DUBAI, 11 February 2007 — Dubai One has announced it will be the only free-to-air broadcaster in the Middle East to carry the 79th Academy Awards live, starting 4 a.m. on Feb. 26. Viewers will be able to take in the Oscar glamor real time along with millions of others around the world.
The ceremony will be hosted by American comedienne Ellen DeGeneres, who will preside over a glamorous evening that will see the world’s top film industry stars vying for the coveted gold statuette.
The Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role category promises to be a close race this year, with Penelope Cruz, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Meryl Streep, and Kate Winslet in the running. In the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Peter O’Toole and Forest Whitaker stand against relatively unknown actor Ryan Gosling.
The films in the Best Picture category are an unusual mix this year: sprawling multi-character epic Babel, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, is up against Clint Eastwood’s World War 2, Letters from Iwo Jima, independent comedy Little Miss Sunshine, Martin Scorsese’s come-back film The Departed, and Stephen Frears’ critically acclaimed The Queen.
Dubai One will bring its viewers the Academy Awards in their entirety, proving that free-to-air broadcasters can offer the same quality as paid for services. In spite of the time difference, Dubai One anticipates high ratings for this event.
