Hollywood’s biggest night comes to London's Hyland Cinema Oscars watch party

Filmmakers, actors, producers and movie fans will gather to walk the red carpet and wait to see who takes home the industry’s most coveted awards at the Oscars Sunday night.

Closer to home, audiences will also be watching, whether in their living rooms or at viewing parties, like the one planned at London's Hyland Cinema.

“This is about sharing the moment,” said Mike Klassen, manager and programmer at the Hyland Cinema. “If you're into the Oscars, you've probably watched it at home with family or a few friends. But here you get to experience all the oohs and ahhs with a big crowd.”

The independent theatre is hosting a live community viewing of the Academy Awards Sunday night, in partnership with Film London, Radio Western and the Forest City Film Festival. 

“It’s just an excuse to get out of the house,” Klassen said. “Come hang out with your friends and see something that is a pop culture moment.”

For many film fans, the Academy Awards are as much about the spectacle as the winners themselves.

The ceremony has long been a cultural touchstone in Hollywood, known for its red carpet arrivals, emotional speeches and the occasional unexpected moment that keeps audiences talking long after the broadcast ends.

That cultural pull is part of what draws audiences in London to events like the Hyland Cinema’s Oscars viewing.

“The Oscars need to look at it like a show,” Klassen said. “The awards are important, but it also has to be entertaining.”

Klassen says part of the appeal of the Oscars is the anticipation surrounding the results.

“There’s a lot of buzz around what’s going to happen,” he said. “There are a lot of categories where you really don’t know what’s going to happen, which makes things way more interesting.”

This year’s ceremony is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. Major categories remain tightly contested between several films, including Sinners and One Battle After Another, leaving many predictions uncertain heading into Sunday night.

Klassen said that unpredictability makes the broadcast more compelling for viewers.

“A year when Oppenheimer just sweeps is pretty uninteresting in terms of a television program,” he said. “I think this year is probably the most interesting year since 2019 in terms of the Oscars.”