Letter from Academy leadership also says show will ‘move away’ from live performances to celebrate songwriters

The Oscars will go on as planned in March, though with special accommodations to acknowledge to devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, according to a new update from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

A letter from the CEO, Bill Kramer, and president Janet Yang, sent to all members on Wednesday, confirmed that the ceremony will “celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires”.

Contenders for prestigious Golden and Silver Bear unveiled with 75th edition of festival due to open on 13 February

Richard Linklater’s long-awaited Broadway biopic Blue Moon starring Ethan Hawke and Margaret Qualley, a Mexican love story with Jessica Chastain as a socialite who falls for a émigré ballet dancer, and a British family drama set in Spain featuring Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw will premiere in competition at next month’s Berlin film festival.

The 75th edition of the Berlinale, Europe’s first major cinema showcase of the year, will open on 13 February with the world premiere of The Light by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) about the intertwined fates of a Syrian refugee and a middle-class German family.