The contract spans four years, concluding in 2033, and includes the main ceremony along with red carpet programming, backstage footage, and Governors Ball coverage. Additional content includes the Governors' awards, nomination reveals, the nominees' Luncheon, student Academy Awards, interviews with Academy members and filmmakers, educational programming, and podcast material.

In a joint declaration, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor stated, "We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming." The executives added, "The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible – which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community."

Recent years have witnessed the Academy diversifying its voting membership, with international voters now comprising 21% of the electorate.

Neal Mohan, YouTube's chief executive, indicated the collaboration would "inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy." He described the Academy Awards as "our essential cultural institutions."

The streaming platform has reached record viewership levels in the US throughout this year, sustaining its status as the top-performing streamer amid declining network television audiences, The Guardian reported. YouTube broadcast its first live NFL game in September, drawing over 17 million viewers. By April, the service had accumulated 9.4 million subscribers.

A network spokesperson commented, "ABC has been the proud home to the Oscars for more than half a century." The statement continued, "We look forward to the next three telecasts, including the show's centennial celebration in 2028, and wish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued success."

In 2023, Netflix obtained the rights to the Screen Actors Guild Awards, rebranding them as the Actor Awards and transferring them from broadcast to streaming. Variety reported that Netflix and NBCUniversal had also competed for the Oscars' rights.

This trend has drawn sharp criticism from Hollywood. Screenwriter Daniel Kunka wrote on X in response to the announcement of the contract with YouTube: "YouTube broadcasting the Oscars is like shaking hands with the guy who's trying to kill you." An insider told Variety: "They can do whatever they want. You can have a six-hour Oscars hosted by MrBeast," referring to the widely successful American YouTuber.

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The 97th Academy Awards ceremony held Sunday night in Los Angeles brought together the best celebrities who came to see and especially to be seen, as well as to win 2025 Oscar awards.

Let's start with the most dazzling point of the night. Singer Doja Cat replaced the Balmain leopard print dress she wore on the red carpet with a garment – if one can call it that – made entirely of Swarovski chains, delivering the most talked-about look of the evening.

Doja Cat wrapped her body in diamond threads that covered all the necessary areas. The jewels hung on a sheer nude-colored dress that included a deep strapless neckline and a trailing train. She paired this brilliant masterpiece with matching strappy heels and a massive diamond ring.

After admiring this unique look, we can go back to slightly more traditional and refined dresses. These are the actresses who stole the show on the red carpet at the Oscars ceremony, starting with our Israeli star, Gal Gadot. Gadot wore a red strapless dress with pleats and pockets, in a look that somewhat references the Queen character in Snow White. There's no doubt she looked amazing.

Demi Moore, who didn't take home the statuette, shined in a custom Giorgio Armani Privé dress embellished with crystals featuring a plunging neckline and pleated embellishments at the waist that led to a dramatic train.

Ariana Grande, who also didn't win an award, stood out in a sculptural Schiaparelli Haute Couture dress in her signature pink color from the brand's Spring 2025 collection.

Zoe Saldaña, who won the Best Supporting Actress award, wore a Saint Laurent dress by Anthony Vaccarello that included a rhinestone-covered top and tiered wine-colored skirt. Sheer opera gloves and Cartier jewelry added even more drama.

Selena Gomez sparkled in a Ralph Lauren Collection dress adorned with hand-sewn crystals and more than 16,000 glass droplets crafted by a team of 12 artists. Bulgari jewelry added even more shine to the look.

Miley Cyrus brought her rock star style in a custom Alexander McQueen embellished dress.

Emma Stone glittered in a hand-knit champagne-colored Louis Vuitton dress.

Cynthia Erivo wore a forest green velvet dress with a royal collar, bow detail, and a puffy skirt. Note the manicure.

Elle Fanning brought a breath of old Hollywood glamour in a white lace dress with a sweet neckline and a black bow.

And there's no doubt that the star of the evening is Mickey Madison, who won the Oscar for Best Actress. Madison appeared in a custom Christian Dior Haute Couture dress.

