Post by JACK-2 on Feb 12, 2016 8:17:36 GMT -5
Following a unanimous vote by its Board of Governors on Thursday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a series of sweeping changes to their membership and voting policies today in response to widespread outrage over the lack of diversity among not only the Academy's members but also this year's Oscar nominees -- the second year in a row where nearly all the major nominees were white.
This year's nominations resuscitated the trending Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite that has proved a huge embarrassment for the Academy and the film industry in general.
Academy Awards 2016: We React to the Oscar Nominations and Snubs - IGN Keepin' It Reel
19:54
The Academy's Board of Governors said the changes are designed to "make the Academy’s membership, its governing bodies, and its voting members significantly more diverse. The Board’s goal is to commit to doubling the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020."
Here are the steps the Academy said they're implementing:
Beginning later this year, each new member’s voting status will last 10 years, and will be renewed if that new member has been active in motion pictures during that decade.
Members will receive lifetime voting rights after three ten-year terms; or if they have won or been nominated for an Academy Award. We will apply these same standards retroactively to current members. In other words, if a current member has not been active in the last 10 years they can still qualify by meeting the other criteria.
Those who do not qualify for active status will be moved to emeritus status. Emeritus members do not pay dues but enjoy all the privileges of membership, except voting. This will not affect voting for this year’s Oscars.
At the same time, the Academy will supplement the traditional process in which current members sponsor new members by launching an ambitious, global campaign to identify and recruit qualified new members who represent greater diversity.
In order to immediately increase diversity on the Board of Governors, the Academy will establish three new governor seats that will be nominated by the President for three-year terms and confirmed by the Board.
The Academy will also take immediate action to increase diversity by adding new members who are not Governors to its executive and board committees where key decisions about membership and governance are made. This will allow new members an opportunity to become more active in Academy decision-making and help the organization identify and nurture future leaders.
The 2016 Oscar Nominations Are... - IGN news
00:56
Some of the film industry's most prominent African-Americans -- including Will Smith (widely deemed as being snubbed in the Best Actor category for his performance in Concussion), his wife and fellow actor Jada Pinkett Smith, and director Spike Lee -- have publicly slammed the Academy, some even calling for an Oscar boycott.
Smith and Pinkett Smith said they will not attend the February 28th ceremony for the 88th Academy Awards, which will be hosted by African-American comedian-actor-filmmaker Chris Rock.
Rock is facing pressure to back out of hosting the show, but he has thus far stayed mum. He did, however, tweet after the Oscar nominations were announced: "The #Oscars. The White BET Awards."
www.ign.com/articles/2016/01/22/academy-overhauls-membership-voting-rules-in-response-to-oscars-backlash-over-lack-of-diversity
This year's nominations resuscitated the trending Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite that has proved a huge embarrassment for the Academy and the film industry in general.
Academy Awards 2016: We React to the Oscar Nominations and Snubs - IGN Keepin' It Reel
19:54
The Academy's Board of Governors said the changes are designed to "make the Academy’s membership, its governing bodies, and its voting members significantly more diverse. The Board’s goal is to commit to doubling the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020."
Here are the steps the Academy said they're implementing:
Beginning later this year, each new member’s voting status will last 10 years, and will be renewed if that new member has been active in motion pictures during that decade.
Members will receive lifetime voting rights after three ten-year terms; or if they have won or been nominated for an Academy Award. We will apply these same standards retroactively to current members. In other words, if a current member has not been active in the last 10 years they can still qualify by meeting the other criteria.
Those who do not qualify for active status will be moved to emeritus status. Emeritus members do not pay dues but enjoy all the privileges of membership, except voting. This will not affect voting for this year’s Oscars.
At the same time, the Academy will supplement the traditional process in which current members sponsor new members by launching an ambitious, global campaign to identify and recruit qualified new members who represent greater diversity.
In order to immediately increase diversity on the Board of Governors, the Academy will establish three new governor seats that will be nominated by the President for three-year terms and confirmed by the Board.
The Academy will also take immediate action to increase diversity by adding new members who are not Governors to its executive and board committees where key decisions about membership and governance are made. This will allow new members an opportunity to become more active in Academy decision-making and help the organization identify and nurture future leaders.
The 2016 Oscar Nominations Are... - IGN news
00:56
Some of the film industry's most prominent African-Americans -- including Will Smith (widely deemed as being snubbed in the Best Actor category for his performance in Concussion), his wife and fellow actor Jada Pinkett Smith, and director Spike Lee -- have publicly slammed the Academy, some even calling for an Oscar boycott.
Smith and Pinkett Smith said they will not attend the February 28th ceremony for the 88th Academy Awards, which will be hosted by African-American comedian-actor-filmmaker Chris Rock.
Rock is facing pressure to back out of hosting the show, but he has thus far stayed mum. He did, however, tweet after the Oscar nominations were announced: "The #Oscars. The White BET Awards."
www.ign.com/articles/2016/01/22/academy-overhauls-membership-voting-rules-in-response-to-oscars-backlash-over-lack-of-diversity
