All you want to know about the 91st Academy Awards

Hollywood stars will be on the red carpet Oscars Sunday (Monday morning in Inida), the culmination of a long season of trophies rich in twists that could give rise to big surprises. Black and white film noir of Alfonso Cuaron at his childhood, Roma, leads with 10 nominations and is a firm favorite for the coveted Best Picture Academy Award. If he wins, it will be the first foreign language film and the first of the streaming giant Netflix to win this honor. But dramedy civil rights Green paper overcame the controversy to stay on the radar and could take advantage of the complex preferential voting system of the Academy to grab the first prize.

On their heels, a variety of movies, ranging from Royal royal rebound The favourite (also with 10 nominations), Spike Lee's racial drama BlacKkKlansman, to clutter fans like superhero movies Black Panther and musical romance A star is born.

Two biopics – Vice about the former US Vice President Dick Cheney and Bohemian Rhapsody about the Queen group – Complete the list of contenders for the best movie.

The 7,900 voting members of the Academy of Arts and Film Science had bold choices ahead of them: a traditional Oscar bait of the art house, and big, catchy blockbusters.

"With eight top film nominees, every movie has pbadionate fans, but no film has a consensus," Tim Gray, editor of Variety's showbiz magazine, told AFP.

All will be revealed at Dolby Theater, at a ceremony broadcast worldwide to millions of showbiz fans, with a twist: there will be no moderator for the first time in three decades.

The academy chose to take that risk after comedian Kevin Hart pulled out of the show after a firestorm after controversial tweets that had been labeled homophobic.

"They still have no answer to a question asked since the first TV show in 1953: is there a presentation of all categories or is it about 39, entertainment? " Gray said. "They want it to be both."

The entertainment factor will be high when Queen opens the show with singer Adam Lambert in front of the iconic band.

Will Glenn Close finally win?

For the honors, Christian Bale's transformation into Cheney for Vice gave him the first place in the Oscar race and several statuettes.

But Rami Malek has earned the respect of his peers – and a Golden Globe, BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award – for his mesmerizing ride as the late leader of Queen Freddie Mercury.

"In Christian Bale, I see an incredible thing for an actor, but with Rami Malek, you see a role that really has a relationship with the audience," said Variety's chief critic, Peter Debruge. "I would not be surprised if the newcomer bothered in this case."

The best actress race has a clear favorite: Glenn Close, who swept the awards for his exciting work in Wife like a woman on the edge when her husband author wins the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Lady Gaga seduced fans and critics in turn A star is bornand the appointment of Yalitza Aparicio for her first acting role in Roma earned praise. But it seems to be Close night.

"It's not her strongest role, but it's an opportunity for her to really own a little film, wear it on her shoulders and remind the industry that it's not the best part of it. "There is one of our true treasures as an actress," Debruge said.

Mahershala Ali (Green paper) and Regina King (If Beale Street could speak) are the favorites in the categories of minor actors.

– Better badessments this year?

The academy, which is desperate to improve television audiences that have fallen in recent years, is trying to stick to a three-hour television broadcast, but has encountered some difficulties along the way.

Among the controversies surrounding his time-saving efforts, it has been planned to present some awards during commercial breaks and to present only a few of the nominated songs. Both ideas have since been abandoned.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will sing their power ballad Shallow of A star is born. Performers Jennifer Hudson, Bette Midler and Gillian Welch will also perform.

But Variety announced that Kendrick Lamar and SZA would not perform "All the Stars" of "Black Panther", due to a problem of "logistics and timing".

The 91st Oscars will begin Sunday at 5 pm (Monday at 5:30 am in India).