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Israel will have patriotic representation at the Oscars this year, but from the presenter's podium: It was reported Wednesday that Gal Gadot has joined the prestigious lineup of award presenters at Hollywood's most glamorous cinematic event of the year, scheduled for March 2, marking the ceremony's 97th iteration.

While the specific award Gadot will present remains undisclosed, her inclusion represents a significant honor. Among other newly announced presenters are Hollywood heavyweights Harrison Ford, Samuel Jackson, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Andrew Garfield, Margaret Qualley, and notably Rachel Zegler, who stars alongside Gadot in Disney's upcoming live-action adaptation of "Snow White" premiering next month (the pairing of these two actresses at the ceremony hardly seems coincidental). These stars will join previously announced presenters including Ben Stiller, Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, Willem Dafoe, and Ana de Armas, with Conan O'Brien hosting the evening and Nick Offerman serving as the ceremony's announcer.

The announcement of Gadot's participation comes shortly after The Brigade – a pro-Israel organization active in Hollywood – declared they would not remain passive if ceremony attendees wear the red hand pin associated with the controversial pro-Palestinian initiative Artists4ceasefire, which critics have linked to imagery reminiscent of the blood-stained hands of those who perpetrated the Ramallah lynching in 2000.

Questions have emerged about whether Gadot will wear the yellow hostage pin after her decision not to wear it while presenting at the Golden Globe Awards last month sparked criticism. Initial reports claimed the Israeli actress was prohibited from wearing symbols that might be interpreted as politically charged, but Gadot refuted this on her Instagram account, stating: "I was never forbidden from wearing the pin. Some chose to tell a fabricated story. I prefer to focus on what truly matters – our hostages. My heart is with the families waiting for them."

The announcement generated significant reaction across social media platforms. One user on Threads wrote: "Dream scenario: Gal Gadot will present the Best Documentary award to a film about the Israeli occupation of Palestine," referring to "No Other Land," a documentary produced by a Palestinian-Israeli collective with Norwegian backing that's considered a frontrunner for the award. A Reddit user commented: "I know Guy Pearce (nominated for his role in 'The Brutalist,' portraying a despicable and racist character), who was among celebrities vocal in supporting a ceasefire, has no chance of winning, but imagine how uncomfortable Gal would be if she had to present him with the award."

The 97th Academy Awards will be broadcast exclusively on yes and STING+. Viewers can watch the ceremony live or in an edited, translated version. The live broadcast begins overnight between Sunday and Monday, March 2-3, at 2:00 a.m. on yes Movies Drama, including comprehensive "red carpet" coverage.

The complete ceremony will be available on Monday, March 3, on yes and STING+, with the edited and translated version airing on March 4 at 9:00 p.m. on yes Movies Drama.

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Richard M. Sherman, the acclaimed songwriter who, alongside his late brother Robert, crafted the iconic melodies for Disney's most cherished cinematic gems, including "Mary Poppins", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", and "The Jungle Book", has died at the age of 95.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sherman, who co-wrote the popular "It's a Small World (After All)" and the Ringo Starr hit "You're Sixteen", passed away on Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles due to age-related illness, as confirmed by Disney.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and recipients of the National Medal of Honor, the Sherman brothers composed an estimated 1,000 songs and scores for 50 films, earning them an unparalleled legacy as the most prolific writers of movie musical numbers in history.

Their crowning achievement came in 1964 when they won an Academy Award for their contributions to "Mary Poppins", taking home Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Song for "Chim Chim Cheree". The duo, handpicked by Walt Disney himself and working closely with the Hollywood legend for nearly a decade, garnered additional nominations for their work on films like "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", and "The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella".

Born in Manhattan in 1928 to Russian Jewish immigrants, Richard Sherman and his brother nurtured their musical talents from an early age, with their mother, a Broadway actress, and their father, a composer whose songs were recorded by luminaries such as Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong.

