Will Smith resigns from the Academy - CNN

(CNN) After slapping presenter Chris Rock on stage at last weekend's Academy Awards, Will Smith announced in a statement Friday that he has resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.

"I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate," Smith said in a statement shared with CNN by his publicist.

Smith's statement concluded, "Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason."

After the embarrassing episode at Sunday night's Oscars, The Academy announced on Wednesday that it had "initiated disciplinary proceedings" against Smith.

David Rubin, President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said in a statement Friday that the organization has received and accepted Smith's "immediate resignation."

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Screen: Can't we do better?

Todd Hill

Reporter

Throughout history, groups of people deprived of their rights — woman seeking the privilege of voting, same-sex couples who just wanted to get married, blacks in search of a whole laundry list of civil rights — have had to make a lot of noise to get what they deserved. It has rarely happened quickly, but eventually the method works.

As of this writing, it remains to be seen whether the #OscarsSoWhite movement and the decision by some in Hollywood to boycott next month's Academy Awards in protest of the lack of any people of color among the acting nominees for the second straight year is still building or about to blow over. I certainly can't tell from this vantage point, and my feelings on the boycott are still evolving. But I have a growing sense that it's misguided.

Lack of diversity in Hollywood is a problem, but you know what? It's a problem just about everywhere, and it's hardly limited to black under-representation. Hispanics, despite their rank now as the largest minority in America, are significantly more marginalized in our culture. And women, who make up half our population, aren't even paid the same amount of money as men for doing the same job. If we're going to talk about lack of diversity, we need to expand the net, by about a mile.

But today the issue is just the 88th Academy Awards, set to be hosted by comedian Chris Rock on Feb. 28. Should he join the boycott and back out of his hosting duties, as some celebrities are calling for, the movement will truly have legs (as of this writing he's made no comment). But will that result in more quality motion pictures about the African-American experience being greenlit by the Hollywood studios? Of course not.

What could very well result, as soon as next year (and maybe only next year), is the bestowing of Oscar nominations upon so-so motion pictures with a majority black cast, as well as for the people of color appearing in them, just to placate people such as filmmaker Spike Lee, who got this boycott business started earlier this month.

The Oscars, however, are intended as awards of merit. Clearly, the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have gotten it wrong nearly as often as not, going back to the first Academy Awards in 1929. But once they start handing out Oscars just to look politically correct, they'll become less relevant to the lives of ordinary Americans than they are already.

Spike Lee, Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, George Clooney, Lupita Nyong'o, Mark Ruffalo — these aren't ordinary Americans.

Will Smith, star of the December film "Concussion," said his decision to join his wife in boycotting the Oscars is "deeply not about me."

Yeah, well, I'd be more likely to believe that if Smith's performance in "Concussion" hadn't been overlooked by Oscar voters. Frankly, they overlooked it because it wasn't an exemplary achievement, not because he's black. For the same reason, I discount Jada's decision to join the boycott.

For more years than I can remember, Spike Lee has been the angriest man in Hollywood, and I stopped paying attention to anything he had to say a long time ago. But plenty of far more rational voices have spoken up about these lily-white Academy Awards, and they've made some very cogent points.

Lupita Nyong'o, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar two years ago for her work in the film "12 Years a Slave," has correctly stated that there's room for more stories about minority lives to be told, and I don't think she's talking about those patronizing "urban" movies. Actor George Clooney observed, again correctly, that just a few short years ago members of the Academy had a better track record of recognizing the work of minorities, which has me thinking these two most recent years of all-white acting nominees are more an anomaly than a trend.

And Ruffalo, who is up for a Best Supporting Actor this year and said he is considering not attending the ceremony (and who is white, as if that should matter), put it best when he said, "If you look at Martin Luther King's legacy, what he was saying was that the good people who don't act are much worse than the wrongdoers who are purposefully not acting."

Amen to that.

AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who happens to be black, has noted that the Academy is working to diversify its membership, but it's already made progress on that front. It should also be noted that for several decades now the membership has skewed older. Hollywood denizens are famously liberal, they're not known for harboring racist views, but just like all of us, they do age as the years go by.

The film "Straight Outta Compton," about the rise and fall of the gangsta rap group N.W.A., missed out on a Best Picture nomination this year, although it was never better than a long shot. This is just a theory of mine, but I don't know a lot of 75-year-olds, whatever their ethnicity, who have a deep-seated appreciation for gangsta rap. Could that be why it wasn't nominated?

Sure, maybe the black actor Idris Elba was snubbed for his performance in "Beasts of No Nation," along with Michael B. Jordan for his performance in "Creed." Well, join the crowd. The white filmmaker Ridley Scott should've gotten a nomination for directing "The Martian," but he didn't. The lesbian drama "Carol" deserved a Best Picture nod, but it was overlooked as well.

Picking on the Oscars is a waste of time.

thill3@nncogannett.com

419-563-9225

Twitter: @ToddHillMNJ

Will Smith barred from Academy events for 10 years, including the ...

(CNN) Will Smith will not be allowed to attend the Academy Awards for the next 10 years, as a result of his slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage during this year's Oscar ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced in a statement obtained by CNN.

"The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards," Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement on Friday.

The decision was made during a Board of Governors meeting held earlier in the day in Los Angeles. The meeting, initially scheduled for April 18, was expedited after Smith announced his resignation from the Academy last week.

Smith issued a quick, concise statement on his ban from the Oscars for the next decade.

