'To Rome with Love' Raffle Winner

Thanks to everyone who supported BMFI by entering our 'To Rome with Love' raffle! We drew the winner at Sunday's Oscar Party. Congratulations, Edward K. Miller!  Edward, along with three guests, will enjoy a seven-night stay in a beautiful apartment located on the Via Frattina in the heart of historic Rome. With such sights as the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and Villa Borghese nearby, we trust this will be a most memorable and exciting trip. BMFI wishes Edward and his guests safe and happy travels.

Devin Wachs: Three Reasons Why I Love Oscar Night

Bryn Mawr Film Institute is gearing up for its The Best Exotic Oscar Party on Sunday, February 24, featuring the Academy Awards simulcast on the big screen, a gourmet buffet dinner, exotic décor, raffle drawings, and more. Learn why Public Relations Manager Devin Wachs loves this special night.

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Three Reasons Why I Love Oscar Night
By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Manager, BMFI

One of the first Oscar ceremonies I vividly remember involved Roberto Benigni climbing over chairs to reach the stage to accept his award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, the first given to a male performer in a non-English-speaking role. That was fourteen years ago, and I’ve tried to watch at least some of the broadcast every year since.

Why do I love the Academy Awards? Here's my countdown:

3) The glitz and glamour.
When every fashion faux pas or bad hair day that an actor has is broadcast around the world instantly online and in celebrity gossip magazines, it’s nice to see a little bit of the classical Hollywood glamour return, even if it’s just for one big night each year. Seeing starlets posing in designer gowns with their hair done just so is a nice dose of fantasy. I know that I’ll see a shot of them in yoga pants running to the mini-mart when I open my browser the next day, but they really do appear larger than life for a little while.

2) It’s a game.
I may not always see every nominated “Best” film or performance, and until the short films began being distributed to theaters (we’re showing the Oscar-nominated animated and live action shorts starting today), I never saw any of those. Even so, I love making predictions about who is going to win. It’s like a giant, global game for film buffs and anyone can join in on the fun. Several years ago I even won a prize for getting the most predictions right in our office. (Which isn’t to say I got them mostly right—I didn’t—I just had more luck than some of my colleagues did.) Even when prizes aren’t on the line, it’s fun to test yourself to see how well your cinematic ideals match up with the Academy.

1) Dreams come true.
What child or teen who loves film hasn’t imagined winning an Oscar and practiced their victory speech? I know I certainly did. (It is a very gracious speech.) Winning is still the ultimate validation of one’s work in the film industry. Although the value of that endorsement and how it is determined can be seriously debated, “And the Oscar goes to…” is the stuff dreams are made of. When I watch the Oscars, I imagine what it must be like for the people called to the stage. Some might think displays like Benigni’s are showy or crass, but I love it when winners show how excited they are. It makes me think that my own dreams can happen too, however unlikely or improbable. And that’s the real reason why I love the Oscars.

Those are three reasons why I make watching the Oscars a yearly ritual, and why I’ll be catching as much of this year’s ceremony as I can at BMFI’s The Best Exotic Oscar Party. I’d love to compare ballots with you.

What do you love about the Oscars? Tell me in the comments below.

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Devin Wachs is the Public Relations Manager for Bryn Mawr Film Institute. She joined BMFI in 2005, following her graduation from Bryn Mawr College. If you send BMFI a message on Facebook or Twitter or are interested in onscreen sponsorships, she's the one who'll be in touch!

The Best Exotic Oscar Party Contest: We Have a Winner!

By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Manager, BMFI

Thank you to everyone who entered our contest to win two tickets to BMFI's The Best Exotic Oscar Party! We enjoyed reading about which Best Picture nominee you thought should walk home with the Academy Award on Sunday, February 24.

Entries were judged on how persuasive and creative they were. We enjoyed all of them, but one proved to be a resounding favorite.

Whether or not Beasts of the Southern Wild wins the gold, film fan Robin Terry is our winner!

It is without a doubt I support Beasts of the Southern Wild for Best Picture of the year. Asking us to probe deeply into our own fears and dreams, in a way redolent of Where the Wild Things Are, this movie challenges our notion of safety, complex interpersonal reactions and joy. In a manner akin to magical surrealism, this movie transcends the ordinary in a way that makes you believe, just a little bit, that our inner monsters are real and our dysfunctional life is normal. The music, acting, directing and general tone of the film trigger all sorts of feelings in the watcher and it is fairly riveting in nature. I saw this movie twice and promoted it by writing the producers and having post cards to hand out to my therapy clients (I am a psychologist). I want to come to your party and jump for joy when they call this picture's "family" to the stage.

I don't know if the film will win Best Picture, Robin, but you and a guest will be able to watch in style at The Best Exotic Oscar Party as our guest. Congratulations! Please call me at 610-527-4008 x105 to claim your prize.

You can read all of the entries in the comments here.

Even if you didn't win this contest, you can still attend The Best Exotic Oscar Party. Tickets are available online here and in person at the Box Office. See you on Oscar night!

Win Two Tickets to BMFI’s Oscar Party!

By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Manager, BMFI

If you have visited our atrium lately, you've seen that we've been busy decorating for our Best Exotic Oscar Party on Sunday, February 24. On that special night when filmmakers and stars gather together in the Dolby Theatre, local cinephiles will celebrate Hollywood artistry and glamour in style at Bryn Mawr Film Institute's Oscar Party!

This year, two film fans will attend as our guests! To win two tickets to BMFI's Best Exotic Oscar Party, make your case for which Best Picture nominee should win the Oscar this year. Submit your entry as a comment on this post by Thursday, February 7 at 6 pm.* Our staff will pick a winner based on the entries' persuasiveness and originality. The winner will be announced next Friday, February 8!

If you can't be in Los Angeles to rub elbows with Jessica Chastain and Daniel Day-Lewis in person, there's no better view than at BMFI; the stars will truly appear larger than life on the big screen during our live simulcast of the Academy Awards. Guests will sip cocktails from the cash bar and dine on a gourmet buffet dinner prepared by Catering by Design amidst exotic decor provided by Garden Accents and Janice Martin Couture. Traditional Indian dancers, music by the Philadelphia Mandolin & Guitar Ensemble, and a bazaar-style festival sale sponsored by Ten Thousand Villages will help transform the evening into something truly memorable.

*Please Note: When posting your comment, you will be asked to select a log-in from a list. If you do not have a Google account, etc., please select either 1) "Name/URL", which requires that you have a valid website address of your own, or 2) "Anonymous". If you select the latter, please be sure to sign your name in the post.