OSCARS POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL

LOS ANGELES The 2021 Oscars ceremony has been moved to April from February due to the coronavirus.

The ceremony for film’s highest honours will take place on April 25, 2021, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in a statement Monday. It had originally been scheduled for Feb. 28.

The coronavirus pandemic shut down movie theatres worldwide in mid-march and brought production of films to a halt.

The shutdown meant filmmakers feared their movies would not be finished by the year-end Oscar eligibility deadline.

The academy also extended the deadline by which movies must be released in order to be eligible for an Oscar nomination to Feb. 28, 2021 from Dec. 31, 2020.

Also on Monday, Canadian chain Cineplex announced plans to reopen some its cinemas across Canada starting June 26.