"I accept and respect the Academy's decision," the actor said in a statement to CNN.

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#OscarsSoWhite controversy: What you need to know

Patrick Ryan

USA TODAY

This month's Academy Awards are more about who won't take home a golden statue rather than who will.

In the weeks since the Oscar nominations were announced, conversation in Hollywood has been dominated by the lack of diversity in this year's field, prompting swift backlash and historic changes within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Here's what you need to know about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy:

Oscar experts on 'whiteout' boycott: Academy needs to fix itself

Q: What sparked the backlash?

A: For the second year in a row, all 20 actors nominated in the lead and supporting acting categories are white (which, before 2015, hadn't happened since 1998). In response to last year's omissions, BroadwayBlack.com managing editor April Reign created the trending Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, which was revived when this year's contenders were announced.

Q: What films were overlooked?

A: Creed and Straight Outta Compton each picked up a slew of critics' prizes and guild awards but received only one Oscar nomination apiece (for supporting actor Sylvester Stallone and screenwriters Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff, respectively, all of whom are white). Beasts of No Nation was shut out entirely, despite being considered a supporting-actor lock for Idris Elba (who won a Screen Actors Guild Award).

Q: How diverse have past years been?

A: In the Academy Awards' 88-year history, only 14 black actors have won acting Oscars — the first was Hattie McDaniel for Gone With the Wind in 1940, and the last was Lupita Nyong'o (who was born in Mexico) for 12 Years a Slave in 2014. The winners' pool is even shallower for other minorities. A mere five Latino actors have won prizes (most recently, Benicio Del Toro for Traffic in 2001), as have just three actors of Asian descent (the last was Haing S. Ngor in 1985 for The Killing Fields). Similarly, the only indigenous acting winner in history is Cherokee-Irish actor Ben Johnson (for The Last Picture Show in 1972).

Jesse Jackson: Hollywood, it's time to flip the script on diversity

Q: Who is planning to boycott?

A: Days after the nominations were announced, honorary Oscar recipient Spike Lee wrote on Instagram that he and his wife would not attend the Academy Awards because they "cannot support it." Will Smith and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, each announced they would be boycotting, in an interview with Good Morning America and a Facebook video. Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore told TheWrap he would boycott, and Oscar-nominated Spotlight star Mark Ruffalo let the BBC know he'd consider it, but later tweeted that he would be there "to support the victims of clergy sexual abuse and good journalism."

Q: Who else has spoken out?

A: Hollywood A-listers including George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Don Cheadle and Nyong'o have called for greater representation in front of and behind the camera. Among others to support the outcry: President Obama, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, and TV stars Viola Davis, Gina Rodriguez and Laura Prepon. Appearing to dismiss the diversity issue, Oscar best-actress nominee Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) received blowback after telling a French journalist that "perhaps the black actors did not deserve" nominations. Michael Caine and Julie Delpy each got similar criticism for their comments downplaying the controversy.

Q: What changes are being made?

A: A week after the nominations, the governing board of the academy unanimously voted to double female and minority members by 2020. Changes are also in store for those who are no longer active in the industry. Beginning later this year, each member’s voting status will last 10 years and will be renewed if that member has stayed active in movies during that decade. Members will receive lifetime voting rights after three 10-year terms, or if they have won or been nominated for an Oscar.

Q: What is the makeup of the academy?

A: According to a 2012 report by the Los Angeles Times, Oscar voters were 94% Caucasian and 77% male. The numbers are on par with film studio heads, who are 94% white and 100% male, according to the 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report published by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA.

Diversity changes could target Oscar voting, categories

Q: What's next?

A: Although celebrities such as Tyrese Gibson and 50 Cent have called for host Chris Rock to boycott the Oscars, the comedian is still scheduled to emcee, Oscar producer Reginald Hudlin told Entertainment Tonight, adding that Rock has chosen to rewrite his opening monologue to reflect the controversy. A diverse lineup of presenters have been announced for the ceremony Feb. 28, including Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Hart, Kerry Washington, Priyanka Chopra and Byung-hun Lee.

Academy takes 'historic' steps to increase diversity

Bryan Alexander

USA TODAY

The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved dramatic changes to alter its membership to increase diversity in a unanimous vote Thursday night.

The board which oversees the Oscars released Friday what it called "historic" goals to counter an explosion of criticism over minority representation. In their biggest step, the governors committed to doubling the number of women and diverse academy members by 2020.

Oscars: Acting races are an all-white field

“The academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up,” said academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs in a statement. “These new measures regarding governance and voting will have an immediate impact and begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition.”

A 2012 report by the Los Angeles Times showed that Oscar voters were made up of 94% Caucasian and 77% male members. The academy did not list specific numbers for the new membership goals.

The diversity issue has dominated discussion after an all-white slate emerged in the acting categories for the second year in a row at the Academy Award nominations.

The ignominiously-dubbed #AllWhiteOscars has led to outcry as well as director Spike Lee, actress Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith to boycott the February 28 Oscars hosted by Chris Rock.

Here are some of the other diversity enhancing steps the academy announced Friday:

Mark Ruffalo will attend Oscars, praises boycott

Potential limits for existing members: The academy set out to limit the voting powers of members not active in the film industry.

Beginning later this year, each new academy member’s voting status will last 10 years, and will be renewed if that new member has been active in movies 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.

