On Wednesday, August 8, the Academy of Oscars announced important changes. In a tweet, the Academy presents three major measures that are far from unanimous. The reactions of directors, actors, journalists were not long in coming.
The Oscars are an institution in the world of cinema. Created in 1929, the prestigious ceremony is led by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science. This year, the Academy has had a difficult time. The Weinstein case has added to accusations of sexism, racism and other feelings of self-righteousness. To restore its image, the Academy wanted to take great measures. Among other things, it announced 928 new members to vote for the next ceremony. These new faces are 49% women and 38% "colored" people. On August 8, the Academy published a tweet announcing new changes. Three decisions are to be remembered: the creation of an award for the popular film of the year, a ceremony reduced to three hours and organized earlier in the year.
The Oscar of Discord
In March 2018, the Oscars ceremony lasted 3h54. A very long show, even if we are far from the record of 2002 with 4h20 of show. To avoid putting off spectators and make it more accessible, the ceremony should no longer exceed 3 hours of broadcast. Academy President John Bailey has assured that the number of award-winning categories will remain intact, so some prizes will be awarded during advertising breaks. We do not yet know the categories that will fall by the wayside. Curiously, this announcement is not the one that outrages the small cinematographic world.
The news that heated people's minds was the creation of an award tentatively titled "Outstanding achievement in popular film". If the criteria for this category are not yet defined, it should address blockbusters like Black Panther. Mark Harris denounces a "false reward" while Elijah Wood and Mike Flanagan express their incomprehension of this new award. Many feel that the term "popular film" is just a condescending banner intended to attract the attention of a more popular audience, with no real interest in the genre itself. The Academy's final step is to change the date of the ceremony. Usually held in late February-early March, the Oscars arrive very late in awards season.
The 91st Academy Awards remain set for February 24, 2019. On the other hand, the 92nd ceremony moves from February 23 to 7, 2020. We will see if these changes really serve the film industry or not.
