OSCAR MAGIC BEING MADE IN CLEVELAND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Annetta Marion or Bernadette Gillota, 216/651-7315

(Cleveland, Ohio) Feb. 4, 2005—Oscar® magic will be shared with Clevelanders in
very
special ways on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005 at 7 p.m. The 77th Academy Awards®
ceremony
will be broadcast at Grays Armory in an evening of glamour and excitement.

"This year, Cleveland Oscar Night® America will feature some unique features and
talents," says Redwin Lewis, the event's director. From musical drama to
culinary flare,
Lewis promises an event of which Cleveland can boast.

Historic Grays Armory will lend itself to the evening's drama by its grand
spaces and
features. Cleveland's gathering is the only Oscar Night America celebration to
feature a
theatre organ. As guests enter the main hall of the Armory, they will be
surrounded by
their favorite film music played on one of the last theatre pipe organs created.

Donated to Grays by the Warner Brothers Company in 1969, the organ was
relocated,
installed and is now maintained by the Western Reserve Theatre Organ Society.
"For
decades, theatre organs have generated excitement for movie patrons and we are
so
excited that this instrument is being doing so again for this year's Oscar
night," says Doug
Powers, President of the Western Reserve Theatre Organ Society.

Powers is also thrilled that Steven Ball has agreed to play Grays organ for the
evening.
According to Powers, Ball has "a unique perspective, energy, improvisatory
abilities and
performance style have kept audiences in theatres on the edge of their seats and
have
generated a new and unexpected excitement about the future of this instrument in
America."

The evening's Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be local showman
Christopher G.
Axelrod. Known for his warm and spontaneous humor, Axelrod has a long history
of
engaging audiences. "Oscar Night America offers Clevelanders a fantastic
opportunity to
celebrate with style and class and I'm pleased to be such a part of it."

For the second consecutive year, proceeds from Cleveland Oscar Night America
will benefit
Independent Pictures, the leading Ohio organization dedicated to freedom of
expression
through independent media. Based in Cleveland, Independent Pictures consistently
promotes independent film-making through its dedicated programming and events,
including the Ohio Independent Film Festival. It boasts an independent film
school and a
film production training program to nurture artists across the state.

Inside Grays Armory on Oscar Night, the live broadcast of ceremonies from
Hollywood's
Kodak Theatre in Hollywood will be projected on three large video screens
arranged
throughout the venue, providing superior viewing and socializing opportunities
for
patrons. Several food stations featuring hearty hors d'oeuvres and elegant
desserts will be
situated throughout the venue. A cash bar will be available, as well. The
Oscars will be
televised live by the ABC Television Network at 8 p.m. EST.

Cleveland is Northeast Ohio's only sanctioned Oscar Night America city and
stands among
45 select cities nationwide chosen for the Academy's unique outreach campaign.
Other
cities include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, San
Diego, San
Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

The public may reserve tickets to Cleveland Oscar Night America for $60 each by
contacting Independent Pictures at 216/651-7315 or on the web at
www.ticketweb.com.
For additional information, email ohioindiefilmfest@... or go to
www.cona.ws.

About Oscar Night America
Oscar Night America—the sole Oscar celebration program sanctioned by the Academy
of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—started in 1994 and has raised more than $12
million
for a range of local charities across the country during its first 10 years.
Last year, Oscar
Night America parties raised over $1.7 million in charity nationally. The
Academy approves
all charities supported by the event. The Academy Awards for outstanding film
achievements of 2004 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, at the Kodak
Theatre in
Los Angeles. The Oscars will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at
8 p.m.
EST.

About Independent Pictures
Independent Pictures (www.ohiofilms.com) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
established
in 1993. It was founded in 1993 by artistic directors Bernadette Gillota and
Annetta Marion
and maintains a rich history of bringing unique and engaging film events to
Cleveland and
surrounding communities. IP is the proud sponsor of the Ohio Independent Film
Festival,
Film Production Training Program, regional AIVF salons, Fiscal Agent Sponsorship
Program, Speakers Bureau, annual Director of Photography Workshop, and a variety
of
curatorial programs.

Independent Pictures is a member of Greater Cleveland Community Shares.
Community Shares supports 35 local nonprofits working for long-term, sustainable
solutions to build a stronger Cleveland. Learn more about Community Shares and
supporting social justice through workplace giving at www.communityshares.org.

Independent Pictures sponsors include: Association of Independent Video &
Filmmakers,
Audio Visual Rentals, The Cleveland Foundation, Community Shares of Greater
Cleveland,
Filmmaker Magazine, The George Gund Foundation, Media Design Imaging, National
Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Arts Council and Sherwin Williams.

Independent Pictures
1392 West 65th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44102
(216) 651-7315
(216) 651-7317 fax
OhioIndieFilmFest@...
http://www.ohiofilms.com