BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 03/07/10 -- As Tinsel Town gets ready for its biggest night of the year, Academy Award® nominees and presenters joined some of the most well-known film stars in the world for the eighth annual "Night Before" party to benefit the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF). Money raised supports the extensive programs and services MPTF provides to more than 60,000 members of the entertainment industry every year.

The event has been held annually the night before the Academy Awards® since 2003 when it instantly became one of the most coveted invitations in town and kicks off what is now a much-anticipated awards season tradition.

This year's presenting sponsors were HP, Target and L'Oreal Paris. The event was once again held at the beautiful and historic Beverly Hills Hotel, where a huge crowd of celebrities and entertainment industry executives came out to support MPTF. Michael Mina, of the restaurant XIV, was the featured chef at this year's sold-out event and guests enjoyed being treated to his culinary delights.

"The generosity of the film and television community never ceases to amaze and none more so than Hollywood's great legacy of 'caring for our own' through support of the MPTF," said Ken Scherer, CEO of the MPTF Foundation. "Through the leadership of Jeffrey Katzenberg, the great success of the Night Before guarantees that MPTF will be able to provide financial assistance and community social services to thousands of industry workers and their families, often at their most critical time of need."

"Over the last seven years I believe the Night Before, built around the Oscar celebration, reminds us all that ours is a collaborative community, and for more than 60,000 industry members, MPTF is where they turn to for personal support, their health care and other services," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation and Chairman of the MPTF Foundation. "And all this is made possible by the support of our corporate sponsors, the companies and hundreds of individuals who give so generously to make the Night Before one of the most successful fundraisers each year in Hollywood."

The "Night Before" benefit brought out the world's biggest stars from film, television, music and sports. Seen at this year's party were: Sandra Bullock, Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Penelope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Lopez & Mark Anthony, Jake Gyllenhaal, Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise, Ben Stiller, Jamie Foxx, Oprah Winfrey, Elton John, Eddie Murphy, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Waltz, Colin Firth, Vera Farmiga, Jason Reitman, Stanley Tucci, Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Lautner, Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick, Javier Bardem, Halle Berry, Diane Keaton, Kristin Davis, Tina Fey, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Christian Slater, Gerard Butler, Kate Beckinsale and Matt Damon, among many others.

The "Night Before" was produced for the eighth consecutive year by Robyn Leuthe Norris, with Silver Birches creating the decor for the party.

Sponsors of the event brought their own brand of excitement to the event, supporting MPTF and adding some fun to the evening:

HP

"With so many of Hollywood's top creative artists and studios being HP customers, it's a privilege to support such a worthy cause," said Satjiv Chahil, market development advisor to the Personal Systems Group at HP. "The touch-enabled PC experience and print-on-demand magazine we've created to highlight this year's Oscar nominees show our deep respect for their contributions to society and illustrate how personal our products and services truly are."

An annual sponsor since the very first Night Before event, HP developed an interactive program featuring trivia, photos and information about current and past Oscar nominees. Played on an 85-inch touch screen and mirroring the experience found on HP Touchsmart PCs, this engaging interactive program was created in partnership with Variety and Getty Images. Guests entered for a chance to win one of more than 100 products including HP Mini PCs, Swarovski-crystallized HP notebook PCs, HP Photosmart compact printers and the new HP Photosmart Web-connected printer. At the end of the evening, all guests received an "Oscar Morning Kit" featuring gourmet coffee from Longbottom Coffee and Tea Inc., scones and a limited edition Daily Variety "Oscar 2010" magazine. While the magazine was developed especially for the Night Before attendees, HP and Variety will make a limited quantity available for purchase via MagCloud.com, HP's self-publishing Web service for print-on-demand magazines. All profits from purchases of the magazine will be donated directly to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

Target

"This marks the sixth year Target has sponsored the Night Before to support the important work of the Motion Picture & Television Fund," said Shawn Gensch, vice president of Target. This year, we are excited to offer guests the opportunity to choose from a selection of women's apparel from the Zac Posen for Target collection, in addition to custom gifts for men."

Target has partnered with Zac Posen to offer Zac Posen for Target -- comprised of affordable women's apparel, including outerwear and swim. The Zac Posen for Target exclusive collection will launch at most Target stores nationwide and at Target.com on April 25, 2010.

L'Oreal Paris

"L'Oreal Paris appreciates its close and long-standing association with the entertainment industry. We are proud to once again support the 'Night Before' party, a truly extraordinary evening benefiting the Motion Picture & Television Fund," said Karen T. Fondu, president of L'Oreal Paris.

"The worlds of entertainment and beauty are so closely connected today. That's why Lancome and Kiehl's, two of the shining stars in the L'Oreal Luxury Products Division portfolio, are thrilled to support the Motion Picture & Television Fund and give back to an industry that inspires them and enthralls their customers," said Carol Hamilton, president, L'Oreal Luxury Products Division.

The L'Oreal Paris division of L'Oreal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care company that combines the latest in technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in luxury beauty at mass. The L'Oreal Paris brand encompasses the four major beauty categories -- haircolor, haircare, skincare and cosmetics -- and includes such well-known brands as Preference, Excellence, Feria and Healthy Look haircolor; Elnett Satin Hairspray, EverPure, EverStrong, VIVE Pro, Studio Line and L'Oreal Kids haircare; Revitalift, Age Perfect, Ideal Skin Genesis, Collagen, Sublime Bronze and Men's Expert skincare; and the Colour Riche, True Match, Infallible, Bare Naturale and Studio Secrets Professional cosmetics collections, along with a portfolio of mascara including Voluminous, Double Extend and Telescopic among many others. For more information on L'Oreal Paris and its brands, and to get comprehensive, personalized beauty information from the experts, visit www.lorealparis.com for access to unique content and dynamic interactive features, including the exclusive "Can I Help You" diagnostic tool.

About the Motion Picture & Television Fund
For the past 89 years, the Motion Picture & Television Fund has served California's entertainment community. The non-profit organization provides healthcare, independent and assisted living, memory care, retirement care, childcare, financial support and charitable social services to more than 60,000 entertainment industry professionals every year. MPTF is a leader in the development and implementation of services and programs for senior citizens. For more information, visit www.mptvfund.org.