Last night, the air was filled with excitement as the elegantly dressed made their way down a red carpet to dine in style at the party of the year. Meanwhile, across the country, Oscar-hopefuls filled the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., for The 76th Annual Academy Awards.
In Athens, the place to be was The Dairy Barn, 8000 Dairy Lane, at the first Academy Awards Night to support the Athens International Film and Video Festival. Festivities began at 6 p.m., as guests arrived and cast votes for whom they thought would win each of the two-dozen awards.
More than 180 people bought $40 tickets to the sold-out event, said Kelee Riesbeck, a founding member of Friends of the Festival, who organized the event. More than a dozen local businesses donated money and support.
I've been an insane awards freak for years
said Riesbeck, who has been hosting awards night parties with friends since her college days. Last year she invited Jonathan Leal, fellow awards show fan and owner of the personal chefing business, Gourmet Your Way, to cater the event at her home.
Riesbeck and Leal realized the potential of making their personal party a large fundraiser. It's such a natural tie-in said Leal, who prepared this year's menu, based on a real Golden Globe banquet.
Initially, the main goal was to boost the festival's profile, Leal said. But after talking with the program's director, Ruth Bradley, Leal said he realized the festival was just struggling for survival after budget cuts.
The festival, in its 31st year, is organized by the Athens Center for Film and Video, part of OU's College of Fine Arts. Last year's budget was about $60,000, Bradley said.
The center depends, in part, on funding from the Ohio Arts Council. Last year, the Council gave the center $9,300 for the festival, Bradley said. This year they received about $5,800.
Albany residents Rhonda and Steven Koch attended last night's event and were excited to see such a big fundraiser to benefit the festival.
(The Athens festival) is really a big asset to the community Rhonda Koch said.
Riesbeck said the total amount raised by the Awards Night had not yet been tallied, but was at least $3,000.
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Becca Manning
