Oscar countdown

Major preparations are well underway for the biggest event in Hollywood - and the major parties that follow. Vanity Fair's annual fete at Morton's is generally considered to be the #1 event, although organizers have made the party more exclusive by cutting the guest list by 300. Elton John is once again hosting a fundraising gala, and proceeds from the event - to be held in a tent at the Pacific Design Center - will go to his AIDS foundation. Jennifer Love Hewitt is also hosting an AIDS charity party at The Abbey, to which the public can actually buy tables and tickets. Dozens of other, smaller celebrations are being planned all over Hollywood, including the LA Confidential mag bash to be hosted by Forest Whitaker at the Mondrian Hotel. The final list of presenters for the Academy Awards has been announced. Expect to see the following A-listers hit the stage at the Kodak Theater: Ben Affleck, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jessica Biel, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Emily Blunt, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, George Clooney, Daniel Craig, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Catherine Deneuve, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo Dicaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Kirsten Dunst, Will Ferrell, Jodie Foster, Al Gore, Eva Green, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hugh Jackman, Diane Keaton, Nicole Kidman, Greg Kinnear, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Tobey Maguire, Helen Mirren, Jack Nicholson, Clive Owen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jerry Seinfeld, Meryl Streep, John Travolta, Ken Watanabe, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz, Kate Winslet, and Reese Witherspoon.

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