Acknowledging the great works of films and their directors had to begin somewhere. It began with the Academy Awards ceremony that is now a well-known and prestigious event that only a fortunate few are able to attend.
On May 16th 1929, the first Academy Awards ceremony was held as a banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Being the first ceremony ever it lasted only about fifteen minutes, but it started it all. The years to follow all the Academy Awards were broadcasted on television or radio.
The Academy Awards were established by the Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The cost to attend the Academy Awards was only five dollars and this included the ceremony and dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. If this price and accessibility still existed today, imagine how many people would want to attend.