The first Oscar statuettes of the season are being presented tonight at the film academy's Governors Awards.
The Hollywood ceremony honors this year's recipients of honorary Academy Awards: Actress Maureen O'Hara, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere. Actor and activist Harry Belafonte is receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences established the Governors Awards in 2009 as an untelevised celebration of its honorary Oscar winners.
"It's special because it's an intimate evening," academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a recent interview. "It's a chance for the academy to recognize the diverse talent that it takes to realize the dream of moviemaking."
She said the annual event is a favorite of the academy and the film industry because it allows a personal look into the professional lives of exceptional talents.
All four honorees are expected to attend the Governors Awards ceremony in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland.
The academy's board of governors, comprising representatives of all 17 branches, selects honorary Oscar winners.
