Share

The Oscar ceremonies extend far beyond the night most people watch on TV. Here, Someone's in the Kitchen, based in Tarzana, Calif., fêtes guests at the 82nd annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Foreign Language Film Awards, a glamorous event nominated for a Gala Award. Photos by Sean Twomey.

The gala starts—appropriately—with a red carpet entrance flanked by Oscar statues. Pavé floral arrangements set in custom cases are lit from above. But the event room—at the Academy's headquarters in Beverly Hills—is a surprise …