Best Foreign Language Film,
Best Music (Score), Best Art Direction,
and Best Cinematography

This has been a banner year for worldwide mainstream recognition of Asian actors and filmmakers. It also marks the first time that the Oscars event showcased the talents of so many world class Asian actors, singers, musicians and martial artists.

In one of the tightest Oscar races in recent years with three films neck-to-neck in wins, no one film swept the awards. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" placed respectably, winning four of its ten nominations, including Best Foreign Film. Best Picture Oscar winner "Gladiator" took home five of its twelve nominations and "Traffic" took four of its five nominations.

While "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" did not win Best Picture, it made history as the first time the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science nominated an Asian subtitled film in the Best Picture category.

It was certainly a smooze-fest for Asian stars. Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat were Oscar presenters. Peter Pau made one of the most energized acceptance speeches of the evening accepting an Oscar for Best Cinematography.

Ang Lee accepted an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film but lost in the Best Director category to Steven Soderbergh for "Traffic," who was nominated for both "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich." Lee won the prestigious Best Director Award by the Directors Guild of America, which is usually an indicator of who will win the Oscar, but this year the competition was fierce.

Highlights from nominated scores were played in an extraordinary duet by two virtuosos, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman.

CoCo Lee sang the nominated song "A Love Before Time" from the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" while dancers on live wires did martial arts moves. If any appearance will help CoCo Lee finally cross-over into the mainstream, the Oscars gave her a big boost. This California native, UC Irvine graduate is a huge singing sensation in Taiwan and other parts of Asia, but her recent Sony-backed U.S. tour was less than spectacular.

Stay tuned for AC Team's exclusive interview with Michelle Yeoh, star of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Michelle goes in-depth on the challenges of filming the Oscar winning movie, reveals her personal struggle with a near-debilitating accident on the set, and shares her candid thoughts on those exotic Asian female stereotyped roles that still proliferate in filmmaking. Michelle is busy at work producing a film from her new production company. The Director of Photography of her film, (working title "The Touch") is Oscar winner Peter Pau so combined with Michelle's producing talents, we should expect another great cinematic treat.

Let's hope this mainstream trend of recognizing achievements by Asian filmmakers, actors and other talent in the entertainment industry is a permanent one.

AC Team features the films that were in consideration for the coveted Oscar this year, as well as other Asian films that are also gaining mainstream attention.

| Best Film | Best Actor | Best Actress | Best Director |
| Best Supporting Actor | Best Supporting Actress (motion picture) |
| Best Original Screenplay | Best Adapted Screenplay |
| Best Foreign Language Film | Best Art Direction | Best Cinematography |
| Best Sound | Best Sound Editing | Best Original Score | Best Original Song |
| Best Costume | Best Documentary Feature | Best Documentary (short subject) |
| Best Film Editing | Best Makeup | Best Animated Short Film |
| Best Live Action Short Film | Best Visual Effects |

Best Film

'Gladiator' winner!
'Traffic'
'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'
'Erin Brockovich'
'Chocolat'

Best Actor
Tom Hanks - 'Cast Away'
Javier Bardem - 'Before Night Falls'
Russell Crowe - 'Gladiator' winner!
Ed Harris - 'Pollack'
Geoffrey Rush - 'Quills'

Best Actress
Julia Roberts - 'Erin Brockovich' winner!
Joan Allen - 'The Contender'
Juliette Binoche - 'Chocolat'
Ellen Burstyn - 'Requiem for a Dream'
Laura Linney - 'You Can Count on Me'

Best Director
Ang Lee - 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'
Ridley Scott - 'Gladiator'
Steven Soderbergh - 'Erin Brockovich'
Steven Soderbergh - 'Traffic' winner!
Stephen Dalory - 'Billy Elliot'

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro - 'Traffic' winner!
Jeff Bridges - 'The Contender'
Willem Dafoe - 'Shadow of a Vampire'
Albert Finney - 'Erin Brockovich'
Joaquin Phoenix - 'Gladiator'

Best Supporting Actress (motion picture)
Kate Hudson - 'Almost Famous'
Judi Dench - 'Chocolat'
Frances McDormand - 'Almost Famous'
Julie Walters - 'Billy Elliot'
Marcia Gay Harden - 'Pollack' winner!

Best Original Screenplay
Cameron Crowe - 'Almost Famous' winner!
David Franzoni and John Logan and William Nicholson - 'Gladiator'
Susannah Grant - 'Erin Brockovich'
Kenneth Lonergan - 'You Can Count On Me'
Lee Hall - 'Billy Elliot'

Best Adapted Screenplay
Stephen Gaghan - 'Traffic' winner!
Wang Hui Ling and James Schamus and Tsai Kuo Jung - 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'
'Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - O Brother, Where Art Thou?'
Steve Kloves - 'Wonder Boys'
'Robert Nelson Jacobs - 'Chocolat'

Best Foreign Language Film
'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (Taiwan) winner!
'Amores Perros' (Mexico)
'Divided We Fall' (Czech Republic)
'Everybody Famous' (Belgium)
'The Taste of Others' (France)

Best Art Direction
'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' winner!
'Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'
'Gladiator'
'Quills'
'Vatel'

Best Cinematography
'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' winner!
'Gladiator'
'Malena'
'O Brother, Where Art Thou?
'The Patriot'

Best Sound
'Cast Away'
'Gladiator' winner!
'The Patriot'
'The Perfect Storm'
'U-571'

Best Sound Editing
'Space Cowboys'
'U-571' winner!

Best Original Score
Rachel Portman - 'Chocolat'
Tan Dun - 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' winner!
Hans Zimmer - 'Gladiator'
Ennio Morricone - 'Malena'
John Williams - 'The Patriot'

Best Original Song
Randy Newman - "A Fool In Love'' ('Meet The Parents')
Bjork, Lars von Trier and Sjon Sigurdsson - "I've Seen It All'' ('Dancer in the Dark')
Jorge Calandrelli, Tan Dun and James Schamus - "A Love Before Time" ('Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon')
Sting and David Hartley - "My Funny Friend and Me" ('The Emperor's New Groove')
Bob Dylan - "Things Have Changed" ('Wonder Boys') winner!

Best Costume
'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'
'Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'
'Gladiator' winner!
'102 Dalmatians'
'Quills'

Best Documentary Feature
'Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport' winner!
'Legacy,'' ``Long Night's Journey Into Day'
'Scottsboro: An American Tragedy'
'Sound and Fury'

Best Documentary (short subject)
'Big Mama' winner!
'Curtain Call'
'Dolphins'
'The Man on Lincoln's Nose'
'On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom'

Best Film Editing
'Almost Famous'
'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'
'Gladiator'
'Traffic' winner!
'Wonder Boys'

Best Makeup
'The Cell'
'Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas' winner!
'Shadow of the Vampire'

Best Animated Short Film
'Father and Daughter' winner!
'The Periwig-Maker'
'Rejected'

Best Live Action Short Film
'By Courier'
'One Day Crossing'
'Quiero Ser (I want to be)' winner!
'Seraglio'
'A Soccer Story (Una Historia de Futebol)'

Best Visual Effects
'Gladiator' winner!
'Hollow Man'
'The Perfect Storm'

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