December 2, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Toni Thompson  - (310) 247-3000
                       tthompson@oscars.org

	Louis J. Horvitz, Director of the 76th Annual Academy Awards Telecast.

Beverly Hills, CA - Three-time Emmy Award-winning director Louis J. Horvitz will helm the 76th Annual Academy Awards telecast, show producer Joe Roth has announced.

"Directing a live television show as complicated as the Oscars^® requires a unique skill," said Roth. "Only a handful of directors have the chops and no one is more skilled at it than Lou. It's a technological ballet that he conducts with such grace, I'm surprised he doesn't have a baton in that truck."

This will be Horvitz's eighth time directing the Academy Awards telecast. Horvitz is one of the most industrious directors in television. In 2003 Horvitz directed his 10th year of the Primetime Emmy Awards, his 12 th year as co-producer/director of "The People's Choice Awards," his 12th year as director of "The Kennedy Center Honors," his 7th year as executive producer-director of "An Evening of Stars" and his 10th year as director of "The American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award." Also this year, he directed "CBS at 75," "Lifetime's Achievement Awards: Women Changing the World," VH-1's "Divas Duets," "Macy*s July 4th Fireworks Spectacular," "The 2003 MTV-Movie Awards" and the "The Comedy Awards."

In a career that has spanned over two decades, Horvitz has helmed numerous other high-profile programs including the Daytime Emmy Awards, "The VH-1 Concert for New York City" benefiting survivors of 9/11, the "U2 Half Time at the Superbowl," "Live Aid," "Paul Simon in Central Park," "The Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour," "The Judd's Farewell Concert," "ABC's in Concert" series and Paramount's "Solid Gold Series."

"I'm flattered that Joe invited me back on his first foray into the World of Live Television and on the granddaddy of them all, the Academy Awards," Horvitz said. "I'm a big fan of Joe's motion picture career and know that he'll be bringing that vast palate of dramatic experience to millions of people on Oscar night."

Horvitz's expertise as one of the premiere live-event television directors has been recognized by his peers with ten Emmy Award nominations and 11 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 telecast. 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 theater arts, film and television.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2003 will be presented on Sunday, February 29, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland^® and televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST, beginning with a half-hour arrival segment.

Editors: Please note that a downloadable photo is available at http://photos.oscars.org.