Elton John AIDS Foundation Presents Its 24th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party “Wonderful Crazy Night”

Event Sponsored By BVLGARI, MAC Cosmetics, And Neuro Drinks And Diana Jenkins

The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) will present its 24th annual Academy Awards Viewing Party: “Wonderful Crazy Night” on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at West Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. Sir  Elton John and David Furnish will host the gala event. For a fourth consecutive year, award-winning Chef Gordon Ramsay will prepare the sumptuous dinner for party guests to enjoy while watching a live telecast of the 88th Academy Awards. DJ Johnny Dynell also returns to spin tunes for guests to dance the night away.

Following dinner and an exciting live auction, Elton and his band will perform various selections, including songs from Elton’s new album Wonderful Crazy Night, co-produced by Elton and T-Bone Burnett with lyrics by Bernie Taupin.

Elton John AIDS Foundation logo (PRNewsFoto/Elton John AIDS Foundation)

Sir Elton John created EJAF over twenty years ago, first in the United States in 1992 and then in the United Kingdom in 1993. Through hard work and with the help of a wide network of kind and generous friends and supporters, the two foundations together have raised more than $349 million over the past two decades to combat stigma, prevent infections, provide treatment and services, and motivate governments to end AIDS. The U.S. foundation focuses its efforts on programs in the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean, while the U.K. foundation funds HIV-related work in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The Foundation’s Academy Awards Viewing Party is the most highly visible and successful fundraising event in Hollywood on Oscar night. Over the past 23 years, this annual event has raised more than $50 million, thanks to the generosity of EJAF’s supporters. These funds help the Foundation to make a real difference in the lives of people at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS, including urgently needed medical care in the Caribbean, innovative treatment and prevention programs in the Southern United States, and national initiatives addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States and Canada.

This year’s event co-chairs are Tim and Jane Allen, Beck, Boy George, Naomi Campbell, Jim Carrey, Ciara, Chris Colfer, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, John Demsey, Zooey Deschanel, Jennifer Kelly Dominiquini, Roland Emmerich, Stephane Gerschel, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Debbie Harry, Stephanie Horbaczewski, Samuel L. Jackson, Diana Jenkins, Caitlyn Jenner, Quincy Jones, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss, Heidi Klum, Ryan Kwanten, Fred Latsko, Shelley Lazar, Sandra Lee, Rob and Sheryl Lowe, Eric and Janet McCormack, Joe McMillan, Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Katy Perry, Tyler Perry, Adam Press, Andrew Rannells, Smokey and Frances Robinson, Zoe Saldana, Steve Sims, Britney Spears, Sharon Stone, Jeffrey Tambor, Steven Tyler, Denzel and Pauletta Washington, and Allison Williams.

Presenting Sponsors are BVLGARI, MAC Cosmetics, Neuro Drinks and Diana Jenkins. Audi, BBVA Compass, TheBLUEFISH, and StyleHaul have partnered with EJAF as the evening’s generous Co-Sponsors, and Fin Gray and Michael Melnick are Associate Sponsors. The Foundation is especially grateful to the City of West Hollywood for continued collaboration with EJAF on shared goals. American Airlines is EJAF’s official airline.

10 Contenders Remain In VFX Oscar® Race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

“Ant-Man”

“Avengers: Age of Ultron”

“Ex Machina”

“Jurassic World”

“Mad Max: Fury Road”

“The Martian”

“The Revenant”

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

“Tomorrowland”

“The Walk”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 9, 2016. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

9 Foreign Language Films Advance In Oscar® Race

Nine features will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Academy Awards®. Eighty films had originally been considered in the category.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2015 are being determined in two phases. The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based Academy members, screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and December 14. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.

