Meeting inclusion thresholds will not be required for eligibility in the Best Picture category until the 96th Oscars which will take place in 2024.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced new representation and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility in the Best Picture category, as part of its Academy Aperture 2025 initiative.
The film academy has established four broad categories in which minority groups must be involved including storylines, crew and creative leadership positions, publicity and marketing to distribution and opportunities for training and internships.
At least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors must be from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
At least 30% of all actors in secondary and more minor roles must be from at least two of the underrepresented groups including an ethnic group, women, LGBTQ+ or people with cognitive or physical disabilities.
The main storyline, theme or narrative of the film must be centred on an underrepresented group.
The standards are designed to encourage equitable representation on and off-screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the film-going audience. Academy Governors DeVon Franklin and Jim Gianopulos headed a task force to develop the standards that were created from a template inspired by the British Film Institute (BFI) Diversity Standards.
The Academy also consulted with the Producers Guild of America (PGA), as it presently does for Oscars eligibility.
For the 94th Oscars (2022) and 95th Oscars (2023), submitting a confidential Academy Inclusion Standards form will be required for Best Picture consideration, however, meeting inclusion thresholds will not be required for eligibility in the Best Picture category until the 96th Oscars (2024).
All categories other than Best Picture will be held to their current eligibility requirements. Films in the speciality feature categories (animated feature film, documentary feature, international feature film) submitted for Best Picture/General Entry consideration will be addressed separately.
“The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both the creation of motion pictures and in the audiences, who connect with them. The Academy is committed to playing a vital role in helping make this a reality,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”
