November 22, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dawn Newell - (310) 247-3000
                   dnewell@oscars.org

Louis J. Horvitz to Direct 75th Anniversary Academy Awards^®

	Louis J. Horvitz, Director of the 74th Annual Academy Awards Telecast.

Beverly Hills, CA - Three-time Emmy Award-winning director Louis J. Horvitz will helm the 75th Anniversary Oscar^® telecast, show producer Gil Cates has announced.

"Lou is a master at capturing the essence and heart of a show," said Cates. "I invited him to direct his first Oscar telecast and this will be our fifth Oscar collaboration. I am very pleased to be working with a director who has the knowledge and experience necessary to make the 75th Awards a landmark event."

This will be Horvitz's seventh consecutive stint as director of the Academy Awards telecast. One of the most industrious directors in television, Horvitz has directed 10 high-profile specials this year alone, including the 74th Academy Awards, the 28th Annual People's Choice Awards, the Super Bowl XXXVI Halftime with U2, the VH1 Divas in Las Vegas, both the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards and the American Film Institute Salute to Tom Hanks.

"Gil's exceptional talent both as a producer and director makes for an extremely stimulating experience," said Horvitz. "I feel very fortunate to be serving, once again, under the leadership of Gil Cates on the Academy's 75th Anniversary celebration. It is truly a privilege to be a part of this milestone event."

Horvitz's expertise as one of the premiere live-event television directors has been recognized by his peers with eight Emmy Award nominations and 10 nominations from the Directors Guild of America. He won his first Emmy for outstanding variety directing in 1996 for The Kennedy Center Honors. He also won two Emmy Awards for directing the Academy Awards, in 1998 for the 70th Oscars^® and in 2000 for the 72nd Awards. He received a DGA Award in 1997 for outstanding directorial achievement in musical variety for The Kennedy Center Honors. In the summer of 2001, Horvitz was honored with the UCLA Alumni Achievement Award in theatre arts, film and television.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2002 will be presented on Sunday, March 23, 2003, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland^® and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST. A half-hour arrival segment will precede the presentation ceremony at 5 p.m.

Editors: Please note that downloadable photos of Louis J. Horvitz are available at http://photos.oscars.org