The shortlist will be winnowed down to the category’s five nominees by specially invited committees in New York, Los Angeles and London. They will spend Friday, January 8, through Sunday, January 10, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Belgium, “The Brand New Testament,” Jaco Van Dormael, director;

Colombia, “Embrace of the Serpent,” Ciro Guerra, director;

Denmark, “A War,” Tobias Lindholm, director;

Finland, “The Fencer,” Klaus Härö, director;

France, “Mustang,” Deniz Gamze Ergüven, director;

Germany, “Labyrinth of Lies,” Giulio Ricciarelli, director;

Hungary, “Son of Saul,” László Nemes, director;

Ireland, “Viva,” Paddy Breathnach, director;

Jordan, “Theeb,” Naji Abu Nowar, director.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

112 Film Scores In 2015 Eligible for Best Original Score Oscar® Race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 112 scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2015 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible.

The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:

“Adult Beginners,” Marcelo Zarvos, composer

“The Age of Adaline,” Rob Simonsen, composer

“Altered Minds,” Edmund Choi, composer

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer

“Anomalisa,” Carter Burwell, composer

“Ant-Man,” Christophe Beck, composer

“Beasts of No Nation,” Dan Romer, composer

“The Big Short,” Nicholas Britell, composer

“Black Mass,” Tom Holkenborg, composer

“Bridge of Spies,” Thomas Newman, composer

“Brooklyn,” Michael Brook, composer

“Burnt,” Rob Simonsen, composer

“By the Sea,” Gabriel Yared, composer

“Carol,” Carter Burwell, composer

“Cartel Land,” H. Scott Salinas and Jackson Greenberg, composers

“Chi-Raq,” Terence Blanchard, composer

“Cinderella,” Patrick Doyle, composer

“Coming Home,” Qigang Chen, composer

“Concussion,” James Newton Howard, composer

“Creed,” Ludwig Goransson, composer

“The Danish Girl,” Alexandre Desplat, composer

“The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” Joseph Trapanese, composer

“Dukhtar,” Peter Nashel, composer

“The End of the Tour,” Danny Elfman, composer

“Everest,” Dario Marianelli, composer

“Ex Machina,” Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, composers

“Far from the Madding Crowd,” Craig Armstrong, composer

“Fifty Shades of Grey,” Danny Elfman, composer

“5 Flights Up,” David Newman, composer

“Frame by Frame,” Patrick Jonsson, composer

“Freedom,” James Lavino, composer

“Furious Seven,” Brian Tyler, composer

“The Good Dinosaur,” Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, composers

“Goosebumps,” Danny Elfman, composer

“Grandma,” Joel P. West, composer

“The Hateful Eight,” Ennio Morricone, composer

“He Named Me Malala,” Thomas Newman, composer

“Hot Pursuit,” Christophe Beck, composer

“Hot Tub Time Machine 2,” Christophe Beck, composer

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,” James Newton Howard, composer

“The Hunting Ground,” Miriam Cutler, composer

“I Smile Back,” Zack Ryan, composer

“I’ll See You in My Dreams,” Keegan DeWitt, composer

“In the Heart of the Sea,” Roque Baños, composer

“Inside Out,” Michael Giacchino, composer

“The Intern,” Theodore Shapiro, composer

“It Follows,” Disasterpeace, composer

“Jalam,” Ouesppachan, composer

“Jurassic World,” Michael Giacchino, composer

7 Features Advance In Race For Makeup And Hairstyling Oscar®, 305 Feature Films In Contention For 2015 Best Picture Oscar®

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that seven films remain in competition in the Makeup and Hairstyling Category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

“Black Mass”

“Concussion”

“Legend”

“Mad Max: Fury Road”

“Mr. Holmes”

“The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared”

“The Revenant”

On Saturday, January 9, 2016, all members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.

In other news, three hundred five feature films were eligible for the 2015 Academy Awards® Best Picture Award. To be eligible for 88th Academy Awards consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format. Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category. The “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 88th Academy Awards” is available at http://www.oscars.org/oscars/rules-eligibility.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday morning, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 am. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 pm. ET/4 pm. PT.

74 ORIGINAL SONGS VIE FOR 2015 OSCAR®

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 74 songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2015 are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

During the nominations process, all voting members of the Music Branch will receive a Reminder List of works submitted in the category and a DVD copy of the song clips. Members will be asked to watch the clips and then vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in the category. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award. A maximum of two songs may be nominated from any one film.

