Holding onto dreams of future Oscar® glory, 51 students from Inner-City Filmmakers (ICF) carried the Oscar statuettes for the 80th Academy Awards® down the red carpet and into the Kodak Theatre.

Holding onto dreams of future Oscar® glory, 50 students from Inner-City Filmmakers (ICF), a training and film industry job development program, carried the Oscar statuettes for the 80th Academy Awards® down the red carpet and into the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® on Saturday, February 23, at 10 a.m.

The statuettes, which have been on display at the “Meet the Oscars” exhibition since February 1, were transported to the red carpet, along Hollywood Boulevard where they were placed in the hands of the ICF students – the industry’s future animators, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, editors, sound editors, screenwriters and visual effects specialists – who then carried them down the red carpet.

Once inside the Kodak Theatre, the Oscar statuettes will be kept backstage, under close watch, until they are presented to the winners during the 80th Academy Awards ceremony on February 24.

Academy President Sid Ganis, center, with 51 students from Inner-City Filmmakers (ICF).

Established by filmmakers Fred Heinrich and Stephania Lipner following the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles, ICF reaches out to socially and economically underprivileged youth by creating awareness about and providing access to the professional world of filmmaking. The organization provides free year-round professional and business training, mentors, and paid work opportunities to young adults (ages 17 to 22) who aspire to careers in the entertainment industry.

ICF has successfully matched graduates with more than 500 behind-the-scenes industry job opportunities. For more information on ICF, visit www.innercityfilmmakers.com.