The packed auditorium inside the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth went quiet as actress Nicole Kidman prepared to call out the Best Picture winner at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday.
A few people sitting in the middle row of the Fort Worth venue gripped their hands anxiously as they waited for the film to be called — their eyes glued to the live broadcast on the big screen.
Kidman called out, “One Battle After Another,” and the more than 100 people inside the auditorium erupted in applause.
Although the Awards Night at the Modern event was more than a thousand miles away from the Oscars, their energy — and glamorous outfits — transported them in spirit to Hollywood’s biggest ceremony at least for a few hours.
Hosted by the Reel House Foundation, the watch party festivities included a red carpet photoshoot, live commentary and an Oscars ballot competition. Contest entrants to most accurately choose the night’s winners — who will be announced later this week — receive tickets to the Lone Star Film Festival in Fort Worth, Dallas International Film Festival, and the Asian Film Festival of Dallas.
Close friends Pamela Skjolsvik and Wendy Ervin placed their bets on “Hamnet” walking away with Best Picture. Although the film didn’t take home the gold, Skjolsvik was happy to see its star, Jessie Buckley, win for Best Actress.
“Her performance was amazing,” she said after the ceremony. “It was well deserved and I think everybody knew she was gonna win. I enjoyed ‘One Battle After Another,’ but I liked ‘Hamnet’ a little bit better.”
Guests begin to fill seats inside the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s auditorium for an Academy Awards watch party on March 15, 2026. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)
Awards Night was the first Academy Awards-themed event of its scale in Fort Worth in years, Jason Wiseman, executive director of the Reel House Foundation, said. The Modern previously hosted its own Oscars watch parties before pausing its screenings.
“We’re really happy that we are able to partner with the Modern and the Fort Worth Film Commission to kick this back off,” Wiseman said. “There’s no other event like this in Fort Worth.”
Beyond the Hollywood glamour, Awards Night also served as a fundraiser for the Reel House Foundation’s free family film screenings at Stage West Theatre and the Modern.
The nonprofit partners with ACH Child and Family Services, Girls Inc. of Tarrant County, Big Brothers Big Sisters and The WARM Place to make classic cinema accessible to underserved children, Wiseman said.
“Our goal is to foster the next generation of cinema and art lovers,” he said.
As the ceremony came to an end, people trickled out of the Modern — whispering to one another about the night’s winners and losers.
Even though not all the film buffs agreed with the Oscars’ outcome, they’ll be tuned in next year to see what new projects make their mark on cinematic history.
Disclosure: The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth has been a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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