s apparently having an existential crisis. It’s official- this is the greatest Oscars EVER.

9:34:Slumdog again, for cinematography- First India takes all our jobs, now they’ve taken all our awards. UPDATE: Stiller was being Joaquin Pheonix. Much funnier.

9:35: Jessica Beal is making CGI sound a lot more interesting than it is.

9:44:This short with Franco and Rogan is so much better than any montage they’ve ever done. Am I drunk, or is this actually a pretty good event?

9:48: One of my favorite things during this event is watching the announcers herd the winners off stage, sheepdog-style.

9:52:I wanna see Doubt: The Musical!

9:53: oh, it’s Vanessa Hudgeons wearing a ridiculous hat! This is absolutely The Tony’s with Beyonce. And I LIKE IT.

10:02: Supporting actor awards: I know you’re all sitting on the edge of your seat for this one.

10:04: Walken’s tie is crooked- it’s a direct representation for his state of mind.

10:04: Kevin Kline: a fitting memorial of Ledger…and he won. Of course. And wisely, his family, not Christopher Nolan will be accepting the prize. It is unexpectedly moving to see these lovely people- non-Hollywood people- take the stage for their lost loved one.

10:12: I really, really need Werner Herzog to win. I always need him to win. In everything.

10:14: Oh Bill Maher don’t be an asshole. Just give it to Herzog already.

10:15: Booo, Herzog didn’t win. But Man on Wire did, so it’s all good. But the question remains: Why is Bill Maher such a douche?

10:17: The documentary short winner is wearing a fabulous dress. And she made Maher go away. She is an American hero.

10:22: Post-production!! Editing, sound! The cool stuff! Actually this is code for technical awards, so not really, but they’ve got a car chase montage, so I’m a happy camper.

10:23: Will Smith just called Brad Pitt in B. Button a garden gnome. There’s really nothing else to say.

10:27: And the Garden Gnome creators have it!

10:29: It’s hard to call these, or judge the winners, because how do you judge tech awards if you’re not a techie? I only viciously critique art, thank you very much.

10:31: Let’s take a moment and thank Ms. Terri Schwartz for assisting me, giving the best quips of the evening, and lending me use of her computer. Thanks Terri!! In addition, Terri would like to take a moment to appreciate the Will Smith phrase “bat-like speed.”

10:35: Slumdog won for it’s bat-like editing!! I whole-heartedly support this judgement, as the editing set the whole tone for this movie. Yay Slumdog!

10:41: Can I just mention how wonderful it is to see the Slumdog crowd being chipper and enthused and acting like they’re genuinely happy to be there? I want them to win EVERYTHING.

10:42: Eddie Murphy is really not great at this presenting thing, what with his eyes following the teleprompter and what-not. Ironically, Jerry Lewis, who’s getting the award he’s presenting, would be a lot better at presenting his own award.

10:45: I’m glad Anne Hathaway’s in the front row- I just like looking at her.

10:47: Why is it that Jerry Lewis can mug for the cameras and I don’t find it irritating? All of you have to see “The King of Comedy” the Martin Scorcese film. Lewis is wonderful in it.

10:53: They’ve done the pretty muzak, and now…Slumdog’s won again!! A.R. Rahman is GOD.

10:55: I expected Rahman to be strange and elusive, but he’s actually chubby and adorable.

10:57: And now the stage is filled with Bollywood dancers, and the wine I’ve been drinking is warming me inside, and John Legend is singing the song from Wall-E, and for once I actually wish I was in the Oscar’s audience.

10:59: We’ve decided that the medley they just performed should win Best Song.

11:02: I want A.R. Rahman to be my boyfriend.

11:05: I can’t believe we only have five awards left. And my beloved Freida Pinto is announcing foreign film with my beloved Liam Neesan… And it’s Departures, a Japanese film I’ve not yet had the pleasure of seeing.

11:08: Sometimes people who only speak broken English can say something in it’s most basic form, and it says everything you need to know. The director of “Departures.”- “I am very happy. I am here because of film.”

11:10: Terri says that Queen Latifah looks like a little present.

11:12: I really love Latifah’s song- this actually makes me sad. We had a lot of big deaths this year, a lot of wonderful talent, and a lot of potential lost…Wait no memorial for Heath Ledger? Did they consider his win the memorial? A little awkward to say the least.

11:20: Director awards people, sit up and pay attention! This is basically an early prediction of who will win.

11:20: And it’s Danny Boyle!! I feel bad for Gus Van Sant, but- oh, damn, Boyle just jumped up and down like Tigger!!! It’s because he’s just realized that he’s never going to have to worry about work again.

11:24: All right, babies, we’re near the end of the line. Best actress up next: Will Anne Hathaway snatch the award away from Kate Winslet?

11:28: Sophia Loren: Goddess of Destruction

11:31: And, yes, it’s Kate Winslet. She should win, but not for “The Reader.” Ah well, cest la vie. I have a feeling that her lovely speech is going to be in furture montages. Now on to the lads!

11:37: They’ve got a good line-up for the actor fraternity- De Niro, Adrien Brody, Michael Douglas…Richard Jenkins thought bubble: “You googled me?”

11:41: Wait people, stop: WHERE is Jack Nicholson???? Has someone checked on him?

