The Academy Awards of Merit, commonly known as the Oscars or Academy Awards, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the film industry. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States, in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The Oscars are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in the film industry.
Image: Cillian Murphy 2014
Image: Emma Stone at Maniac UK premiere (cropped)
Image: Robert Downey Jr 2014 Comic Con (cropped)
Image: Da'Vine Joy Randolph The Holdovers Q&A BFI Southbank, January 2024
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post-production, film festivals, distribution, and actors. Though the expense involved in making films almost immediately led film production to concentrate under the auspices of standing production companies, advances in affordable filmmaking equipment, as well as an expansion of opportunities to acquire investment capital from outside the film industry itself, have allowed independent film production to evolve.
The Hollywood Sign
Nestor studio, 1911
Old Chinese Cinema in Qufu, Shandong
A scene from Raja Harishchandra (1913) – credited as the first full-length Indian motion picture.