The Oscars will introduce four new standards, at least two of which films will need to meet in order to be eligible for Best Picture from 2024. Run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Oscars, or more formally the Academy Awards, are Hollywood's biggest and most prestigious awards. Filmmakers are known to write movies in order to be more attractive to Oscars voters, and careers are often made or broken on Oscars night. They usually take place in late February, though the 2021 edition will take place in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The awards often cause controversy, with some films winning over others that seem more deserving due to the stories being considered more mainstream or "safe." One of the biggest criticisms leveled at the ceremony in recent years has been the lack of diversity in the movies represented, leading to the creation of the hashtag #oscarssowhite by activist April Reign. While there have been attempts to diversify the awards, with South Korean film Parasite winning Best Picture in 2020, and Moonlight, an LGBTQ+ film featuring a majority black cast and crew, winning in 2017, there have also been serious missteps, such as the 2019 Best Picture winner, Green Book, which was a "white savior" movie.
Now, Variety reports the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has introduced new rules, to be enforced from the 2024 ceremony, to ensure more diversity in their Best Picture nominees. The four categories are: Standard A: On-screen representation, themes and narratives, Standard B: Creative leadership and project team, Standard C: Industry Access and Opportunities and Standard D: Audience Development. The standards all relate to including diverse voices in each, with A relating to the diversity of the cast and story. B relates to the diversity of the crew. C covers the apprenticeship, training and internship opportunities on the film, while D covers the diversity of the marketing, publicity and distribution teams.
From 2024, films will have to meet at least two of the standards listed above in order to be considered for a Best Picture nomination. While the effort may be applauded by some, there is also space for critics to say that the plan is merely papering over the cracks. When looked at closely, it would be incredibly difficult for a film NOT to meet the standards for inclusion, and it seems as though the bar has been set incredibly low.
For example, a film would qualify simply by having 30 percent of its minor roles go to women, and having six crew members from an underrepresented group (Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, Black/African American, Indigenous/Native American/Alaskan Native, Middle Eastern/North African, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Other underrepresented race or ethnicity). The other criticism is that this is merely paying lip service to the issue, rather than attempting to tackle it in a meaningful way.
Hollywood has traditionally been run by straight white men, and marginalized voices often have to fight merely to be represented at all. Critics of the standards introduced this week could argue that they will do nothing to change the overarching power dynamics in the business, and that until the industry as a whole changes, measures like these won't do anything besides slightly change the nominations list at the Oscars.
Source: Variety