WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 2, 2006) — You don’t have to be in Hollywood to experience the magic and excitement of the Oscars®. On Sunday, March 5, 2006, residents of the Washington area can officially join the red carpet festivities by attending the only Academy-sanctioned Oscar Night® America party in the city. Held at the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, the event will be one of only 46 Academy-sanctioned parties to take place across the nation on Oscar Night. Capitol File Magazine is the official local media sponsor for this year’s Washington event.
The ABC Television Network—which broadcasts the annual Academy Awards® Presentation—and the Academy are cooperating for the fifth year with First Star, a Washington-based public charity dedicated to improving life for America’s abused and neglected children. The 2006 Oscar nominees were announced on January 31 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (
www.oscars.com). Tickets can be purchased online now at
www.firststar.org.
“We are delighted to be a part of the excitement of the Oscars in Washington, and AFI Silver is a perfect location for our event,” says Deborah Sams, First Star CEO. “Watching the telecast in a theater of this caliber brings us one step closer to the experience guests will have at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. This is going to be a fabulous night.”
Guests at AFI Silver Theatre will be treated to all the pageantry of a red carpet arrival, including a cocktail reception—with drinks and hors d'oeuvres to be served throughout the evening. Kyle Osborne of ABC TV8 is Master of Ceremonies for the evening. In addition to Capitol File, sponsors include Sullivan & Worcester LLP, Castle Brands and US Airways. An invitation-only VIP reception will be held for Oscar Night sponsors and special guests including honorary Congressional hosts, compliments of Capitol File.
Official Oscar Night® America parties last year raised more than $2 million for local charities in 45 cities. The program has raised nearly $15 million for local charities around the United States since its inception in 1994. All funds stay in the community in which they were raised; the Academy does not receive any portion. The Academy provides official Oscar Night® America parties with the same printed Academy Awards® show programs as those handed out at the ceremonies in Los Angeles and permits the party organizers to use the image of the Academy's copyrighted Oscar® statuette on invitations and other materials.
About First Star
First Star (www.firststar.org) is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to improving life for America's abused and neglected children through a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to education, research, public policy and public awareness. First Star’s mission is to put children first by ensuring that each and every child in America is given the very best care, protection and representation that results in a safe, nurturing and permanent home.
About Oscar Night® America
Oscar Night® America is a program of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (www.oscars.org), a professional honorary organization founded to advance the arts and sciences of motion pictures; foster cooperation among creative leaders for cultural, educational and technological progress; recognize outstanding achievements; cooperate on technical research and improvement of methods and equipment; provide a common forum and meeting ground for various branches and crafts; represent the viewpoint of actual creators of the motion picture; and foster educational activities between the professional community and the public-at-large. The Academy Awards® Presentation is the Academy's most important activity and has enabled the organization to maintain a varied year-around calendar of programs and events and a wide-ranging educational and cultural agenda
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