The Oscars to introduce new diversity standards for Best Picture nominations

In an attempt to combat non-inclusive hiring standards in movie industry, the Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences on Tuesday has introduced a compulsory diversity standard that films must meet so as to qualify for a Best Picture Oscar nomination. Starting with the 96th Academy Awards in 2024.

New standards to qualify for a Best Picture Oscar nomination

In this historic move, the new standards require films to realize true diversity in a minimum of two of the four categories established by the Academy to qualify. Those four categories are – on-screen representation, creative leadership and project team, industry access and opportunity, and audience development.

Each category established by the Academy has detailed subcategories also. Such as, to satisfy the onscreen representation standard, a movie must either have a minimum of one lead character or a big supporting character be from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, a minimum of 30% of secondary roles must be from two underrepresented groups, or the most storyline, theme or narrative must be focused on an underrepresented group. consistent with the academy, underrepresented groups include women, members of the LGBTQI+ community, people with physical or cognitive disabilities, and other people from different racial or ethnic groups.

Why these new standards introduced?

These changes come five years after the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, which triggered controversy both within its nominees and voting body, with the Academy now hoping to show it around by making the changes mandatory. The change was made in consultation with the Producers Guild of America and adapted from standards developed by British Film Institute that has got to be met to earn funding surely projects within the U.K.

Will films already are in making suffers?

As these changes won’t inherit place immediately, films in contention for Best Picture over the subsequent three years won’t be immediately disqualified for not meeting the new criteria. However, they’re going to got to submit a form addressing the standards. Films currently in production have three years to make sure that their film slot in the new criteria or not, with any films rejecting the standards are going to be disqualified from nomination.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Academy President David Rubin and the Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said, “We believe these inclusion standards are going to be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.“