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The 72nd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 26, 2000, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 23 categories honoring films released in 1999. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by husband-and-wife producing team Richard and Lili Fini Zanuck, and directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor Billy Crystal hosted for the seventh time. He first hosted the 62nd ceremony held in 1990, and had last hosted the 70th ceremony in 1998. American Beauty won five awards, including Best Picture, and Best Director for Sam Mendes (pictured). Other winners included The Matrix, with four awards, as well as The Cider House Rules and Topsy-Turvy, each with two. The telecast garnered nearly 47 million viewers in the United States. (Full list...)