The animated film of Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman featured a high-spirited Scottish princess named Merida who resists her mother's efforts to transform her into a more ladylike young woman.

　　Faced with an arranged marriage she doesn't want, Merida runs away into the forest, where she encounters a witch who teaches her a dangerous spell.

　　The Award of Actor in Supporting Role goes to Christoph Waltz who portrays Dr. King Schultz, a German bounty hunter in the pre-Civil War South who buys a slave to assist him with his work, in "Lincoln."

　　It is the first Oscar big night after the traditional award ceremony theatre changed the name from Kodak to Dolby last year.

　　Some 282 features were eligible for Best Picture this year and the number of members voted secretly for the awards was 5,856, according to the Academy.

　　It is estimated that people from more than 225 countries and regions will watch the telecast of the ceremony while the U.S. audience will reach 39.2 million.

　　Among the favorite nominees, Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy's "Lincoln" is in the lead with 12 nominations. But Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney's "Argo" is a strong competitor to win the top prize.