The
70th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 23, 1998, at the
Shrine Auditorium in
Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m.
PST / 9:00 p.m.
EST. During the show, AMPAS presented
Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories honoring
films released in 1997. The ceremony, which was televised in the United States by
ABC, was produced by
Gil Cates and directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor
Billy Crystal hosted the show for the sixth time. He first presided over the
62nd ceremony held in 1990, and he had hosted the
previous year's gala. Nearly a month earlier in an event held at the
Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in
Beverly Hills, California on February 28, the
Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host
Ashley Judd.