No one really expected this year’s Cannes Film Festival to replicate the stellar showing of last year at the Oscars, when official selections Killers of the Flower Moon, Anatomy of a Fall, and The Zone of Interest took an unprecedented three of the 10 Best Picture nominations and a total of 20 noms and three wins among them. How many times can the French catch lightning in a bottle like that achievement? Who thought 2019 could be equaled or topped, when Parasite became the first Palme d’Or winner to take the Best Picture Oscar since Marty did it in 1955 and where Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (also an official selection that year) went on to 10 Oscar nominations and two wins?
Cannes largely had been thought too risky, too early for serious launches of potential Oscar nominees and winners, except for those hoping to land a spot in...
Cannes largely had been thought too risky, too early for serious launches of potential Oscar nominees and winners, except for those hoping to land a spot in...
- 5/28/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Mads Mikkelsen isn’t interested in criticism of the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in his new movie “The Promised Land.” When a reporter pointed out that the movie is “a Danish production that’s entirely Nordic” and asked if the actor is “worried” about the movie being ineligible to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar once new rules go into effect next year, Mikkelsen shot back, “Are you?”
He continued, “I’m serious and honest, because you’re putting us on the spot, so you answer the question.”
The tense moment took place at the movie’s press conference at the Venice Film Festival following its premiere. The reporter drew the contrast between Mikkelsen’s new film and recent Oscar winner “Parasite’s” own lack of diversity — a different situation both due to the film coming from a non-majority white country, as well as the new rules not yet being in effect.
He continued, “I’m serious and honest, because you’re putting us on the spot, so you answer the question.”
The tense moment took place at the movie’s press conference at the Venice Film Festival following its premiere. The reporter drew the contrast between Mikkelsen’s new film and recent Oscar winner “Parasite’s” own lack of diversity — a different situation both due to the film coming from a non-majority white country, as well as the new rules not yet being in effect.
- 9/10/2023
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Updated with NATO statement: Long in the works, and indicating stronger support for theatrical exhibition in the increasing age of streamers, the Board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved a landmark change in eligibility rules for Best Picture.
Beginning with the 97th Academy Awards for films released in 2024, there are some significant added requirements for Best Picture eligibility after completion of the current initial qualifying run of a one-week theatrical release in one of six U.S. cities. These include:
Expanded theatrical run of seven days, consecutive or non-consecutive, in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets, no later than 45 days after the initial release in 2024; For late-in-the-year films with expansions after January 10, 2025, distributors must submit release plans to the Academy for verification; Release plans for late-in-the-year films must include a planned expanded theatrical run, as described above, to be completed no later than January 24, 2025; Non-u.
Beginning with the 97th Academy Awards for films released in 2024, there are some significant added requirements for Best Picture eligibility after completion of the current initial qualifying run of a one-week theatrical release in one of six U.S. cities. These include:
Expanded theatrical run of seven days, consecutive or non-consecutive, in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets, no later than 45 days after the initial release in 2024; For late-in-the-year films with expansions after January 10, 2025, distributors must submit release plans to the Academy for verification; Release plans for late-in-the-year films must include a planned expanded theatrical run, as described above, to be completed no later than January 24, 2025; Non-u.
- 6/21/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The Oscars are making sure they’re prepared for everything this year.
The Academy is implementing a “whole crisis team” in case something similar to 2022’s infamous Chris Rock and Will Smith slap incident happens this year.
Bill Kramer, who was named Academy CEO in June, spoke with Time this week about the reasoning behind the newfound enlisting of a crisis team.
Read More: Simu Liu To Host Academy’s Scientific And Technical Awards
“But we have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place,” said Kramer. “We’ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”
“Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars,” continued Kramer.
The Academy is implementing a “whole crisis team” in case something similar to 2022’s infamous Chris Rock and Will Smith slap incident happens this year.
Bill Kramer, who was named Academy CEO in June, spoke with Time this week about the reasoning behind the newfound enlisting of a crisis team.
Read More: Simu Liu To Host Academy’s Scientific And Technical Awards
“But we have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place,” said Kramer. “We’ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”
“Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars,” continued Kramer.
- 2/23/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
Janet Yang, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, called her organization’s response to Will Smith’s physical assault on Chris Rock during last year’s Oscar telecast “inadequate.” She made the comment amid opening remarks during Monday’s annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton.
“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” Yang told the attendees. “What happened onstage was fully unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate.”
Furthermore, she continued, “We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”
Smith walked onto the stage at last year’s globally-broadcast Academy Awards telecast and struck presenter Chris Rock,...
