MUMBAI: Kodak and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced an expansion of their long-standing relationship as Kodak becomes the sponsor of several events surrounding the 82nd Academy Awards.

This sponsorship will include Meet the Oscars events taking place in Chicago and New York from 25 February through 7 March. Additionally, Kodak is the exclusive sponsor of the bleacher seats along the Red Carpet that leads into the Academy Awards ceremony here at the Kodak theatre on 7 March.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with such a prestigious organization as the Academy. It’s exciting to find new ways to celebrate our rich history together on this special occasion,” said Kodak Entertainment Imaging Group president Kimberly Snyder.

The two Meet the Oscars events will be held at The Shops at Columbus Circle at the Time Warner Center in New York City, and at The Shops at North Bridge in Chicago. Free and open to the public, these temporary exhibits will provide visitors with the experience of being photographed holding an actual Oscar statuette. Also on display will be various historical Oscars, video reels and signage celebrating the Oscar tradition, as well as details of Kodak’s historical link to the Academy.

The 700-plus fans chosen to sit in the bleachers to watch preparations for the Oscar telecast will have an up-close and personal view of celebrity arrivals on the Red Carpet. Kodak will provide custom single use cameras, limited edition Red Carpet hats, and special edition autograph pens for the gift bags given to the fans. Immediately following the Red Carpet arrivals, bleacher fans will be invited to a special Kodak-sponsored Oscar viewing party at the historic El Capitan Theater.