The Oscars, the film industry's biggest night, is planning a return to form after two years of scaled-back hostless events.
This is despite Covid-19 vaccine requirements for all those in attendance, as well as mandatory PCR tests for performers and presenters, not to mention Sean Penn's calls to boycott the event and his threats to publicly "smelt" his statuettes if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is unable to speak during the live telecast on Sunday.
Producers of the 94th Academy Awards, which will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, are making all the efforts to lift the TV event out of its ratings slump, which has only been compounded by the pandemic.
Scroll through the gallery above to see the final Oscars preparations.
New elements of the Oscars telecast were recently announced, including the handing out of eight awards ahead of the live broadcast, and a campaign with Twitter to encourage fans to vote for their favourite movies, even if they were not nominated.
This year, for the first time in 35 years, there will be three hosts, with Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes sharing the role. It will be the first time hosting for all three women.
When is the Oscars 2022 ceremony?
The 2022 Academy Awards will be broadcast in the US on Sunday, March 27, at 8pm Eastern Standard Time.
How to watch the Oscars in the UAE
In the UAE, the ceremony will begin at 4am on Monday, March 28. OSN is the official broadcaster in the Middle East, and will stream the Oscars on its new OSN+ service, which recently replaced the OSN Streaming app.
A pre-show will begin right after midnight on March 28, followed by the ceremony. The entire show will be repeated at 7am and then at 8pm. Highlights will again be screened at 10.55pm on Tuesday, March 29, at 5.45pm on Wednesday, March 30, and then at 9pm on Saturday, April 2.
How to watch the Oscars in the US
ABC is the home of the Oscars in the US. There are two pre-shows to tune in to before the ceremony begins: On The Red Carpet Live! Countdown to the Oscars, co-hosted by ABC News, and GMA3: What You Need To Know with co-anchors Amy Robach and T J Holmes.
You can also stream the pre-show on ABC News Live and watch the show on abc.com or on the ABC app.
How to watch the Oscars in the UK
For those in the UK, the ceremony will begin at 1am on Monday, March 28, and will be be shown on Sky Cinema. The show can also be streamed on Now Sky Cinema Pass.
Who is nominated for the Oscars 2022?
A number of noteworthy names to watch out for at this year's ceremony include Jane Campion, whose acclaimed drama The Power of the Dog comes off an impressive awards season run. It is also the most nominated film this year, including for Best Director for the New Zealand filmmaker, who is now the only woman in Oscars history to be nominated twice in that category.
Sci-fi epic Dune, which was partly shot in Abu Dhabi, has also had a strong showing at various awards ceremonies over the past few weeks, and goes to the Oscars with 10 nods, including in the Best Picture, Cinematography and Adapted Screenplay categories.
Equally impressive are the accolades won so far by Coda, the groundbreaking drama featuring deaf actors in the lead. The film, which stands for "child of deaf adults", tells the story of a teenager, who is the only hearing member in her family. When she decides to move away to pursue a singing career, it upends the family's dynamic and threatens their fishing business and livelihood.
Another film to watch out for is the Japanese drama Drive My Car, about an actor-director who finds companionship with his female driver. It's nominated in four categories, including Best Picture and Best International Feature.
And then there's Danish animated docudrama Flee, the acclaimed film by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which has been shortlisted for Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature. Detailing the true story of an Afghan refugee and his journey from Kabul to Copenhagen, the film uses distinct hand-drawn animation to tell a highly personal tale of trauma.
Who will present at the Oscars this year?
Presenters this year are as diverse as they get. Lady Gaga might have missed out on an Oscar nomination for her turn in House of Gucci, but she’ll still be gracing the stage to present an award. Others presenters include Kevin Costner, Chris Rock, Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Perez and Youn Yuh-jung, who won the Best Supporting Actress award last year for Minari.
Academy Award winners Rami Malek and Anthony Hopkins will also be on stage to announce winners, as will Marvel star Simu Liu, along with Uma Thurman, Ruth E Carter, Lily James and John Leguizamo.
Who will perform at the Oscars 2022?
As is tradition at the Oscars that nominees for the year's Best Original Song perform their tracks live. This year, Beyonce and Billie Eilish will take to the stage. Last year, the performances of nominated songs were relegated to a pre-show segment.
Beyonce is set to perform Be Alive from King Richard, which is up for six awards, including Best Actor for Will Smith. Eilish and her brother, Finneas, will perform No Time to Die, from the James Bond film of the same name. The 2021 blockbuster, which was Daniel Craig's last outing as 007, is up for three awards.
Country singer McEntire will take to the stage for Somehow You Do, from the drug addiction drama Four Good Days, the film's only nomination, while Sebastian Yatra will perform Dos Oruguitas from the Disney animated film Encanto, one of three nominations for the global hit including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score.
Northern Irish singer Van Morrison, who wrote and performed Down to Joy for the film Belfast, will not make it to the show owing to scheduling conflicts with his ongoing tour. Directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, the feature, which recently won Outstanding British Film at Baftas, is up for seven Oscars, including the coveted Best Picture.
Scroll through the gallery below for photos from the Oscars 2022 nominees luncheon:
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Racecard
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Company%20profile
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
RESULT
Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Classification from Tour de France after Stage 17
1. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 73:27:26"
2. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Cannondale-Drapac) 27"
3. Romain Bardet (France / AG2R La Mondiale)
4. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana Pro Team) 53"
5. Mikel Landa (Spain / Team Sky) 1:24"
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
