Two exciting parties will celebrate the 81st Academy Awards just blocks apart on Oscar night, Feb. 22
One is Hub the 51 Awards party, where Richard Roeper will challenge guests’ knowledge of movie trivia for more than 35 valuable prizes, and the other is Chicago’s only officially sanctioned Oscar Night-America Party for the 15th year at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Hub 51 Awards Night producer Brenda Sexton, former IFO director, pulled out all the stops to create a lavish Tinsel Town night, with cocktails and food stations, contests and raffles, and the Oscar telecast projected on multiple big screens.
For the silent auction, the biggest prizes are center court floor seats for the Bulls/Lakers game, and a private theatre movie screening for 25 with Richard Roeper, followed by a private cocktail party, front-row owner seats at a White Sox game or Bills game, a Maserati for a weekend and dinner for two at a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant.
A trip to Hollywood goes to the winner of the single live-auction item to benefit Columbia College’s Film School Scholarship Fund. The weekend includes a two-night stay at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, an invitation for two to a private opening night party for Chicago-owned restaurant, La Grande Orange Grow-cery and tickets to a choice of NBC shows.
The film-buff who outguesses Roeper’s Oscar picks will win American Airlines tickets to Washington, D.C., dinner for two at Art & Soul, and two-night accommodations at the Affinia Hotel.
Both galas will benefit film education: part of Hub 51 Awards proceeds go to Columbia College’s Film School Scholarship Fund, while Oscar Night-America’s recipient is the Film Center’s educational and programming initiatives throughout the year.
