Sunday’s 96th Academy Awards will mark a milestone in Hollywood’s new awakening. It will be the first Oscars to introduce the academy’s new diversity requirements, which set out a labyrinthine quota on race, gender and sexuality.
All of this year’s Best Picture nominees met the requirements for consideration. This fact will probably come as a surprise to those who have seen the top contenders. oppenheimera movie made primarily by straight, cisgender white people, rather than just a movie about straight, cisgender, white people.
This contradiction illustrates the many complexities and loopholes in the academy’s “representation and inclusion” mandate. Breitbart News will be covering some of these in the days leading up to Oscar night.
For now, it’s worth focusing on the rules themselves and the theory behind them.
Four years ago, at the height of the Black Lives Matter riots, the Academy announced it would require all films to meet new diversity standards to be considered for Best Picture. The first Oscars to be affected will be the 96th ceremony, or this year’s show.
The rules specify diversity quotas for cast and crew, with a focus on women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. In addition, specific diversity benchmarks are specified for marketing and internship programs.
The Academy’s rules are vague and complex, leaving a lot of room for studios to cheat. For a film to be eligible for Best Picture, it must meet at least two of the four set quotas.
Fairness is central to the Academy’s theory.
“The standards aim to encourage fair representation on and off screen to better reflect the diversity of movie-going audiences,” the group said.
“We believe these comprehensive standards will catalyze long-term, fundamental change in the industry.”
This announcement was made in September 2020, as cities continued to burn and lawless riots went unpunished in the name of racial equality. The Academy’s new rules were announced amid an outpouring of corporate Hollywood awakening, with nearly all major studios expressing support for BLM, and some taking anti-police stances.
Here are the Academy’s Representation and Inclusion standards in their entirety.
for 96th Oscar Awards (2024)the movie must meet two out of four To be considered eligible, the following criteria apply:
Criterion A: On-Screen Expression, Theme, and Narrative
To achieve Criterion A, a film must meet one of the following criteria:A1. Leading role or important supporting role
at least One A lead actor or a key supporting actor is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
• Asian
• Hispanic/Latino
• Black/African American
• Indigenous/Native American/Alaska Native
• Middle East/North Africa
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander;
• Other underrepresented races or ethnicities.A2. General ensemble cast
At least 30% of actors in supporting roles or above have at least two Among the following underrepresented groups:
• woman
• racial or ethnic group;
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities or hearing impairments.A3. Main story/theme
The film’s main storyline, theme, or narrative centers around an underrepresented group.
• woman
• racial or ethnic group;
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities or hearing impairments.Criterion B: Creative leadership and project teams
To achieve Criterion B, a film must meet one of the following criteria:B1. Creative leaders and department heads
at least two Creative leadership positions and department heads include casting directors, cinematographers, composers, costume designers, directors, editors, hairstylists, makeup artists, producers, production designers, set decorators, sound and VFX supervisors, and writers. I come from the following underrepresented groups: :
• woman
• racial or ethnic group;
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities or hearing impairments.at least One For these positions, you must belong to the following underrepresented racial or ethnic groups:
• Asian
• Hispanic/Latino
• Black/African American
• Indigenous/Native American/Alaska Native
• Middle East/North Africa
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander;
• Other underrepresented races or ethnicities.B2. Other important roles
at least Six Other crew/team and technical personnel (excluding production assistants) are from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. These roles include, but are not limited to, First AD, Gaffer, Script Supervisor, and more.
B3. Overall crew composition
At least 30% of the film’s staff are from the following underrepresented groups:
• woman
• racial or ethnic group;
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities or hearing impairments.Criterion C: Industry Access and Opportunities
To achieve Criterion C, a film must meet both of the following criteria:C1. Paid apprenticeship and internship opportunities
Film distributors or financiers pay apprenticeships or internships from the following underrepresented groups and meet the following criteria:
• woman
• racial or ethnic group;
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities or hearing impairments.Major studios/distributors will include underrepresented groups (racial or ethnic groups must also be included) in most of the production/development, physical production, post-production, music, and VFX departments. Substantive and ongoing paid practicum/internship is required. , acquisitions, affairs, distribution, marketing and promotion.
Mini-major or independent studios/distributors must meet at least the following requirements: two Apprentices/Interns (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, Operations, Distribution, Marketing and Publicity .
C2. Training opportunities and skills development (crew)
Film production, distribution and/or financing companies provide training and work opportunities to develop minimal skills to people from the following underrepresented groups:
• woman
• racial or ethnic group;
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities or hearing impairments.
Standard D: Audience Development
To achieve Standard D, the film must meet the following criteria:D1. Agency in marketing, advertising and distribution
A studio or film company’s marketing, promotion, and distribution team must include individuals from the following underrepresented racial or ethnic groups: It includes senior executives.
• woman
• racial or ethnic group;
- Asian
- Hispanic/Latinx
- black/african american
- Indigenous/Native American/Alaska Native
- Middle East/North Africa
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
- Other underrepresented races or ethnicities
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities or hearing impairments.
Numerous past Best Picture winners would not have passed the call by today’s woke standards. As Breitbart News noted, that includes recent winners. Spotlight, The King’s Speech, Artists, and beautiful heart.
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