MATTHEW LIBATIQUE (Photo by Janet R. Nepales); HAILEE STEINFELD (Photo by Adrianna Barraza)

LOS ANGELES – Two Filipino-Americans are nominated in the upcoming 83rd annual Academy Awards that will be held on February 27.

Filipino cinematographer Matthew Libatique of “Black Swan,” who is the son of Justiniano (from Dagupan, Pangasinan) and Georgina Libatique (from Lucena, Quezon), is the first 100 percent Filipino to earn a major Oscar nomination.

Libatique, who already bagged the best cinematography awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics, the New York Film Critics and the New York Online, is nominated for best in cinematography for his work on “Black Swan” and will be competing against the cinematographers of “Inception,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Social Network,” and “True Grit.”

Part-Filipina 14-year-old actress Hailee Steinfeld, whose father is Jewish and whose mother Cheri is part-Filipina, is nominated in the best supporting actress category for her performance in “True Grit.” She will be competing against Golden Globe winner Melissa Leo of “The Fighter,” Amy Adams also of “The Fighter,” Helena Bonham Carter of “The King’s Speech,” and Jacki Weaver of “Animal Kingdom.”

The 42-year-old Libatique, who is fondly known as Matty to his colleagues, won a Best Cinematography trophy from the Independent Spirit Awards for “Requiem for a Dream” which was named one of the best shot films of 1998-2008 by the American Cinematographer, the magazine of The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).

A former classmate of “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky at the American Film Institute (AFI), Libatique has impressed Aronofsky so much that he has already done five films with him – “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Fountain,” “Pi,” “Protozoa,” “Black Swan” – and next, “Wolverine.”

The award-winning cinematographer, who disclosed to us that he used to deliver lechon as his first job when he was 16 years old, learned the basics of photography first from his dad when he was handed his first camera.

Libatique, who began his career shooting music videos, has done films with Spike Lee (“Inside Man,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” “She Hate Me”), Joel Schumacher (“Tigerland,” “Phone Booth”) and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”).

Aronofsky said of Libatique, “We actually grew up with similar backgrounds. He grew up in Queens and I grew up in Brooklyn so we have a lot in common. We just connected really well. It has been a really great life-long collaboration. And Matty, of course, has gone on to do these huge films like ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Iron Man 2’ and ‘Cowboys and Aliens.’ He’s big time now. It is great working with him because he is able to bring that skill set.”

Aronofsky added, “Matty also makes the best chicken adobo!”

The lovely, charming and talented Hailee Steinfeld, on the other hand, admitted, “I have not been to the Philippines but I am looking forward to going there one of these days. I hear it is a beautiful country.”

Steinfeld, whose performance as Mattie Ross in the Ethan and Joel Coen 2010 adaptation of “True Grit” also earned her nomination nods from the Houston Film Critics Society for Best Supporting Actress and the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress.

We recently bumped into Steinfeld and her mom Cheri at the 68th Golden Globe Awards and the part-Filipina actress was happy that her mom, whose father is Filipino, has devoted all her attention now to Steinfeld’s acting career. “My mom used to be an interior designer,” Steinfeld said.

Having the best actors in Hollywood as her co-stars – Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin – in her first movie was quite an experience for Steinfeld. “They all have daughters of their own and I felt like I was one of their own,” she admitted. “They’re just so amazing, down-to-earth and humble. I learned so much from their actions. They are such a joy to be around on and off set. I am so honored and blessed.”

• • •

Mandy Moore, the 26-year-old singer-actress, was resplendent in her blue Monique Lhuillier gown in the recently concluded 68th Golden Globe Awards.

Poised, charming and friendly, Mandy, who briefly dated Philippine-born singer-actor Billy Crawford for a few months when she was younger, is now happily married to singer-songwriter and New York resident Ryan Adams, formerly of the alt-country band Whiskeytown.

Appearing as Rapunzel in the Disney animated musical “Tangled” with Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy, Mandy is proud to be a part of the Disney family of princesses.

She said, “I am so excited that now I am part of the Disney family tree. How many people out there are going to be able to say that they’re a Disney princess but I’m worried about shattering children’s dreams because I remember being a young girl and going to Disneyland and seeing the princesses dressed up like Ariel or Belle. I’m specifically pointed out to be Rapunzel but clearly I don’t have the long blonde hair. They may hear the voice of Rapunzel. I want to be careful not to shatter any dreams.”

Co-directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, “Tangled,” which is the 50th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, is largely based on the German fairytale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm.

Mandy pointed out her favorite fairytales. “Growing up, I was a big Disney fan of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Aladdin,’ ‘The Lion King,’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast,’” she said. “So to now think that somehow I have found the good fortune to be a Disney princess is still mind boggling to me.”

On Zachary Levi who portrays Eugene Fitzherbert or Flynn Rider, Mandy admitted, “I didn’t know too much about him. That’s why I was actually most surprised to find out that he could sing, that he had a singing voice, that he had a big musical theatre background. We had one rehearsal session together before we went into the recording studio and the moment he opened his mouth, my jaw was on the floor. I was so blown away by his voice. He had such a beautiful sort of quintessential leading man Disney hero voice and I’m really excited for people to get to see the film and hear him sing because he’s excellent.”

As for performing Alan Menken songs and performing with a 70-piece orchestra, Mandy revealed, “Being the big Disney movie fan that I am, getting the opportunity to sing songs by Alan Menken again is just above and beyond my wildest dreams. The funny thing is that doing an animated film I didn’t realize I initially got cast and thought that I was going to be working with the whole cast. I thought we’d have the camaraderie of being in the same room and clearly, that’s not necessarily the process of an animated film. So I didn’t get to meet Zach until we sang together. We recorded the duet together and it was such a moment in time because we were on a big recording orchestral soundstage at Warner Bros. and there was like a 70-piece orchestra there. We actually got to go into the room. Zach and I sang the song a couple of times through with the orchestra just to give them the feel of how we were going to be singing the song. I knew I was going to be like the one person, the one element that derailed the whole train. I am like please, just get through this. It was very intimidating but beyond one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had.”

• • •

Alan Menken, on the other hand, was so excited to finally get his star on Hollywood’s walk of fame.