"Those who do not qualify for active status will be moved to emeritus status (who) enjoy all the privileges of membership, except voting," according to the academy release.

Shawn Edwards, co-founder of the African-American Film Critics Association, said this change was crucial to gradually change the academy make-up.

Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith to boycott this year's Oscars

Limiting the terms of inactive or retired members means they will be replaced by new, diverse voters.

"Right now the academy is too top-heavy old," says Edwards. "This change means that academy members can’t necessarily be like a Supreme Court judge and ride this out for life. This will bring a whole different ball game and bring a whole different attitude and generational dynamic, a different appreciation of pop culture."

Bringing in new members: The academy will supplement the "traditional process in which members sponsor new members" by launching an "ambitious, global campaign to identify and recruit qualified new members who represent greater diversity," according to the academy release.

Addressing diversity on the board of governors: The academy will establish three new governor seats that will be nominated by the president. This will increase diversity on the board "where key decisions about membership and governance are made," according to the release.

Currently, Isaacs is the only African-American on the board of governors which is predominantly white.

"Cheryl has been this lone voice there in terms of diversity on the board," says Pete Hammond, awards columnists for Deadline.com. "That will change now."

The surprise Friday release led to immediate response from Selma director Ava DuVernay who tweeted, "Just received from @TheAcademy. One good step in a long, complicated journey for people of color + women artists."

Edwards also expressed excitement about the new steps.

"This is a great first, and I need to underscore first,step," says Edwards. "Change is still not going to happen overnight. But this is really the first serious attempt at diversifying the academy. And they had to do it."

Hammond says future board of governors meetings will address additional changes, including to Oscar voting procedure, to aid diversity in Oscar voting.

"These initial changes are just part one," says Hammond. "But (the academy) needed to get something out right away."

Academy on membership changes: 'We're widening our net'

Bryan Alexander

USA TODAY

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has addressed membership questions which have arisen following sweeping changes announced Friday by its board of governors.

The group has vowed to double female and minority members by 2020 and also changed membership criteria for those no longer active in the industry. Those members will receive an emeritus status and no longer have the right to vote.

In a Frequently Asked Questions section posted Monday on the Academy website, Lorenza Muñoz, managing director of membership, addresses concerns that the group is lowering standards to recruit new members.

"A lot of highly qualified potential members were falling outside our radar," the post says. "We are not lowering any standards, we’re widening our net."

Here's the FAQ section in its entirety:

Why is the Academy excluding older members from voting?

We’re not excluding older members. Everyone will retain membership.

But won’t older members lose their opportunity to vote for the Oscars?

These rules are not about age. In fact, under the new rules many veteran Academy members will retain voting rights.

I thought you had to work in the last 10 years in order to vote.

Working in the last 10 years is one way to ensure you have voting privileges. Another way is to have been nominated for an Oscar. And a third way is to show that since you were admitted as a member you’ve worked in motion pictures during three 10-year periods. This means that the longer your career, the more likely you’ll qualify for voting.

So we have to have worked for 30 years to keep the vote?

No. Let’s say you were admitted to the Academy in 1980 and you worked on one film in 1989. That covers you for your first 10 years. Then you worked once in the ’90s, which covers you for your second 10-year term, and once again in 2001 for your third 10-year term. That’s only a 12-year period, but you have worked in the three ten-year terms of your membership, so you’d qualify as an active member with voting status.

Do these 10-year terms have to be consecutive?

No, they do not.

How do you define “active in motion pictures?”

You must be employed in the same kinds of quality films that got you into the Academy in the first place. Your status will be assessed by your peers in your branch — the people who best understand the intricacies of the motion picture industry and your field. The intention is to be inclusive.

What about some of us — such as writers and producers — who work steadily but without screen credit?

Achievement is achievement, regardless of whether or not there is a screen credit. Additionally, members will have an opportunity to appeal their situation.

What if the work I’ve done is not in my branch?

If an editor becomes a director, or a director becomes a producer, or an actor sells a screenplay, that’s all employment in the movie industry, and it still qualifies.

What happens if I don’t qualify?

You move to emeritus status, which means you have all the benefits of membership except voting. You continue to receive screeners and you are still invited to Academy membership screenings and programs, but you no longer pay dues.

And what happens if I become active again after having been moved to emeritus status?

Upon review of your request, you can be reinstated as an active member with voting rights.

If I’m moved to emeritus status, does that mean I’ll no longer get screeners?

You are still eligible to receive screeners. The Academy does not distribute screeners. Production companies and studios do. We will ask our members who run these companies not to make an issue of it. Rest assured, your status — whether active or emeritus — will not be shared with any other outside entity.

So why make these changes at all?

We want the Oscars to be voted on by people who are currently working in motion pictures, or who have been active for a long time. There are a number of Academy members, however, who had brief careers and left the business. We want to strengthen, uphold, and maintain the credibility of the Oscars with these new criteria.

Voting for the Oscars is a privilege of membership, not a right.

What about all the other changes you announced?

The other changes are aimed at increasing diversity in our membership and governance.

Under our bylaws, the board is directed to periodically review our criteria for voting status and membership. This has happened in the past and this is one of those times. Diversity has been an ongoing discussion for many years.

What about the changes on the board?

We’ve created three new governor seats, to be nominated by the president, and voted on by the board. These three seats will be filled by women and people of color, and the changes will take place in February.

What is the plan for new recruitment?

