Forest Whitaker to Join Academy President Sid Ganis for Oscar® Nominations

Forest Whitaker

January 20, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Toni Thompson – (310) 247-3090

Forest Whitaker to Join Academy President Sid Ganis for Oscar® Nominations

Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards ® will be announced on Thursday, January 22, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Oscar-winning actor and Academy member Forest Whitaker.

Ganis and Whitaker will unveil the nominations in 10 of the 24 award categories at a 5:30 a.m. news conference at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater Beverly Hills, California, USA, where hundreds of media representatives from around the world will be gathered. Nominations information for all categories will be distributed simultaneously to news media in attendance and via the Internet on the official Academy Awards Web site, www.oscar.com.

In 2006 Whitaker took home the Leading Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland”. He recently completed work on “My Own Love Song” and will be seen next in “Hurricane Season.” Whitaker is not only an accomplished actor, he is also director of several films, including “First Daughter,” “Hope Floats” and “Waiting to Exhale.” His other acting credits include “Vantage Point,” “The Great Debaters,” “Phenomenon,” “Smoke,” “The Crying Game,” “Bird,” “Good Morning, Vietnam” and “Platoon.”

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

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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 – the 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.

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