Maria Esteves - February 22, 2008

MEET THE OSCARS presented by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) held at Times Square Studios, New York, February 15 - 23, 2008 is an outstanding extraordinary historical free exhibition displaying 50 new Oscar statuettes, 14th Academy Award Oscar won by Gary Cooper (on loan from his daughter Maria Cooper Janis) for Lead Actor in SERGEANT YORK (1941), 79th Academy Award Oscar won by Thelma Schoonmaker for Best Film Editing in DEPARTED (2006), an oversized golden Oscar statue, and a hand held statuette for the public to hold and take photos.

The 80th Academy Awards ceremony for outstanding film achievements of 2007, hosted by Jon Stewart will be held at the Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, California, and televised live by ABC Television Network on Sunday, February 24, 8:00 PM EST. The Oscars will also be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit, Feb. 15-23, 2008: New York
Program Director, Partick Harrison, Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences, (AMPAS).

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit, Feb. 15-23, 2008: 79th Academy
Award winner, Thelma Schoonmakker's, Best Film Editing,
DEPARTED photo display.

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit, Feb. 15-23, 2008: (from left-right),
14thAcademy Award winners, Joan Fontaine, Lead Actress,
SUSPICION 1941), and Gary Cooper, Lead Actor, SERGEANT
YORK (1941).

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit, Feb. 15-23, 2008: (from left-right), Thelma
Schoonmakker's Oscar, Best Film Editing, DEPARTED, 79th Academy Awards,
and Cary Cooper's Oscar, Lead Actor, SERGEANT YORK, 14th Academy Awards.

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit included the six Oscar statuette creation process; In the Raw, Polished, Copper Plated, Nickel Plated, Silver Plated, and 24K Gold Plated statuette.

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit, Feb. 15-23, 2008: Oscar statuette
creation process stage one In the Raw - hand cast steel from 960
degrees molten Britannia metal, (left), and stage two Polished -
rough seams are sanded off and polished for a bright mirror finish.

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit, Feb. 15-23, 2008: Oscar statuette
creation process stage three Copper Plated, (left), and stage four
Nickel Plated.

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit, Feb. 15-23, 2008: Oscar statuette
creation process stage five Silver Plated, (left), and final stage
24K Gold Plated.

MEET THE OSCARS Exhibit, Feb. 15-23, 2008: The 50 new Oscar statuettes
on display to be presented to future Academy Award winners.