We will be actively recruiting new members. We’re also adding non-governor seats to the six board committees that oversee all Academy activity. And we’re reforming the executive committees by which each branch conducts its business; these are the committees that decide whom to invite for membership.

We will maintain high standards and continue to admit only those with substantial achievements. The concern has been that a lot of highly qualified potential members were falling outside our radar. Many thought they had to wait to be invited, and didn’t know they could apply for membership, through a sponsorship process.

But why lower standards to get new members?

We are not lowering any standards, we’re widening our net.

All of these are substantive changes that will open up our governance to a wider range of members and have a significant and positive impact on the Academy. The result will be a membership that is more inclusive of the motion picture community, governance that is more representative of our membership, and a stronger Academy overall.

Academy 'condemns' actions of Will Smith at Oscars, starts 'formal ...

(CNN) The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in a statement issued on Monday condemned the actions of best actor winner Will Smith after the "King Richard" star stormed the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock in the face during Sunday's Oscars ceremony.

"The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night's show," the statement said. "We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law."

Earlier on Monday, CNN learned that Academy leadership "strongly considered" removing Smith from the Oscars telecast after the incident, according to a source close to the situation.

"Academy leadership strongly considered removing Will Smith from last night's broadcast following the incident. There were immediate discussions but the Academy decision makers were seated in various spots in the Dolby Theater and couldn't mobilize to make a decision before he won best actor," the source said.

Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees during his best actor acceptance speech.

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Award shows honor groups underrepresented at Oscars, Golden ...

Six years ago, April Reign unknowingly ignited a movement with one tweet: "#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair."

The hashtag trended on Twitter as high-profile celebrities and activists joined Reign in calling attention to that year's all-white acting nominees.

The Oscars improved in that area this year: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, who selects Oscar honorees, announced the first-ever woman of color nominated for Best Director, Chloé Zhao for the film "Nomadland."Steven Yeun made history as the first Asian American person to land a Best Actor nomination, and his "Minari" costar Yuh-Jung Youn is the first Korean person nominated for an acting Oscar.

The Golden Globes, on the other hand, faced backlash for their racial makeup at this year's ceremony. The award selection group, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, is "made up of around 90 international — no Black — journalists who attend movie junkets each year in search of a better life," co-host Tina Fey said in her opening monologue. Several presenters and award recipients quipped about the lack of diversity behind the scenes and onstage.

Pressure has mounted to address the homogeneity of nominees and nominators in mainstream award shows in recent years. From 1980 to 2015, white actors won 84% of Oscars' men's categories and 89% of women's acting awards, according to data scientist Eugene Woo.

Golden Globes reaction:Golden Globes viewers deserved more accountability from the HFPA after membership scandal

But a lack of diversity is not the case for every media award show.

Award programs outside these two prominent shows dedicate their awards to honoring populations often overlooked by mainstream award shows. They recognize the quality of films and television, and how marginalized groups are represented. The shows foster a space where communities can celebrate themselves and their art.

"All of us that are advocating for underrepresented groups, we all have an award event," said Deborah Calla, chairperson of the Media Access Awards, which honors films and TV that feature people with disabilities. "They're spectacular because it tells the people who are winning that we are watching and appreciating what they're doing. For those not doing that, it reminds them there's another way to work and it can be just as exciting and successful."

Here's a look at award shows that celebrate underrepresented creators, and use their platforms to draw attention to issues facing diverse populations.

Media Access Awards

People with disabilities make up 25% of the population, but they are represented in less than 3% of onscreen roles, according to The Disability List, which the Media Access Awards created in collaboration with several other organizations. The Media Access Awards recognizes people with disabilities on screen, how they portray disability narratives and who fills roles behind the scenes.

Calla had to dig to find writers, directors, actors and more to honor with Media Access Awards after she took over in 2010.

"Two minutes on a TV show was enough to give an award because there was nothing," Calla said. "But these days it's like 'what about this person, that show, that person?' There are a lot more but still nowhere what we need to reflect this huge group of people."

Creators may shy away from portraying disabilities out of fear or lack of knowledge about people with disabilities, Calla believes. She said it's important to hold an award show that honors this population to address people's misconceptions.

"I really hope that content creators continue to create stories that involve people with disabilities because television and film teaches society how to interact with each other," Calla said. "With content we can change the world."

Watch it: Catch the 2021 Media Access Awards at 9 p.m. EST Nov. 18. Check its website for updates on where to watch.

GLAAD Media Awards

Blockbusters that told stories about an LGBTQ person's experience won major awards in recent years — "Moonlight," a film that follows a Black gay man's life from childhood to adulthood, won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2017.

Mainstream media shows are heading in the right direction, but still have a lot to learn, said GLAAD Media Awards Executive Producer Rich Ferraro. GLAAD is an LGBTQ media organization that combats misinformation about the community and advocates for LGBTQ rights.

GLAAD Media Awards, which began in 1990, celebrate LGBTQ narratives in film, television, journalism, theater and other media that showcase the community "in fair, accurate and inclusive ways would inspire more media outlets to do the same," Ferraro said.

"We know that what people see in the media has a huge affect in the decisions that are made in schools, in classrooms, in the ballot box, in offices around the country," Ferraro said. "The founders of GLAAD knew that if we were able to get queer stories in the media … we would be able to change hearts and minds and start to grow acceptance and pave the way for legal equality."

