Saroo Brierley is an Indian-born Australian businessman and author who, at the age of five, was accidentally separated from his biological family. He was adopted out of India by an Australian couple but was reunited with his original family 25 years later after finding his hometown via Google Earth. His story generated significant international media attention, especially in Australia and India.

The 89th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2016, and took place on February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, at 5:30 p.m. PST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 24 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd and directed by Glenn Weiss. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosted the ceremony for the first time.