“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” Yang told the attendees. “What happened onstage was fully unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate.”
Furthermore, she continued, “We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”
Smith walked onto the stage at last year’s globally-broadcast Academy Awards telecast and struck presenter Chris Rock,...
- 2/13/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Janet Yang told assembled nominees Monday at the annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon that the organization’s response to the Will Smith slap during last year’s Oscars was inadequate.
Related Story Oscars Nominees Luncheon Photos: Brendan Fraser, Tom Cruise, Michelle Yeoh, Michelle Williams, Ke Huy Quan & More Related Story Oscar Nominees 2023: The Class Photo Related Story Netflix's 'African Queens' EP Says 'Black Panther' & 'The Woman King' Have Cleared Path For Jada Pinkett Smith-Narrated Docu-Drama
Yang made the comments during opening remarks at the event this afternoon at the Beverly Hilton.
“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” she told the group. “What happened onstage was fully unacceptable, and the response from our organization was inadequate. We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions,...
Related Story Oscars Nominees Luncheon Photos: Brendan Fraser, Tom Cruise, Michelle Yeoh, Michelle Williams, Ke Huy Quan & More Related Story Oscar Nominees 2023: The Class Photo Related Story Netflix's 'African Queens' EP Says 'Black Panther' & 'The Woman King' Have Cleared Path For Jada Pinkett Smith-Narrated Docu-Drama
Yang made the comments during opening remarks at the event this afternoon at the Beverly Hilton.
“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” she told the group. “What happened onstage was fully unacceptable, and the response from our organization was inadequate. We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions,...
- 2/13/2023
- by Pete Hammond and Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is reportedly reversing its controversial decision to exclude some categories from its telecast, according to Variety. The 2022 ceremony left eight categories out of the festivities, voting for best original score, sound, film editing, production design, makeup and hairstyling, and documentary and live-action short but not actually giving any screen time to the categories during the telecast. The 2023 ceremony apparently won't make that mistake again.
The announcement comes via AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer, who today told Variety, "I can confirm that all categories will be included in the live telecast." Kramer was appointed in his current position via a unanimous vote in June, taking over for Dawn Hudson who announced the end of her term in October 2021, before this year's chaotic and low-rated telecast, according to Variety. It's been a period of change for the institution, as longtime producer Janet Yang was also...
The announcement comes via AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer, who today told Variety, "I can confirm that all categories will be included in the live telecast." Kramer was appointed in his current position via a unanimous vote in June, taking over for Dawn Hudson who announced the end of her term in October 2021, before this year's chaotic and low-rated telecast, according to Variety. It's been a period of change for the institution, as longtime producer Janet Yang was also...
- 11/29/2022
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Although Diane Warren knows she is finally getting an Oscar, she doesn’t quite know how she’ll respond when the trophy is finally in her hands Saturday night at the 13th Annual Governors Awards.
“I’m still blown away. It hasn’t hit me yet. It hit me like, ‘Holy shit, I can’t believe I’m getting an Oscar,’ but I think the night of the event, it’s gonna really be emotional. I mean, it was emotional when I found out. I cried when I heard about it,” said Warren during an interview with IndieWire in her Hollywood recording studio.
The songwriter has built up enough of a reputation at the Oscars, famously going zero for 13 in the Best Original Song category. It’s a feat she’s still proud of because “it’s pretty hard to get nominated for an Academy Award,” but the honorary Oscar...
“I’m still blown away. It hasn’t hit me yet. It hit me like, ‘Holy shit, I can’t believe I’m getting an Oscar,’ but I think the night of the event, it’s gonna really be emotional. I mean, it was emotional when I found out. I cried when I heard about it,” said Warren during an interview with IndieWire in her Hollywood recording studio.
The songwriter has built up enough of a reputation at the Oscars, famously going zero for 13 in the Best Original Song category. It’s a feat she’s still proud of because “it’s pretty hard to get nominated for an Academy Award,” but the honorary Oscar...
- 11/19/2022
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
The Academy needs to create new revenue streams that do not rely on the Oscars show, but it also needs to bring the Oscars to a position of “power, honorability and importance,” Academy leaders told the organization’s membership in an all-members meeting on Saturday.
The meeting, led by new Academy CEO Bill Kramer and new president Janet Yang, took place in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and was available to be attended virtually by members not in Los Angeles.
In some ways, the gathering was reminiscent of the all-members meeting held by then-president Hawk Koch and CEO Dawn Hudson in May, 2013, which took place simultaneously in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. At that point, the Academy consisted of about 6,000 members and was predominantly white and male; the #OscarsSoWhite protests had yet to push the organization to become more diverse, while the Academy Museum was in the planning stages.