Along with recognizing media creator's accomplishments, GLAAD uses its award show stage to shed a global spotlight on LGBTQ issues, moments that are not typically seen in mainstream award shows. They invite household names to speak to key issues facing the community, like actress Betty White who spoke in support of marriage equality at the 2013 GLAAD Media Awards. Madonna presented at the same ceremony dressed in a Boy Scout uniform on stage to protest the organization's ban on gay members.

Watch it: Stream the 2021 GLAAD Media Awards at 8 p.m. EST April 8 live on GLAAD's YouTube channel or stream later in the evening on Hulu.

Red Nation International Film Festival

The first Native American to win an Oscar, Wes Studi, accepted his golden statue just two years ago. But Native American filmmakers and actors have produced work for decades. Joanelle Romero landed the first leading role played by a Native American actor in the 1977 film "The Girl Called Hatter Fox." Romero is now president, CEO and director of the Red Nation International Film Festival and Awards.

Romero founded Red Nation Celebration Institute 25 years ago to celebrate Native American stories and people in movies. Along with the international festival and awards, the institute puts on a Native Women in Film festival during the week prior to the Oscars "so that we're in front of the industry in one of the most important weeks," Romero said. Zhao, the director who made Oscar history this year, has shown several films and won awards at previous Red Nation festivals.

The institute also manages Red Nation Television Network, which has been available to stream for 15 years.

Hollywood institutions, like the Academy, that put on mainstream award shows have made "baby steps" toward Native American inclusion with moves like recognizing Studi, but those small movements "no longer hold weight," Romero said.

Romero is a one of few Native filmmakers to be an Academy member. The Hollywood Foreign Press has even fewer Native American decision-makers, Romero said. The Red Nation Celebration Institute has repeatedly asked to partner with the Academy, to get Native films on mainstream screens and awards. The Academy says "no" each time.

"Our institute and our board of directors have created programs, initiatives, award ceremonies and festivals to amplify our contemporary voices in pop culture now. That’s what's relevant," Romero said. "These [other] institutes should be looking at the Native organizations that have done the work for years."

Watch it: The 2021 Red Nation International Film Festivals will run from Nov. 1-30 on Red Nation Television Network and its website, where you can find out more.

A look at the Oscar nominations this year:Female directors triumph in Oscar nominations, but why is 'Judas' the only Black-led film in the best picture race?

Arab Film Fest Collab

Representation of Arab cultures in film has gotten better, said Arab Film and Media Institute Executive Director Serge Bakalian. If you asked him five years ago, though, he would have shared a different opinion.

Viewership of screenings sent to voters and responses to films from Arab states have improved, Bakalian said. Historically, though, media has represented Arab people in "atrocious" stereotypes.

Like Calla, Bakalian believes showcasing Arab narratives is "transformative" for how people understand the array of Arab cultures.

"We use the word ‘Arab’ in the most inclusive manner," Bakalian said. "It's so diverse in terms of race, identity, faith. Within that spectrum you're not looking at a monolithic people. That's what we’re trying to show in all of our programming and our films."

Egypt submitted the first Arab film the Oscars considered in 1959, "Cairo Station." It did not receive a nomination, but the following decade the Academy nominated the first Arabic-language film, "The Battle of Algiers" for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Screenplay and Best Director. By 2010 to 2019, the Academy nominated from six Arab countries they had not selected content from before.

Bakalian grew up in Beirut, and when he moved to the U.S. he saw film after film set in his birth city told stories that perpetuated Arab stereotypes. He didn't see himself on the screen.

"When you're raised, especially for young Arabs, where Arabs are the bad guys, all these stereotypes, when that’s all you see and then you see a film ... one that you relate with, that you see a more authentic representation of you and your family and your culture, I think that’s really empowering," Bakalian said.

Watch it: Organizers have not chosen a final date, but expect to hold the Arab Film Festival in October or November. Check the Arab Film and Media Institute's website for updates.

Black Reel Awards

Whether it's a good or bad year for Black representation in film, TV or award shows, "there's always a place for Black creatives, filmmakers and performers to have their work acknowledged," Tim Gordon said. That place: the Black Reel Awards, founded in 1999 and led by Gordon.

The Black Reel Awards recognizes independent and international films that span the African diaspora, in English or not, and looks for works by filmmakers who have been in the business for years but never earned awards.

"I think the days of wondering whether or not stories about Black people or stories told through a Black perspective are ... going to be told, I don't worry about anymore because of the influx of directors and new visionaries like Barry Jenkins and Ava DuVernay," Gordon said. "The next frontier is that we've got to pull more women, whether it's women of color, whether it's just women in general."

Gordon believes the Black Reel Awards pick diverse films because the more than 100 members select nominees for the show's 24 categories.

"There's no lobbying, there's not studios calling up our voters trying to get them to change votes," Gordon said. "People vote their conscience. Year in and year out, we see how that results in things that people feel are the best of a particular year are the things that are honored."

Watch it: Catch the 2021 Black Reel Awards virtually on April 11 at 8 p.m. EST. Check its website and social media for updates on where to find the show.

Oscar nomination snubs:Jodie Foster, Jared Leto, Tom Hanks, Spike Lee, 'Da 5 Bloods'

Spirit Awards

Diversity runs in the DNA of Film Independent, the nonprofit that organizes the Spirit Awards, said President Josh Welsh.

That's in part because anyone passionate about film can become a member for a $95 annual fee and help select the show's nominees. Black, Indigenous and people of color made up 51% of the Spirit Awards nominations committee in 2020, according to a Film Independent Impact Report.

