The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which oversees the Academy Awards, announced Friday a handful of efforts to improve inclusion both within its organization and for the Oscars themselves. (NYT)
The Academy announced that, starting next year, films will be required to meet “representation and inclusion standards” to qualify for awards. Additionally, beginning with the 94th Academy Awards in 2021, the best picture category will be set at 10 nominees, “rather than a fluctuating number of nominations from year to year”—a practice that had been in effect since the 2011 telecast. (NBC News)
This comes after a previous initiative largely aimed at making membership regarding women and people of color more representative, a goal that was set for this year which the Academy says has been surpassed. (Deadline)
Additionally, the 93rd Oscars ceremony has long been scheduled for Feb. 28, but the Academy’s 54 governors are likely to delay the ceremony’s date by as many as eight weeks, and to extend the eligibility window beyond Dec. 31, 2020. (THR)