Final Oscar countdown underway
Helen Mirren is expected to win the best actress award for her role in The Queen
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Sunday, 25, Feb 2007 08:03
Excitement is growing in Los Angeles as the countdown for this year's Oscars ceremony enters its final stages.
The Kodak Theatre plays host to the 79th annual Academy Awards as all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood comes together for the movie industry's most opulent evening of all.
This year's awards are remarkable for the impressive levels of competition on display - with one notable exception.
Dame Helen Mirren is widely expected to take the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen.
She leads a field unusually full of British hopes, including Kate Winslet and Judi Dench in the best actress category.
Forest Whitaker as African dictator Idi Amin is the favourite to take the actor in a leading role Oscar, although he faces fierce competition from rivals Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond and Peter O'Toole in Venus.
Film fans will have their fingers crossed for renowned director Martin Scorsese, who has yet to win an Academy Award. His picture The Departed has been nominated five times, including for achievements in directing and best picture.
The latter category will prove the climax to the evening. Other nominated movies include Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen.
The red carpet is ready, the stars are slipping into their gowns and tuxedos and this year's Oscars are all but here. The ceremony begins at 17:00 local time (01:00 GMT on Monday).