The Oscars Are Making Some Changes For Best Picture Contenders
Change is good!
Filmmakers will have to meet new inclusion and diversity guidelines in order for their films to be contenders for the Academy Award’s top prize, Best Picture.
Starting in 2024, for the 96th Oscars in 2025, films will need to include a certain percentage of underrepresented people (women, racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities) in at least 2 of 4 areas in order to be nominated for Best Picture. Those areas are:
- On-screen acting and storylines, “including at least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group”
- Creative leadership positions, departmental heads and crew composition
- Paid apprenticeships, internships and training
- Audience development, from publicity and marketing to distribution
For the awards in 2021 – 24, films will be required to submit an Academy Inclusion Standards form.
For more details on the 4 areas of representation, see this from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been criticized over the years for honouring few movies that were made by people of colour, and in a new five-year diversity plan, they hope to change that.
