69th Academy Awards ceremony , organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) took place on March 24 , 1997 , at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST . During the ceremony , AMPAS presented the Academy Awards ( commonly referred to as Oscars ) in 24 categories honoring films released in 1996 . The ceremony , televised in the United States by ABC , was produced by Gil Cates , and directed by Louis J. Horvitz . Actor Billy Crystal hosted the show for the fifth time . He first presided over the 62nd ceremony held in 1990 and had last hosted the 65th ceremony held in 1993 . Three weeks earlier , in a ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills , California , on March 1 , the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Helen Hunt
65th ceremony
65th Academy Awards
69th Academy Awards