To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits. The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title and song title:

“Happy” from “Altered Minds”

“Home” from “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip”

“None Of Them Are You” from “Anomalisa”

“Stem To The Rose” from “Becoming Bulletproof”

“The Mystery Of Your Gift” from “Boychoir”

“I Run” from “Chi-Raq”

“Pray 4 My City” from “Chi-Raq”

“Sit Down For This” from “Chi-Raq”

“Strong” from “Cinderella”

“So Long” from “Concussion”

“Fighting Stronger” from “Creed”

“Grip” from “Creed”

“Waiting For My Moment” from “Creed”

“Don’t Look Down” from “Danny Collins”

“Hey Baby Doll” from “Danny Collins”

“Dreamsong” from “The Diary of a Teenage Girl”

“It’s My Turn Now” from “Dope”

“Ya Rahem, Maula Maula” from “Dukhtar”

“Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”

“Love Me Like You Do” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”

“Salted Wound” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”

“Hands Of Love” from “Freeheld”

“See You Again” from “Furious Seven”

“Brother” from “Godspeed: The Story of Page Jones”

“As Real As You And Me” from “Home”

“Dancing In The Dark” from “Home”

“Feel The Light” from “Home”

“Red Balloon” from “Home”

“Two Of A Crime” from “Hot Pursuit”

“Til It Happens To You” from “The Hunting Ground”

“I’ll See You In My Dreams” from “I’ll See You in My Dreams”

“The Movie About Us” from “Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words”

“Bhoomiyilenghanumundo” from “Jalam”

“Koodu Vaykkan” from “Jalam”

“Pakalppaathi Chaari” from “Jalam”

“Yaathra Manoradhamerum” from “Jalam”

“Lost In Love” from “Jenny’s Wedding”

“True Love Avenue” from “Jenny’s Wedding”

“Hypnosis” from “Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet”

“Juntos (Together)” from “McFarland, USA”

“The Light That Never Fails” from “Meru”

“The Crazy Ones” from “Miss You Already”

“There’s A Place” from “Miss You Already”

“Johanna” from “Mortdecai”

“Little Soldier” from “Pan”

“Something’s Not Right” from “Pan”

“Paranoid Girl” from “Paranoid Girls”

“Better When I’m Dancin'” from “The Peanuts Movie”

“Pink & Blue” from “Pink & Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer”

“Flashlight” from “Pitch Perfect 2”

“Birds Of A Feather” from “Poached”

“Still Breathing” from “Point Break”

“Manta Ray” from “Racing Extinction”

“Cold One” from “Ricki and the Flash”

“Torch” from “Rock the Kasbah”

“Someone Like You” from “The Rumperbutts”

“Aankhon Me Samaye Dil” from “Salt Bridge”

“Bachpana Thaa” from “Salt Bridge”

“Kanpne Lage Tum” from “Salt Bridge”

“Kyaa Bataaun Tujhe” from “Salt Bridge”

“Le Jaaye Jo Door Tumse” from “Salt Bridge”

“Na Jaane Kitni Door” from “Salt Bridge”

“Sookha Hi Rang Daalo” from “Salt Bridge”

“Feels Like Summer” from “Shaun the Sheep Movie”

“Phenomenal” from “Southpaw”

“Writing’s On The Wall” from “Spectre”

“Squeeze Me” from “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water”

“Teamwork” from “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water”

“Who Can You Trust” from “Spy”

“Came To Win” from “Sweet Micky for President”

“Mean Ol’ Moon” from “Ted 2”

“Love Was My Alibi” from “The Water Diviner”

“Fine On The Outside” from “When Marnie Was There”

“Simple Song #3” from “Youth”

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

15 Documentary Features Advance In 2015 Oscar® Race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. One hundred twenty-four films were originally submitted in the category.