Even in his later years, Sherman's creative spark burned bright. Most recently, he collaborated with composer Fabrizio Mancinelli on a song for Andreas Deja's 2023 animated short, "Mushka".

Sherman is survived by his wife, three children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

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Chloé Zhao's "Nomadland" continued its tour of dominance through awards season Saturday night, when Zhao took top honors at the 73rd annual Directors Guild Association Awards.

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She is the second woman to earn the honor and the first woman of color to do so, all but solidifying her frontrunner status leading up to the Oscars on April 25.

Zhao was up against Emerald Fennell for "Promising Young Woman," Aaron Sorkin for "The Trial of the Chicago 7," Lee Isaac Chung for "Minari" and David Fincher for "Mank."

Zhao's lyrical film about transient workers in the American West starring Frances McDormand started its awards journey winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the People's Choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Golden Globe for best drama, and best director and the top honor from the Producer's Guild.

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An Israeli film has been shortlisted by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for the Best Live-Action Short category at the 93rd Academy Awards.

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"White Eye," director Tomer Shushan's 20-minute debut, was one of 10 short films selected out of 174 contenders.

The film, which won the Grand Jury Award at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, tells the story of an Israeli who accuses an African migrant of stealing his bicycle in Tel Aviv – all in one take.

"I really want to be a nominee," Shushan told The Times of Israel, "but I'm thrilled to have made it this far."

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Earlier in February, Israeli startup Amimon won an Oscar for film technology for developing technology that allows video shots of very high quality from several cameras to be transmitted in real-time to monitors, allowing the director and crew full control of all shooting angles simultaneously.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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In addition to Oscars for best actor and best director, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also gives out awards for categories involving science and technology. This year, an Israeli team won an Academy Award  in the Scientific and Engineering category for developing a wireless video technology, the academy announced Tuesday.

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The winners are Prof. Meir Feder of the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University and Dr. Zvi Reznic, co-founders of the startup Amimon, and the start-up's senior executives, Guy Dorman and Ron Yogev.

Amimon's technology allows video shots of very high quality from a number of cameras to be transmitted in real time to monitors, allowing the director and crew full control of all shooting angles simultaneously. Feder said that the technology was already used throughout the global film industry.

"We developed the basic technology in 2004-2005 when everyone thought that the task was very difficult or even impossible," Feder said. "We knew that it was a real technological achievement, but never imagined we would win the Oscar for it.

"About a year ago, the Prize Committee notified us that we had been nominated, but I thought it was just a gimmick. About a month ago, I suddenly got an official email from the Academy in Hollywood, informing us that we had won the Oscar.

"We were elated. I have won many academic awards, but the Oscar is certainly the most famous, an award that every person in the street knows. For me and for the great team who took part in developing the technology, this is an enormous achievement, and I feel very proud."

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The mother-daughter drama "Asia" was named Best Picture at the Israeli Academy of Film and Television's Ophir Awards, automatically becoming Israel's entry in the Best International Feature category at the Oscars next spring.

"Unorthodox" Emmy nominee Shira Haas adds another accolade to her résumé with her win as Best Supporting Actress for the film, which won nine Ophirs, Best Actress (Alena Yiv) and Best Cinematography (Daniella Nowitz) among them.

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"Asia" tells the story of a Russian immigrant mother (Yiv) and her complex relationship with her ailing daughter (Haas).

"It's such an amazing script," Haas told the Jewish Journal earlier this year. "The daughter is sick, and it's their last time together. It's a depressing subject about death and grief, but it's more about life and their relationship. There's so much love and empathy in this movie."

It's the fifth Ophir nomination and second win for Haas, who won for "Pere Atzil" in 2018.

"Asia" had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last spring, where Haas won the Best Actress Award. She is currently shooting the latest season of "Unorthodox," which will premiere on Netflix in 2021.

Another big Ophir Award winner was "Here We Are," a father-son road trip story that took honors for its two actors, Shai Avivi and Noam Inber; director Nir Bergman; and screenwriter Dada Idisis.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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