The Oscars' 2020 Changes Include Diversity Requirements

The Academy has announced a new step in its move towards better representation, even as it announced that it had surpassed the A2020 goals set in response to the #OscarsSoWhite movement in 2015–that is, doubling the number of women and people of color who were included among its membership. Now, the organization is looking towards 2025 with a new set of goals aimed at further increasing diversity and representation, as reported by THR.

The changes are set to begin with the 2021 Academy Awards, beginning with the news that the Best Picture category will now be set at 10 nominees per year, where previously the number of nominees fluctuated as needed. Further changes are yet to be made by a new task force, appointed by Film Academy President David Rubin and including governor and A2020 Committee chair DeVon Franklin.

The task force will develop “new representation and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility,” as reported on the Academy news release, to be implemented by July 31, 2020, in time for 2021’s awards–which has been postponed from its usual February date.

The Academy is also improving the way films are screened for members, to make sure that every film gets an equal opportunity to be seen and considered. This will involve a new quarterly screening process through the Academy Screening Room, the site used by members to stream films.

The new 2025 goals also focus on internal changes through its membership, governance and even how film history is portrayed in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, but the changes to the awards themselves will be most noticeable to those outside of the Academy.

While the Academy has made some progress in recent years, notable Oscar snubs for the 2020 awards, including a number of people of color and women, show the Academy still has a long way to go.

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