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“Amy,” On the Corner Films and Universal Music, http://www.amy-movie.com/

“Best of Enemies,” Sandbar

“Cartel Land,” Our Time Projects and The Documentary Group, www.cartellandmovie.com/ available on iTunes

“Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” Jigsaw Productions, http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/going-clear

“He Named Me Malala,” Parkes-MacDonald and Little Room, http://www.henamedmemalalamovie.com/

“Heart of a Dog,” Canal Street Communications, www.heartofadogfilm.com/

“The Hunting Ground,” Chain Camera Pictures, http://www.thehuntinggroundfilm.com/

“Listen to Me Marlon,” Passion Pictures, http://www.listentomemarlon.com/

“The Look of Silence,” Final Cut for Real, http://thelookofsilence.com/, available on digital platforms December 1^st

“Meru,” Little Monster Films, http://www.musicboxfilms.com/meru-movies-123.php

“3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets,” The Filmmaker Fund, Motto Pictures, Lakehouse Films, Actual

Films, JustFilms, MacArthur Foundation and Bertha BRITDOC

“We Come as Friends,” Adelante Films, http://www.wecomeasfriends.com/us/

“What Happened, Miss Simone?,” RadicalMedia and Moxie Firecracker

“Where to Invade Next,” Dog Eat Dog Productions, http://www.wheretoinvadenext.com/

“Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” Pray for Ukraine Productions

 

The Academy’s Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles. The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 pm. ET/4 pm. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

 

10 Live Action Shorts and 10 Animated Films Advance In 2015 Oscar® Race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. One hundred forty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“Ave Maria,” Basil Khalil, director, and Eric Dupont, producer (Incognito Films)

“Bad Hunter,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Dries Phlypo, producer (A Private View)

“Bis Gleich (Till Then),” Philippe Brenninkmeyer, producer, and Tara Lynn Orr, writer (avenueROAD Films)

“Contrapelo (Against the Grain),” Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, director, and Pin-Chun Liu, producer (Ochenta y Cinco Films)

“Day One,” Henry Hughes, director (American Film Institute)

“Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut),” Patrick Vollrath, director (Filmakademie Wien)

“The Free Man (Zi You Ren),” Quah Boon-Lip, director (Taipei National University of the Arts)

“Shok,” Jamie Donoughue, director (Eagle Eye Films)

“Stutterer,” Benjamin Cleary, director (Bare Golly Films)

“Winter Light,” Julian Higgins, director, and Josh Pence, producer (Innerlight Films and Prelude Pictures)

Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting. Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.

The Academy also announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. Sixty pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“Bear Story (Historia De Un Oso),” Gabriel Osorio, director, and Pato Escala, producer (Punkrobot Animation Studio)

“Carface (Autos Portraits),” Claude Cloutier, director (National Film Board of Canada)

“If I Was God…,” Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada)

“Love in the Time of March Madness,” Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano, directors (High Hip Productions and KAPWA Studioworks)

“My Home,” Phuong Mai Nguyen, director (Papy3D Productions)

“An Object at Rest,” Seth Boyden, director (California Institute of the Arts)

“Prologue,” Richard Williams, director, and Imogen Sutton, producer (Animation Masterclass)

“Sanjay’s Super Team,” Sanjay Patel, director, and Nicole Grindle, producer (Pixar Animation Studios)

“We Can’t Live without Cosmos,” Konstantin Bronzit, director (Melnitsa Animation Studio)

“World of Tomorrow,” Don Hertzfeldt, director (Bitter Films)

Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

16 Animated Features Submitted For 2015 Oscar® Race

Sixteen features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 88th Academy Awards®. The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:

“Anomalisa”

“The Boy and the Beast”

“Boy and the World”

“The Good Dinosaur”

“Home”

“Hotel Transylvania 2”

“Inside Out”

“Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet”

“The Laws of the Universe – Part 0”

“Minions”

“Moomins on the Riviera”

“The Peanuts Movie”

“Regular Show: The Movie”

“Shaun the Sheep Movie”

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water”

“When Marnie Was There”

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process. At least eight eligible animated features must be theatrically released in Los Angeles County within the calendar year for this category to be activated. In any year in which 16 or more animated feature films are eligible, a maximum of five motion pictures may be nominated.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Chris Rock Returns To Host The Oscars®

Multi-hyphenate artist and filmmaker Chris Rock will return to host the Oscars® for a second time, producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin announced. The 88th Academy Awards® will be broadcast live on Oscar® Sunday, February 28, 2016, on the ABC Television Network. Rock previously hosted the 77th Oscars telecast in 2005.