In contrast, members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences must receive invitations to join the voting body, and Hollywood Foreign Press Association applicants must be sponsored by two current members and have several years of entertainment journalism experience.

Spirit Awards leader plan "a ton of outreach and turn every stone to make sure filmmakers know they're eligible" to make the process "inherently inclusive," said Associate Director of Nominations Setu Raval.

"[The Spirit Awards are] so much about inspiring audiences and inspiring future artists and filmmakers and storytellers," Raval said. "The more representation we have, the more young people will choose to be creators and tell their stories."

It's important for people to see themselves on screen, and films and TV with the ability to reach millions of viewers are such powerful mediums, Welsh said.

"Knowing there are segments of the population that don’t get to see themselves on screen is just not good," Welsh said. "That carries over to award shows. It matters who the host is, who the presenters are. Some years we’re better at it than others, we are still committed to working on."

Watch it: Catch the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards at 10 p.m. EST April 22 on IFC.

Asian American International Film Festival

After a successful debut film, marginalized filmmakers face obstacles to create films to follow it, said Wynton Wong, the programming manager for the Asian American International Film Festival. That's where the film festival steps in.

"We're trying our hardest to find not only the first-time filmmakers that we think are doing good work and deserve additional resources and time to have their second and third film, but also the filmmakers that have been grinding in the indie scene for decades," Wong said. "We want to provide name recognition for this film, this evolution of their career."

The AAIFF award categories this year expanded to honor storytelling. Wong said people of color are usually at the forefront of new formats, and award categories include short-form web, which recognize creations like TikTok videos and Instagram reels. The group also gives awards for video games and virtual reality. Wong said really great storytelling is happening by "the next wave of storytellers" in video game spaces.

"What if you really pushed the boundaries of what form and structure are?," Wong asked. "Because that's what we haven't seen, and if we're talking about representation, that is much more interesting."

Watch it: The 2021 Asian American International Film Festival will take place Aug. 11-22 in a hybrid format with primarily virtual and some limited in-person events in New York City. Check out AAIFF's event website for more information.

NAACP Image Awards

When people think of the NAACP, they likely envision 112 years of racial justice work to gain equity and inclusion for Black Americans — not an awards show.

The NAACP Image Awards are a manifestation of the organization's year-round efforts, said NAACP Hollywood Bureau Senior Vice President Kyle Bowser. The Hollywood Bureau launched in 2002 after almost no Black people received Oscar nominations.

Following Reign's #OscarsSoWhite hashtag that drew attention to the Academy's whiteness, the NAACP still had a space where they had to push for Black inclusion.

"We put a lot of energy into lobbying the [film] industry, both the infrastructure — those who sort of monetize the art — and the artist community themselves," Bowser said.

The NAACP Image Awards, like the Black Reel Awards, show Black filmmakers they are appreciated by their own, Bowser said. They continue to press for mainstream recognition, but coming to the Image Awards is like coming home and "getting a warm hug."

"There's something very positive, warm and welcoming about the Image Awards, because it's a community turning inward and saluting itself for things that were well done," Bowser said.

Watch it: Catch the 2021 NAACP Image Awards on March 27 at 8 p.m. EST on BET

Oscar nominations 2021:'Mank' leads with 10 honors, Viola Davis makes history

Cinema Tropical

Latin America has become an epicenter of world cinema, leading a generation of Latinx filmmakers to conquer Hollywood in recent years, said Cinema Tropical Executive Director Carlos Gutiérrez. But he believes the U.S. has been slow to assimilate, and Latinx creators’ projects cannot access funding as easily as their counterparts in Latin America.

Cinema Tropical works to promote and award filmmakers the organization feels are not getting the attention they deserve.

“We are going to focus more on films that are pushing the envelope in terms of narrative," Gutiérrez said. “For the most part, looking back [at] the films that have won … they tend to be bolder.”

Cinema Tropical tries to “bridge the cultural experience between Latin America and Latinx people in the U.S.,” Gutiérrez said. The organization dedicates an award category to best Latinx film, along with a Latin American competition, but both showcase “a larger sense of what’s going on in Latin America and also here in the U.S."

Along with giving a platform to an underrepresented population, Cinema Tropical awards “validate” Latinx creators and fantastic work that many mainstream organizations do not showcase, Gutiérrez said.

Watch it: Cinema Tropical's 2021 award show took place on Jan. 19, and they have not chosen a 2022 date, but say it will likely take place the second or third week of January 2022. Check its website for updates.

Contact Sammy Gibbons at (920) 737-6895 or sgibbons@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @sammykgibbons or Facebook at www.facebook.com/ReporterSammyGibbons/.

Oscars smackdown: Is the award show worth saving? We fight it out

Books editor Barbara Vandenburgh says the Oscars are the escape we need, especially now.

Entertainment reporter Rasha Ali sees the Oscars as an out-of-touch, boring and obsolete show

Barbara sees the Oscars as the Super Bowl of pop culture.

As a Black woman, Rasha sees the Oscars as not her pop-culture.

The Oscars are at a crisis point.

The opulent awards ceremony, now in its 94th year, is flailing. Earlier this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences controversially announced it was eliminating eight categories from the live telecast, including film editing, makeup and hairstyling, while adding an Oscars Fan Favorite category voted via Twitter in what reads as a desperate bid to get more popular films like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" into the mix (Thank you baby Jesus!)*.

