Future Diversity of the Oscars discussion

So, starting in 2024, in order to be nominated for Best Picture, a movie will have to conform to several diversity criteria.

At the moment, here they are. from: ACADEMY ESTABLISHES REPRESENTATION AND INCLUSION STANDARDS FOR OSCARS® ELIGIBILITY | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

For the 96th Oscars (2024) , a film must meet TWO out of FOUR of the following standards to be deemed eligible:

STANDARD A: ON-SCREEN REPRESENTATION, THEMES AND NARRATIVES
To achieve Standard A, the film must meet ONE of the following criteria:

A1. Lead or significant supporting actors

At least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic 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

A2. General ensemble cast

At least 30% of all actors in secondary and more minor roles are from at least two of the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

A3. Main storyline/subject matter

The main storyline(s), theme or narrative of the film is centered on an underrepresented group(s).
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

STANDARD B: CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AND PROJECT TEAM
To achieve Standard B, the film must meet ONE of the criteria below:

B1. Creative leadership and department heads

At least two of the following creative leadership positions and department heads—Casting Director, Cinematographer, Composer, Costume Designer, Director, Editor, Hairstylist, Makeup Artist, Producer, Production Designer, Set Decorator, Sound, VFX Supervisor, Writer—are from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

At least one of those positions must belong to the following underrepresented racial or ethnic 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

B2. Other key roles

At least six other crew/team and technical positions (excluding Production Assistants) are from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. These positions include but are not limited to First AD, Gaffer, Script Supervisor, etc.

B3. Overall crew composition
At least 30% of the film’s crew is from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

STANDARD C: INDUSTRY ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES
To achieve Standard C, the film must meet BOTH criteria below:

C1. Paid apprenticeship and internship opportunities

The film’s distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships that are from the following underrepresented groups and satisfy the criteria below:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

The major studios/distributors are required to have substantive, ongoing paid apprenticeships/internships inclusive of underrepresented groups (must also include racial or ethnic groups) in most of the following departments: production/development, physical production, post-production, music, VFX, acquisitions, business affairs, distribution, marketing and publicity.

The mini-major or independent studios/distributors must have a minimum of two apprentices/interns from the above underrepresented groups (at least one from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group) in at least one of the following departments: production/development, physical production, post-production, music, VFX, acquisitions, business affairs, distribution, marketing and publicity.

C2. Training opportunities and skills development (crew)

The film’s production, distribution and/or financing company offers training and/or work opportunities for below-the-line skill development to people from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

STANDARD D: AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
To achieve Standard D, the film must meet the criterion below:

D1. Representation in marketing, publicity, and distribution

The studio and/or film company has multiple in-house senior executives from among the following underrepresented groups (must include individuals from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups) on their marketing, publicity, and/or distribution teams.
• Women
• Racial or ethnic 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
    • LGBTQ+
    • People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

All categories other than Best Picture will be held to their current eligibility requirements. Films in the specialty feature categories (Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, International Feature Film) submitted for Best Picture/General Entry consideration will be addressed separately.

Academy Aperture 2025 is the next phase of the Academy’s equity and inclusion initiative furthering the organization’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusion in the entertainment industry and increase representation within its membership and the greater film community.

There are many concerns in the industry about these criteria.

Is that at least TWO (2) out of FOUR (4)? Or exactly TWO?

So a film where there’s basically only one character or two, like Gravity, then the main character basically needs to always be a minority? Seems weird.

There are a lot of ORs in there, like standard a1 OR a2 OR a3, etc.

That’s important. I was a little confused at first.

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I wonder why this was excluded from criteria A1 . . .

Not required to satisfy any of standards B, C, or D.

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ew, gross. They should just change the name from “The Oscars” to “The Panderers” already.

C seems relatively easy for most studios to meet. Then they need to meet one of the others, right?

Not a fan of such strict guidelines for consideration, but C seems like a low hurdle.

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Predicting a lot of Tolkiens being hired.

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The studios know which films they are going to put up for best picture. They will simply create a new division that meets criteria D and release those films through there. I don’t see this actually creating any sort of change.

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But how long will it be before the other major categories have to toe the same line? Then the minor ones…

And funny how the international films get a pass. For now.

I don’t think it matters which categories are impacted. The studios will release the movies they want to nominate through Studio Meets Criteria D. I know of construction and engineering firms that do this to gain an advantage on certain government projects. The president of the division submitting the bid is a minority and all of the minorities working for the company are in that division so they qualify as a minority firm for purposes of the bids. If the minority division has too much work they hire consulting services from the rest of the company and vice versa. It all ends up as a paper game because the company would have hired the same people and maybe the reporting structure would have been a little different.

IFYP; but agree that many of the “criteria” posted will turn into a paper chase.

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Eh, who cares.

How many even heard of this year’s winner? I’m sure it really boosted its ticket sales.

They should go back to the ceremony being a luncheon, last about 30 minutes, and not be televised. They can just throw a party for themselves, and make up all the restrictions they want.

Most didn’t.
Because they’re deaf.
Poor taste, meep. You’re better than this.

:rimshot:

The Oscar bump used to be quite real. These days, not so much.

[reads about this year’s movie]

jeez, I didn’t even know what it was about.

:man_facepalming:

CODA is on AppleTV+. Saw it the other day. Trope of “gifted kid can’t leave home due to some parental/family issue.” The issue this time is deafness, but substitute “poor,” cultural," etc.
Nothing new imo

That is not what the OP said at all.
Hitting at least 2 of A, B, C or D doesn’t seem difficult.

With the exception of something completely independent (we don’t see that anymore), you would have to be trying to not meet this criteria.