In an historic move, the Oscars are raising the inclusion bar for best picture nominees starting with the 96th Academy Awards in 2024. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday laid out sweeping eligibility reforms to the best picture category intended to encourage diversity and equitable representation on screen and off, addressing gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and disability. The film academy has established four broad representation categories, the AP reports: On screen; among the crew; at the studio; and in opportunities for training and advancement in other aspects of the film’s development and release. Each standard has detailed subcategories as well. All other nominee categories will be held to their current eligibility requirements.
“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,” said Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson in a written statement. “We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.” The inclusion standards form will be confidential and will not be required for best picture hopefuls for the 94th and 95th Academy Awards, nor the upcoming 93rd, which have been pushed back to April 25, 2021. The standards were developed by a task force led by academy governors DeVon Franklin and Jim Gianopulos and in consultation with the Producers Guild of America. They also took into account diversity standards used by the British Film Institute and the British Academy of Film and Television Awards.
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