Celebs share their Oscar tips with movie Mazz

It's almost Oscars time bitches! Booyah! Now I've got to dash because I've got the live event to cover, but in the meantime . . . here are some hot and exclusive tips from a bunch of fantatsic people I've interviewed over the past few weeks. I had a ball compiling this list and I hope you have just as much fun reading it. Stay posted for live Oscars results today AND all the rad pics from 2011 Oscars party. Ciao.

Chris `Ludacris' Bridges, Actor and RapperThe rapper turned actor found critical success in best picture Oscar-winner Crash and nominee Hustle & Flow. He said the ``smart money'' is on his No Strings Attached co-star:
``Natalie Portman man, this is her year. She's come out with Black Swan and she's in like three other movies this year. I think that she's just shining right now. I'm really proud of her and I wish her well. Plus, she did she did a damn good job in Black Swan.''

Callan McAuliffe, Actor

The 16-year-old actor from Sydney has spent his first year in Hollywood starring in blockbusters such as I Am Number Four and Flipped. He throws his support behind an animated contender:
``How To Train Your Dragon was my favourite film of 2010, I love it and I hope it wins the animation category. I saw True Grit and I want it to win something, it was great, and Inception, which was amazing. I think both of those two deserve an award.''

Stephen Frears, Filmmaker

As a two-time best director Academy Award nominee and the man who directed Helen Mirren in her award-winning turn in The Queen, Frears knows all about the selection process and his bet is on a fellow Brit for best actor.
``Surely Colin (Firth) will win. That's what everyone seems to think. I'm not really too good at guessing those sorts of things.''

Oliver Ackland, Actor

The star of upcoming Australian film Wasted On The Young and recipient of the Heath Ledger Scholarship tips Ledger's The Dark Knight co-star:
``I think Christian Bale for best supporting actor, but I'm not so sure for best actor, I'll leave that up in air. I'm a big fan of Christian Bale, he deserves to win every time around. It's nuts that this is only his first nomination, it doesn't make any sense. I really like Inception, but I think something like The King's Speech will probably get up.''

Posdnuos, Rapper

As one third of legendary hip hop group De La Soul, Posdnuos aka Plug One is an influential force in the music industry. But he's also an avid movie lover who has been following the Oscars race closely:
``I just saw Winter's Bone the other day and that was a really great film. That actress, Jennifer Lawrence, is young and just getting into it, but it's so great that movie can be a part of the Oscars.''

John Cameron Mitchell, Filmmaker and Actor

Best known for his boundary pushing films Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Shortbus, Cameron Mitchell is behind the raw drama Rabbit Hole, which scored Nicole Kidman a best actress nomination:
``I have a mechanism when my film is out or up for award that I have to tune everything out, I get to crazy. But I'm cheering for Nicole. It's just the perfect role for her and one of her best performances to date.''

Damian Walshe-Howling, Actor The former Underbelly actor and star of shark thriller The Reef has his fingers crossed for one of the few Australians in the field:
``I just hope Jacki (Weaver) as the underdog takes the prize. It's such as such an amazing performance and Animal Kingdom is such an amazing film. I love that she's so down to Earth. The other day I read a quote from her in the paper where they were asking her about her chances and she said ``I feel like a Shetland at the Melbourne Cup.'' I think that's so wonderful. She's taking it in her stride and I would love an Australian film to take an Oscar, but just to get there is great. Also Christian Bale in The Fighter was sensational. That role, I just can't fault it at all.''