“Chris Rock is truly the MVP of the entertainment industry,” said Hill and Hudlin. “Comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, documentarian – he’s done it all. He’s going to be a phenomenal Oscar host!”

With a career spanning more than three decades, Rock most recently directed the comedy special “Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo,” which premiered this month on HBO. In 2014 he wrote, directed and starred in the critically acclaimed feature “Top Five,” and in 2009 ventured into the documentary world as a writer, producer and star of “Good Hair.”

Rock has enjoyed ongoing success in both film and television as a comedian, actor, writer, producer and director. His feature acting credits include “I Think I Love My Wife,” which he also wrote and directed, “Head of State” (writer, producer and director), “Death at a Funeral” (also producer), and the first three films in the blockbuster “Madagascar” series, as the voice of Marty. His other acting credits include “The Longest Yard,” “Nurse Betty,” “2 Days in New York” and “Lethal Weapon 4.” In 2011 Rock made his Broadway debut starring in “The Motherfucker with the Hat,” which was nominated for six Tony Awards®, including Best Play. In television, Rock created, executive produced and narrated the series “Everybody Hates Chris,” which ran from 2005 to 2009 and was inspired by Rock’s childhood. He was a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 1990 to 1993.

Known internationally for his groundbreaking stand-up comedy, Rock has won four Emmy® Awards for his comedy series and specials, including “Chris Rock – Kill the Messenger,” “The Chris Rock Show” and “Chris Rock: Bring the Pain,” and has achieved record audience numbers around the world. He also has earned three Grammy® Awards for his comedy albums Never Scared, Bigger and Blacker and Roll with the New.

“I’m so glad to be hosting the Oscars,” said Rock. “It’s great to be back.”

“We share David and Reggie’s excitement in welcoming Chris, whose comedic voice has really defined a generation,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “He is certain to bring his amazing array of talents to this year’s show.”

“Chris may be best known as a stand-up comic, but we think of him as a creative innovator in many other ways. He is unafraid in his artistry,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome him back to the Oscars.”

“Chris Rock is a comedic powerhouse who will bring tremendous energy to the event, and we’re honored to have him,” said Paul Lee, President ABC Entertainment Group.

81 Countries In Competition For 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar®

Eighty-one countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Academy Awards®, with Paraguay being a first-time entrant. The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 am PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The 2015 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “Utopia,” Hassan Nazer, director;

Albania, “Bota,” Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci, directors;

Algeria, “Twilight of Shadows,” Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, director;

Argentina, “The Clan,” Pablo Trapero, direc

Australia, “Arrows of the Thunder Dragon,” Greg Sneddon, director;

Austria, “Goodnight Mommy,” Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, directors;

Bangladesh, “Jalal’s Story,” Abu Shahed Emon, director;

Belgium, “The Brand New Testament,” Jaco Van Dormael, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Our Everyday Story,” Ines Tanović, director;

Brazil, “The Second Mother,” Anna Muylaert, director;

Bulgaria, “The Judgment,” Stephan Komandarev, director;

Cambodia, “The Last Reel,” Sotho Kulikar, director;

Canada, “Félix and Meira,” Maxime Giroux, director;

Chile, “The Club,” Pablo Larraín, director;

China, “Go Away Mr. Tumor,” Han Yan, director;

Colombia, “Embrace of the Serpent,” Ciro Guerra, director;

Costa Rica, “Imprisoned,” Esteban Ramírez, director;

Croatia, “The High Sun,” Dalibor Matanić, director;

Czech Republic, “Home Care,” Slavek Horak, director

Denmark, “A War,” Tobias Lindholm, director;

Dominican Republic, “Sand Dollars,” Laura Amelia Guzmán, Israel Cárdenas, directors;