Oscars 2022 preview: What to watch for at the show - CNN

(CNN) Despite cosmetic changes and experiments with hosts (or no host), the Oscars have remained largely rooted in tradition, producing a 20th-century TV show for a 21st-century audience. Coming off record-low ratings and with the film industry still reeling from a global pandemic, the burden for the 94th annual Academy Awards will be whether they can pivot to face present realities, and at this point how much good that will do.

Those are some of the questions facing the producers of the Oscars, ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has risked angering some of its members and endured criticism over plans to shake up the format by handing out eight awards during what amounts to a preshow, then editing those acceptance speeches into the telecast.

Yet other challenges loom over the March 27 presentation, which, despite an expansion to 10 best-picture nominees , has embraced streaming services but largely overlooked the kind of blockbusters that connect with the widest possible audience and, theoretically, might help entice those who aren't regular Oscar viewers to consider tuning in.

The issues surrounding this year's awards won't all be answered when the envelopes get opened on Oscar night. But here are six things to consider before, during and after:

Can the ratings rebound?

Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards From left, producer Peter Spears, actress Frances McDormand, director Chloé Zhao, producer Mollye Asher and producer Dan Janvey pose with their Oscars in the press room after their film "Nomadland" won best picture on Sunday, April 25. Hide Caption 1 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards A trio of Oscar winners -- from left, Yuh-jung Youn, Daniel Kaluuya and Frances McDormand -- pose together in the press room. Youn won best supporting actress for her role in "Minari." Kaluuya won best supporting actor for his role in "Judas and the Black Messiah." And McDormand won best actress for "Nomadland." Hide Caption 2 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Actor Bryan Cranston recognizes some of the vaccinated front-line workers who were at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night. Cranston was presenting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to the Motion Picture and Television Fund for the group's help and assistance to productions during the coronavirus pandemic. Hide Caption 3 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Yuh-jung Youn holds her best supporting actress Oscar as she stands next to presenter Brad Pitt in the press room. Hide Caption 4 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards People watch Youn's acceptance speech from a railway station in Seoul, South Korea. She's the first South Korean actress to win an Oscar. Hide Caption 5 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Actress Olivia Colman poses for a photo while attending an Oscars screening in London. Many of the nominees were in Los Angeles, but some appeared remotely because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hide Caption 6 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Travon Free, left, and Martin Desmond Roe accept the Oscar for the short film "Two Distant Strangers." Their shoes and the inside of their jackets carried the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other people killed by police violence. Hide Caption 7 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Nominees attend an Oscars screening in Paris. Hide Caption 8 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards From left, Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross enter the press room after winning the Oscar for best original score ("Soul"). Hide Caption 9 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Lakeith Stanfield, a best supporting actor nominee, is interviewed in London. Hide Caption 10 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Actress Reese Witherspoon enters the Oscars press room. She was one of the award presenters. Hide Caption 11 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Best actor nominee Gary Oldman was among those in London. Hide Caption 12 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Chloé Zhao accepts the best director Oscar for "Nomadland." She is the first woman of color and the first woman of Asian descent to win best director. "This is for anyone who has the faith and the courage to hold out to the goodness in themselves and to hold out to the goodness in each other, no matter how difficult it is to do that," she said in her acceptance speech. "You inspire me to keep going." Hide Caption 13 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Anders Hammer, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Do Not Split," takes part in the show from Oslo, Norway. Hide Caption 14 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards From left, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson and Sergio Lopez-Rivera pose with the Oscars they won for best makeup and hairstyling ("Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"). Hide Caption 15 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Director Thomas Vinterberg accepts the Oscar for best international feature film, which went to his film "Another Round." He said this was "beyond anything I could ever imagine -- except this is something I've always imagined, since I was 5." Hide Caption 16 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Phillip Bladh, holding the best sound Oscar for "Sound of Metal," enters the press room in Los Angeles. Hide Caption 17 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Florian Zeller, speaking remotely from Paris, holds the Oscar he won for best adapted screenplay ("The Father"). Hide Caption 18 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Songwriters Fat Max Gsus, left, and Savan Kotecha appear on the show from Stockholm, Sweden. Hide Caption 19 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Daniel Kaluuya examines his best supporting actor Oscar, which he won for his role as Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in "Judas and the Black Messiah." Hide Caption 20 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards "Pinocchio" makeup artist Dalia Colli and hair designer Francesco Pegoretti appear on the show from Rome. Hide Caption 21 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Emerald Fennell won the first Oscar of the night, for best original screenplay ("Promising Young Woman"). "I'm trying very hard not to cry because, as an English person ... I don't cry ever," she joked. Hide Caption 22 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Actor Sacha Baron Cohen is cleaned up by his wife, Isla Fisher. They appeared on the show from Sydney. Hide Caption 23 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards People attend a drive-in Oscar party in West Hollywood. Hide Caption 24 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Actress and director Regina King opened the show at Union Station. She delivered a hopeful monologue and said that if things had gone differently in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, she probably would have been out marching instead of presenting. "As a mother of a Black son, I know the fear that so many live with -- and no amount of fame or fortune changes that," she said. Hide Caption 25 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Attendees prepare for the beginning of the show at Union Station in Los Angeles. Hide Caption 26 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards From left, Nina Parker, Brad Goreski and Zanna Roberts Rassi were part of the panel for the E! channel's red-carpet show. Hide Caption 27 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Actress Laura Dern walks the red carpet before the show. Hide Caption 28 of 29 Photos: The 2021 Academy Awards Best actress nominee Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, are seen on the left after arriving on the red carpet. Hide Caption 29 of 29

And if not, then what? After dropping to a mere 10 million viewers last year -- suffering a decline of more than 50% that mirrored other award shows during the pandemic -- the Oscars are surely hoping to rebound, at least a bit. But with broadcast ratings shrinking overall a major boost appears unlikely.

