Oscars to be partially hosted from LA train station to allow for Covid distancing

No other in-person events to go ahead as a result of ongoing pandemic

Part of the upcoming 93rd annual Academy Awards show is scheduled to be hosted from a train station in downtown Los Angeles to allow for social distancing amid the pandemic, a report has said.

According to Deadline, an email has confirmed that parts of the Oscars ceremony will be held in both the Union Station in downtown Los Angeles alongside its usual venue, the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

An email obtained from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president, David Rubin, says that nominees, their guests and presenters will attend in person this year but there will be no ticket lottery.

The outlet previously quoted sources saying those attending in person will be placed at Union Station to allow for social distancing amid the pandemic as a result of the size of the facility.

The recent email from Mr Rubin did not confirm details about how the evening’s schedule will work or what each venue is being used for, Deadline said.

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The news comes after the 2021 ceremony was postponed in 2020 for only the fourth time in its history to April this year as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to the postponement, this year’s ceremony was slated to take place on 28 February. However, the academy continued to grapple with how to handle the fallout from the virus.

In the email, which was reportedly sent to all 9,362 voting members of the academy, as well as other members, Mr Rubin confirmed that no other in-person events will go ahead.

Nominations screenings, the Oscar Nominees Luncheon, the post-Oscars Governors Ball celebration and Oscar Night watch parties in London and New York are all said to be cancelled.

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Mr Rubin said the academy had listed an “ideal trio of producers — Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh” to “put together an Oscars show like none other”.

Last April, the academy made the unprecedented decision to allow films that did not have a theatrical run to be eligible for the awards after the industry was hit hard by the crisis.

Cinemas were shut down as much of the US entered lockdown in March and high-profile film releases were pushed back with major festivals such as Cannes being cancelled.

The obtained email insists that this years awards will “honour the extraordinary movies, memorable performances and achievements in filmmaking of the past year.”

The Independent has contacted the Oscars for comment.