Film bosses putting their movies forward for Oscars Best Picture consideration must now tick a number of diversity boxes before their project can be processed.
Officials at the organization behind the Academy Awards have released a set of new guidelines that filmmakers will have to meet in order for their work to be eligible for the big award.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chiefs have implemented a five-year project to boost diversity at the awards show after years of criticism surrounding the ‘so white’ Oscars.
A new task force of industry leaders will oversee “representation and inclusion standards” and any films that fall short will not be eligible.
“We know there is much more work to be done in order to ensure equitable opportunities across the board,” Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said. “The need to address this issue is urgent.”
The rules will not apply to films vying for next year’s Oscars.
Among other changes, the Best Picture category will now feature a fixed 10 films annually. For several years, Oscar voters have been told they can nominate up to 10 films but only the films that reached a certain number of votes could be included. Now, the most popular 10 films among voters will make up the category.
