The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of the United States has decided to postpone important dates ahead of the Oscars in connection with the fire that has engulfed Southern California, writes daily.afisha.ru with reference to Variety.

The voting process, in which about 10 thousand academics are participating, has been extended. Initially, it was planned to complete it on January 12, but now the final date has been postponed to January 14. Accordingly, the announcement of the list of nominees will be held on January 19 instead of the previously planned January 17.

In an official address to the members of the Academy, CEO Bill Kramer expressed deep sympathy for those affected by the disaster. He especially noted that a significant part of the film industry representatives live and work in the Los Angeles region affected by the disaster.

The natural disaster has had a significant impact on the city's cultural life: premiere screenings of a number of films have been cancelled, including «Untamed» from Amazon MGM Studios, «The Wolfman» from Universal Studios, and the documentary «Be Better: The Robbie Williams Story» from Paramount and Max.

The fire, which has been raging in Los Angeles for three days now, has caused serious damage to the properties of many celebrities. Among the victims were such stars as Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, John Goodman, Cameron Mathison, Ricki Lake, Anna Faris, the couple Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, as well as Billy Crystal and Eugene Levy.

The Oscar ceremony itself is scheduled for March 2. Conan O'Brien will host.