Image Credit: Prayitno/Wikimedia Commons

 

 

The Oscars this year are the first to use the new diversity guidelines.

 

The Oscars, which will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, right in the centre of Hollywood, will present statues to the top 24 films in 2023. The 96th Academy Awards, sometimes known as the Oscars informally, are quickly approaching and are regarded as the highlight of Hollywood's award season. Jimmy Kimmel, the television presenter of "Late Night," will serve as the show's host for the fourth time.

The 13 Oscar nominations for Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer—which includes Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy's portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer himself—will be the centre of attention. Additionally, Yorgos Lanthimos's fairly unusual film Poor Things received eleven nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.

 

With ten nominations, Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon is also vying for both honours. Speaking of Best Picture, a significant reform to the Oscars criteria for 2024 saw a progressive and welcome adjustment to the category itself.

 

Just two persons of colour got nominations in major prize categories for the 2015 Oscars, which led to the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite going widespread on Twitter almost ten years ago. In response, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) introduced Academy Aperture 2025, a completely new initiative. Its objective? Improved representation within the membership and the larger film community, as well as better inclusion in the entertainment industry.

 

The British Film Institute (BFI) Diversity Standards served as a model for the new criteria, which were developed by a task committee led by Academy governors DeVon Franklin and Jim Gianopulos. From 2024, in order for a film's makers to have any chance of receiving a nomination, they will need to achieve two of the four predetermined standards.

The following four groups are themes, storytelling, and representation on screen; project team and creative leadership; industry access and opportunities; and audience development. What does this mean for each department?

 

Themes, narratives, and representation on screen

 

  • A minimum of one principal actor or noteworthy supporting actor hails from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group within a designated nation or production territory.
  • Actors from at least two underrepresented groups make up at least 30% of all actors in supporting and smaller roles.
  • An underrepresented group is at the core of the film's principal storyline(s), topic, or narrative.

 

Project and Creative leadership team

 

  • Casting director, cinematographer, composer, costume designer, director, editor, hairstylist, makeup artist, producer, production designer, set decorator, sound, VFX supervisor, writer, and at least two other creative leadership positions and department heads are held by members of underrepresented groups, and at least one of those positions must be held by a member of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
  • Production assistants are the only non-minority racial or ethnic group represented in at least six other crew/team and technical roles. Script supervisor, gaffer, first AD, and other roles are among them, although they're not the only ones.
  • One or more underrepresented groups, such as women, members of racial or ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, or those with physical or cognitive impairments, make up at least 30% of the film's crew.

 

Opportunities and Industry Access

 

  • The distribution or finance firm for the movie has funded apprenticeships or internships with members of the following underrepresented groups, provided they meet the following requirements: women; members of racial or ethnic minorities; LGBTQ+ individuals; people with physical or cognitive disabilities; and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • People from the aforementioned underrepresented groups can receive training and/or employment possibilities for below-the-line skill development from the film's production, distribution, and/or funding firm.

 

Development of Audience

 

  • More than one in-house senior executives from at least two underrepresented groups are part of the studio's and/or film company's creative and development, marketing, publicity, and/or distribution teams. There needs to be a minimum of one member from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.