Excitement is building for Hollywood’s biggest night as final preparations, in line with covid restrictions, are put into place for a more ‘normal’ event than last year’s drastically scaled-down affair. The ceremony, which was delayed by the pandemic, is taking place across two locations - Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and the Oscars' usual home of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. There will also be crossings to several international locations.
Where can you watch it in South Africa?
The 93rd Annual Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, 25 April (02:00-05:00 on Monday, 26 April South African time) and will honour the best movies and artistic talent on screen and behind the scenes in films released between 1 January 2020, and 28 February 2021.
Who is hosting and presenting awards?
Big names confirmed include Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford, Zendaya, Laura Dern, Regina King, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston and Renee Zellweger, as well as Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, who won the awards for best film and best director in 2020.
Additional presenters will be unveiled before the ceremony.
Will there be a red carpet?
Yes there will be, but it will be drastically scaled-down, there will be no crowds and masses of paparazzi due to the pandemic. Only nominees, their guests and presenters will be in attendance after having gone through mandatory rounds of testing and a required quarantine period.
Are any South Africans in the running?
Yes, there are! Nominated in the documentary feature category are Collective, Crip Camp, The Mole Agent, Time, and South Africa's My Octopus Teacher – the ground-breaking documentary recently scooped a prestigious BAFTA award in the same category.
The film documents a year spent by South African filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with an octopus in a Cape Townian kelp forest.