The Academy's decision to change the format to mollify ABC, which broadcasts the show, has created some buzz about finding a different TV home, one that will celebrate artistry without as much concern about ratings. But since the network's annual fee covers the organization's budget, such a shift would require a major investment by a new platform and potentially dilute the audience even further.

What everyone appears reluctant to acknowledge, seemingly, is that media has become a fragmented world, and other than the Super Bowl, shared events -- which the Oscars once qualified as -- are increasingly becoming a thing of the past.

Will time-crunching categories work?

Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best picture: "Nomadland" Hide Caption 1 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best actor: Anthony Hopkins, "The Father" Hide Caption 2 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best actress: Frances McDormand, "Nomadland" Hide Caption 3 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best director: Chloé Zhao, "Nomadland" Hide Caption 4 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best supporting actor: Daniel Kaluuya, "Judas and the Black Messiah" Hide Caption 5 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best supporting actress: Yuh-jung Youn, "Minari" Hide Caption 6 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best original screenplay: "Promising Young Woman" Hide Caption 7 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best adapted screenplay: "The Father" Hide Caption 8 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best animated feature film: "Soul" Hide Caption 9 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best animated short film: "If Anything Happens I Love You" Hide Caption 10 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best live action short film: "Two Distant Strangers" Hide Caption 11 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best international feature film: "Another Round" (Denmark) Hide Caption 12 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best original score: "Soul" Hide Caption 13 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best original song: "Fight for You," performed by H.E.R. for the film "Judas and the Black Messiah" Hide Caption 14 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best production design: "Mank" Hide Caption 15 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best cinematography: "Mank" Hide Caption 16 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best makeup and hairstyling: "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" Hide Caption 17 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best costume design: "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" Hide Caption 18 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best documentary feature: "My Octopus Teacher" Hide Caption 19 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best documentary, short subject: "Colette" Hide Caption 20 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best sound: "Sound of Metal" Hide Caption 21 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best film editing: "Sound of Metal" Hide Caption 22 of 23 Photos: Oscars winners 2021 Best visual effects: "Tenet" Hide Caption 23 of 23

The protests over moving awards in mostly technical categories was predictable, but it reflects a perhaps belated nod to a fact other award shows have long since recognized: People watch to see stars, not film editors or sound technicians.

That said, there's no clear evidence a faster-paced, more entertainment-oriented broadcast will jumpstart the ratings, in which case the Academy will have alienated members without a clear benefit.

Does Netflix fulfill its push for Oscar recognition?

'The Power of the Dog' is among the films nominated for best picture.

After conquering the Emmys, Netflix began a concerted push for Oscars -- starting with "Roma" in 2019, the first of its seven best-picture nominees including this year's -- despite resistance within the Academy to fully recognizing streaming movies alongside their theatrical brethren.

Two years of a pandemic and heightened at-home viewing has helped erase those barriers. Although Netflix has challenged with films like "Roma," "The Irishman" and "Mank," a win by perceived frontrunner "The Power of the Dog" would mark the culmination of that strategy. And just to add extra suspense, the main competition could be a film from another streamer, Apple TV+'s "Coda," an uplifting crowd-pleaser that has the momentum of winning the Producers Guild and Screen Actors Guild awards, even if people didn't watch it with crowds.

Will this be remembered as a weak movie year?

Siân Heder directs Eugenio Derbez in "CODA," nominated for best picture.

Some Oscar years look better than others with the benefit of hindsight, as evidenced by those still grousing about "Crash" or "The Shape of Water" winning best picture.

Will a year that anointed "The Power of the Dog," a compelling but very slow-moving movie, or the small-boned "Coda," be viewed charitably in the future? We'll see, although given the lack of consensus and the level of sniping directed at both films, there will be plenty of Monday-morning quarterbacking no matter which way voters go.

Past vs. present: Finding the right balance

Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres took a selfie on stage in 2014.

The Oscars historically mix old and new, and this year will be no exception, with planned tributes to 60 years of the James Bond franchise and "The Godfather's" 50th anniversary.

Older viewers that saw the Corleones in theaters, however, aren't the audience that the Academy and ABC yearn to reach if they're going to plant the seeds for the future. And the younger demographics they're desperate to attract (in part because that's what advertisers covet) aren't seeing the movies that they're watching -- think "Spider-Man: No Way Home" -- heavily represented much among the nominees.

Will a stunt with Twitter, allowing people to vote for a popular movie, help address that shortcoming? Or is it just symbolic of desperation, and a way to mount an end run on the Academy board shooting down a 2018 proposal for a "popular film" category?

Can the show inspire people to go to the movies?

Movie theaters have taken a hit during the pandemic.

Historically, a big part of the Oscars has been cheerleading for the movies, which has become more than just an academic exercise for studios and particularly theaters. Last year's show introduced the hashtag #TheBigScreenIsBack and promoted seeing movies "the way you've always loved them."