The Oscar nominations were finally announced early this morning, after being delayed twice due to L.A.’s wildfires. Netflix’s Emilia Pérez leads the pack with 13 nods, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked with 10 each. And Los Angeles is at the epicenter of Oscar season—not only because the city will host the 97th installment of the Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre—but also because we’re blessed with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is kicking off two months of special Oscar-themed programming.
At the beginning of today’s announcement, Academy president Janet Yang referenced the recent fires, adding that “the last several weeks have proven what we already know to be true: Our film industry and Los Angeles are resilient.” Academy CEO Bill Kramer echoed that sentiment and promised the awards ceremony will “pay tribute to our brave first responders and celebrate the enduring spirit of Los Angeles and the film industry.” We wholeheartedly agree: The city—not to mention the local film industry—definitely needs a win right now. To that end, we’re going all in on Oscars season, and the Academy Museum is the perfect place to do just that.
From now through March 30, you’ll find a variety of special programs both honoring this year’s Oscar nominees and delving into the history of the Academy Awards. In the galleries, you’ll find new items on display including the Gucci suit Ryan Gosling wore for his show-stopping “I’m Just Ken” performance at last year’s show and Ke Huy Quan’s Oscar statuette he won for his performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once. From Wednesdays through Sundays, head to the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby to join a “Through the Decades” Oscar tour (included with $25 admission), where a guide will take you through Academy Awards history in 30 minutes. And, of course, there’s the separately ticked Oscars experience, where you can hold an award yourself and practice your acceptance speech ($10).
Also just $10 are the many screenings and nominee spotlights on the calendar, which don’t require museum admission. Special Oscar Sundays film screenings leading up to the awards will spotlight exceptional performances by Black artists who’ve been nominated or won Academy Awards in the past, starting with Beasts of the Southern Wild this Sunday and ending with heartwarming holiday film The Holdovers in 35mm.
To see films nominated this year, you’ll want to check out the Oscar nominee spotlights—a series running from February 21 to March 1. You can catch screenings of all the nominated animated short films (Feb 22), documentary shorts (Feb 23) and live action shorts (Feb 24). For other categories including cinematography, international feature film and best picture, the filmmakers themselves will be on hand at panels to share behind-the-scenes stories and celebrate their films.
And if you’re looking for a place to watch the Academy Awards themselves on March 2, the museum has you covered with the Official Oscars Watch Party, where you can get dressed up, dine on hors d’oeuvres from Wolfgang Puck Catering and watch the live broadcast in the state-of-the-art David Geffen Theater. Tickets are $100 and include a goodie bag to take home. You can also make a reservation at on-site restaurant Fanny’s (named after Funny Girl’s Fanny Brice), which will be hosting its own watch party complemented by a prix-fixe menu for $250. If that’s out of your price range, opt for a cocktail off the special menu inspired by this year’s best picture nominees.
And the fun doesn’t stop once after the last award is handed out. The Academy Museum will host screenings of the newly christened Oscar winners through the end of March: The documentary feature, international feature, animated feature and best picture winners—plus another “wild card” film—will all play on the big screen in the Geffen.
Consider this your sign to immerse yourself in L.A.’s filmmaking history, get lost in this year’s nominated films and celebrate the city’s cinematic heritage.