Oscars Introduce Inclusion Criteria

The new criteria will come into effect starting 2024.

Films nominated for best picture at the 2024 Oscars will be required to meet a number of inclusion criteria, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced.

The move comes after Academy officials and Hollywood leaders faced harsh criticism of handing the vast majority of leading roles to white performers. Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said, despite the changes, there is still work to be done.

“The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both the creation of motion pictures and in the audiences who connect with them,” Rubin and Hudson said. “We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”

Four categories of equity standards were introduced: A. On-screen Representation, Themes And Narratives B. Creative Leadership And Project Team C. Industry Access And Opportunities and D. Audience Development. Starting in 2024, films must meet two of these standards to be eligible for best picture.

Lack of racial and gender diversity is nothing new to award shows, films and casting departments. In fact, the majority of roles in Hollywood are led by white men, a 2016 report by USC Annenberg found.

Academic led studies are not the only platforms to notice equity discrepancies in Hollywood. #OscarsSoWhite, tweeted by activist April Reign, became a popular hashtag across social media after the 2015 Oscar ceremony nominated and awarded an outweighing number of white performers.

 

 

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