Academy CEO Bill Kramer Maps Oscars’ Global Ambitions in Tokyo: ‘Parasite’ Win Was ‘a Pivot, a Shift’ — SkimNews
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- Academy expanded the share of members living outside the U.S. from roughly 5%-6% a decade ago to 25%, with about 70 members in Japan and the international share still growing, CEO Bill Kramer said.
- Parasite was the pivot Kramer cited for global cinema at the Oscars: its 2020 best-picture win showed what was possible, and he said every category at the most recent Oscars had international representation.
- Academy uses an Aperture committee in each branch to find filmmakers worldwide, with annual focus on underrepresented countries; President Lynette Howell Taylor said expanded membership did not reduce qualifications.
- Academy Screening Room app lets members watch Oscar contenders; submissions are free in every category, and more than 200 festival awards make short films automatically eligible, Meredith Shea said.
- YouTube will carry the Oscars ceremony free from 2029 in more than 30 languages, making it available to 2.5 billion people simultaneously and in the same format, Kramer said.
- Academy is undertaking a process this year to expand the six festivals whose top prizes qualify films for the international feature race; discussions with the Tokyo International Film Festival are just beginning, while Howell Taylor said the category is not considered redundant.
- Japan has contributed at least six anime titles a year, while Academy animated-feature submissions grew from 12 to nearly 40 during Meredith Shea’s more-than-decade tenure running the category.
Why it matters: For filmmakers outside the United States, the Academy’s non-U.S. share rising from 5%-6% to 25% comes with concrete access measures: free submissions, globally targeted recruitment and an app for viewing contenders. The 2029 YouTube rollout extends that shift beyond members to audiences, with the ceremony free to 2.5 billion people in more than 30 languages.
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