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Morning Briefing: Academy Awards Add Diversity Requirements
FILE: Oscar statuettes backstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards on February 9, 2020 (Richard Harbaugh /Handout/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images)
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For years, article after article and study after study (after study, after study) have proven that the film industry flagrantly discriminates against women, people of color, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community and basically anyone who isn’t a cisgendered, middle-aged-or-older, able-bodied, straight white man.
Attempts have been made to adjust the status quo to little avail, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now taking a slightly stronger stance. Beginning in 2024, contenders for the organization’s coveted Best Picture award will be required to meet two of four so-called “representation and inclusion standards.” Those standards address on-screen diversity, leadership diversity, training programs and diversity among audience development teams.
In an essay, KPCC’s John Horn notes that the same standards haven’t had much effect on the British Academy of Film and Television Awards. But hey, it’s better than nothing.
Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.
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Coming Up Today, September 10
The state is sending out the latest $300 unemployment benefit checks, but some 200,000 Californians don't qualify because they weren't receiving $100 in unemployment benefits. David Wagner has one Angeleno’s story.
Watch new and notable films from Mexico, visit the NHM's Butterfly Pavilion, listen to Banda El Recodo, and more. Christine N. Ziemba has this weekend’s best online and IRL events.
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The Past 24 Hours In LA
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Wildfires: The El Dorado Fire has burned 11,479 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest, and is at 19% containment. The Bobcat Fire has burned 11,456 acres in the Angeles National Forest and has no containment.
Diversity In The Newsroom: In the next installment of our #FutureOfLocalNews series, our panel – Outlier founder and executive editor Sarah Alvarez, L.A. Taco editor-in-chief Javier Cabral, and USC Annenberg adjunct lecturer and L.A. Times audience engagement editor Adriana Lacy – discuss strategies for amplifying community voices in and out of the newsroom.
Staying Sane: Between the pandemic, ongoing protests over systemic racism, the upcoming election and raging wildfires, an expert weighs in on managing your mental health.
Dramatic Action: Forget the treats, and the tricks – Halloween is pretty much canceled in L.A. John Horn reflects on what led to dramatic action this week to improve the diversity of films nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Life On L.A.’s Streets: Bumdog Torres chronicles life in the time of coronavirus as a photographer living on the streets of L.A.
Photo Of The Day
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Steven Arroyo, the owner of Escuela Taqueria and Totem Poultry.
(Bumdog Torres for LAist)
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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