MUMBAI: The most important awards ceremony in the film industry the Oscar Awards will be held on 5 March 2005 instead of in February 2005.

That is because the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics takes place on 26 February.

In the US the show will air on ABC. In India the show will air live on Star Movies early in the morning on 27 February. In fact the broadcaster has come out with a television commercial touting the delights it has to offer in 2005. This includes critically acclaimed films like the period piece Far From Heaven and Seabiscuit which last year got a best picture nomination.

This year expect to see Sideways, The Aviator and Finding Neverland get best picture nominations. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Frank Pierson said that that the one week delay would only apply to next year.

"It didn't seem fair to make viewers have to choose between these two special events," Pierson said. At the same time, he emphasised that the Academy is very pleased with what had originally been characterised as a two-year experiment in moving the Awards presentations up almost a month earlier than in the past. He said that late-February broadcasts of the Oscars would resume in 2007.

As had been reported earlier by indiantelevision.com comedian Chris Rock has been tapped to host the show. The aim is to attract a younger demographic.

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