Perhaps #OscarsSoWhite wasn’t such a bad thing, because it has forced big changes at the Motion Picture Academy, a longtime bastion of older white men.
In addition to the concerted push to diversify its membership of nearly 10,000, the Academy just announced major moves to make the Oscars more inclusive, particularly the prestigious Best Picture category.
To be eligible for the top prize, the Academy announced new representation standards that encompass what audiences see on screen as well as behind the scenes in the diversity of the crew and the inclusivity of the companies involved in making the picture.
The standards were developed over the last several months by a special task force that is part of the organization’s Academy Aperture 2025 initiative.
The new eligibility requirements say that a film must meet at least two standards in four categories: Onscreen Representation, Themes and Narratives, Creative Leadership and Project Team, Industry Access and Opportunities and Audience Development.
Within each of those categories are a range of criteria involving inclusion of people in underrepresented groups including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ and people with cognitive or physical disabilities.
The new standards take effect for the 96th Oscars in 2024.
Previously the only qualifications for best picture involved the film’s running time, which must be over 40 minutes and rules on how, when and where it’s screened in a public venue– which called for a week-long theatrical run in the major markets of New York and Los Angeles.
The Academy says the new requirements will serve as a roadmap for how the entertainment industry can ensure that the films that compete for its highest honor reflect the diversity of the filmgoing audience and the wider world.
“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,” Academy president David Rubin and chief executive Dawn Hudson said in a joint statement. “The Academy is committed to playing a vital role in helping make this a reality. We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”
With a three-year lead time, the Academy is giving the industry lots of time to adapt.
The new standards for on screen representation are certain to garner the most scrutiny as the time comes.