11:43: OH!!!! And it’s an upset, with Sean Penn taking the award from favorite comeback Mickey Rourke! (Terri just made me go deaf by screaming in joy).

11:45: Penn is quite humble, and gave an awesome shout-out to Rourke. Excellent job, you commie, homo-loving sons of guns.

11:48: It’s a montage of the past genre films that influenced the current nominees- a rather inspired idea, actually.

11:52: All right kids, hold on to your hats: And, to no one’s surprise, it’s Slumdog Millionaire! Part of kinds hoped for an upset, but I love that movie so much, I’m a happy girl. Oh, god, they have adorable children on stage! This whole cast and crew look like just about the nicest people you could ever meet.

Well that was deeply satisfying, wasn’t it? Generally what was expected in terms of winning, though I have to say I was really hoping that Rourke and his chihuahuas would win. I’ll post a longer follow-up tomorrow on my thoughts. And now: bedtime!!

Here, for what it’s worth, are my 2009 Oscar predictions in the six major categories:

Best Picture:

Will Win: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Should Win: “Frost/Nixon”
Common consensus is that Sunday night will belong to the Little Movie That Could from India, but for my nerdy journalistic sensibilities, the best movie of the year was Ron Howard’s engaging adaptation of “Frost/Nixon.”

Best Director:

Will Win: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Should Win: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
The British director’s crafting of this Indian fairytale into the feel-good movie of the year makes him the favorite, and deservedly so.

Best Actor:

Will Win: Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”
Should Win: Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”
The Academy loves a comeback, and Mickey Rourke certainly seems to have reinvented himself with his utterly sacrificial turn in “The Wrestler.” Keep an eye on Sean Penn though, who might emerge as a dark horse victor for voters who might use their ballot to make a political statement in light of Proposition 8′s passing in November.

Best Actress:

Will Win: Kate Winslet, “The Reader”
Should Win: Kate Winslet, “The Reader”
Backlash against “The Reader” and, in turn, Winslet’s performance has been building ever since it surged ahead of (presumably) “The Dark Knight” and “Wall-E” to nab a Best Picture nomination. Behind “Frost/Nixon” it was my second favorite movie of the year. Between this and her un-nominated performance in “Revolutionary Road” Winslet cemented herself as the best actress working today.

Best Supporting Actor:

Will Win: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Should Win: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Even setting aside the tragedy of his untimely death as a factor in this race, Ledger’s performance is undeniably the standout of the bunch. It’s inconceivable that the Academy would give the award to anyone else. Our condolences, Michael Shannon!

Best Supporting Actress:

Will Win: Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Should Win: ????
Penelope Cruz seems to be the favorite here for her turn in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” which I can’t comment on, not having seen the film. But the Academy always reserves it’s WTF vote for one of the supporting categories (see: Alan Arkin, Tilda Swinton), and since Heath Ledger is the closest thing this year to a lock, you can bet this race will end up being a crap shoot. My reasoning is that if voters thought enough of Davis’s 15 minutes of screentime to reward her with a nomination, there’s no reason she can’t take home the prize.

Paul Newman, legendary actor, avid philanthropist and successful businessman, died Friday from cancer at age 83, said his publicist Jeff Sanderson.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards ranging from 1959 (“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”) to 2003 (“Road to Perdition”), Newman has made a lasting mark on Hollywood and will not soon be forgotten. Newman won his only Oscar in 1987 for his leading role in “The Color of Money.”

In addition to his acting career, Newman is well known for his race car career and food company. In 1982, Newman became co-owner of Newman-Haas racing. He also founded the food company, Newman’s Own, in which all of its proceeds go towards charity. His philanthropic tendencies did not stop there, as he also started The Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, an organization for terminally-ill children.

Newman cited health issues earlier this year when he turned down the opportunity to direct a production of “Of Mice and Men” in the fall.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio in January of 1925 to Arthur and Theresa Newman, Newman’s interest in acting was a derivative of his mother’s and uncle’s interest in the creative arts.

It was at age 25, after Newman moved his then-wife Jackie and son Scott to Conn. to pursue a career in acting at the Yale University School of Drama. There, while doing a play, Newman was spotted by two agents who invited him to come to New York City as a professional actor.

In New York, Newman has several guest appearances in various TV shows before landing his big break in 1953 as an understudy to the lead role in the Broadway play, “Picnic.” It was in this play that he met his now-wife Joanne Woodward, but he was still married to Jackie, who had just given birth to their second child, Susan.

During this time Newman was also accepted into the New York Actor’s Studio, regardless of the fact that he didn’t technically audition.

In 1954, landed his first film role in “The Silver Chalice,” a role he mocked throughout his life. His next role in 1956′s “Somebody Up There Likes Me” landed him critical acclaim, and from there on out, his film career is history. It seems like somebody up there really did like him, because he has won the hearts of millions with his iconic blue eyes and his portrayal of the American rascal.

Newman is survived by his wife, Joanne, and six children. Burial plans are unknown.

Stick with Blast Sunday night as Liz Raftery, our features editor, liveblogs Oscar night from the red carpet to the after parties!

We’ll have all the Academy Award winners, their reactions, performances, the fashion and all the magic of the biggest night in Hollywood!