The meeting, led by new Academy CEO Bill Kramer and new president Janet Yang, took place in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and was available to be attended virtually by members not in Los Angeles.
In some ways, the gathering was reminiscent of the all-members meeting held by then-president Hawk Koch and CEO Dawn Hudson in May, 2013, which took place simultaneously in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. At that point, the Academy consisted of about 6,000 members and was predominantly white and male; the #OscarsSoWhite protests had yet to push the organization to become more diverse, while the Academy Museum was in the planning stages.
- 9/17/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ new CEO Bill Kramer explicitly acknowledged there are fixes that need to be made in the annual Oscars show and process and promised to address them while speaking at Saturday morning’s AMPAS membership meeting held in-person at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles as well as virtually for members worldwide.
“Clearly there is a need to reinvigorate the show and we are hard at work with our great partners at Disney-abc on this,” Kramer told the members, and then as part of a PowerPoint presentation listed eight areas they are addressing so far. That list includes, as Deadline just announced, the naming of veteran live television and awards show producers to run the show, Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, who have collectively won numerous Emmys for their work including 21 Tony Awards shows.
The points Kramer and new AMPAS president Janet Yang...
“Clearly there is a need to reinvigorate the show and we are hard at work with our great partners at Disney-abc on this,” Kramer told the members, and then as part of a PowerPoint presentation listed eight areas they are addressing so far. That list includes, as Deadline just announced, the naming of veteran live television and awards show producers to run the show, Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, who have collectively won numerous Emmys for their work including 21 Tony Awards shows.
The points Kramer and new AMPAS president Janet Yang...
- 9/17/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
After two years of allowing films to qualify for the Academy Awards without a theatrical release, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences earlier this year restored a version of its longstanding requirement that movies must be released into theaters to be eligible. And that rule will continue in the future regardless of the health of theatrical exhibition, new Academy CEO said in a virtual press conference this week.
“We want to create a healthy industry, a healthy theatrical ecosystem,” Kramer said in response to a question from TheWrap. “And the way that we can do that is by continuing our theatrical requirement.”
At the same time, though, Kramer acknowledged that AMPAS had made at least one prominent exception to that rule this year, allowing Searchlight’s Sundance acquisition “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande“ to qualify for Oscar consideration despite going straight to Hulu in June. That exception,...
“We want to create a healthy industry, a healthy theatrical ecosystem,” Kramer said in response to a question from TheWrap. “And the way that we can do that is by continuing our theatrical requirement.”
At the same time, though, Kramer acknowledged that AMPAS had made at least one prominent exception to that rule this year, allowing Searchlight’s Sundance acquisition “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande“ to qualify for Oscar consideration despite going straight to Hulu in June. That exception,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“You’ll see us at more international film festivals,” said new CEO Bill Kramer.
The US Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Ampas) plans to increase its outreach to international members through attendance at international festivals and other events, according to new CEO Bill Kramer.
“You’ll see us at more international film festivals,” said Kramer at a virtual roundtable with industry press this week. “We’ll have more engagement and social opportunities beyond just Los Angeles. It’s very gratifying for us because there are members who are eager to engage with the Academy, and it brings a...
The US Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Ampas) plans to increase its outreach to international members through attendance at international festivals and other events, according to new CEO Bill Kramer.
“You’ll see us at more international film festivals,” said Kramer at a virtual roundtable with industry press this week. “We’ll have more engagement and social opportunities beyond just Los Angeles. It’s very gratifying for us because there are members who are eager to engage with the Academy, and it brings a...
- 8/25/2022
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is going global in a big way, hitting major festivals around the world and the U.S. beginning with the fall trifecta of Venice, Telluride and Toronto. All that is according to new CEO Bill Kramer, who is continuing his inaugural outreach tour not just to members of AMPAS, but also to the press.
In addition to an A.Frame interview earlier this month with Kramer that was distributed to all 10,000-ish AMPAS members as well as media outlets, Kramer this week held a Zoom press conference with key consumer outlets as well as the Hollywood trades. He was keen to emphasize that the org is going to again be front and center at major events, and that means everywhere including reinstating their London membership meeting, and even adding one in Copenhagen.
“We’re an international organization. And at this point, 25 of our members are non-u.
In addition to an A.Frame interview earlier this month with Kramer that was distributed to all 10,000-ish AMPAS members as well as media outlets, Kramer this week held a Zoom press conference with key consumer outlets as well as the Hollywood trades. He was keen to emphasize that the org is going to again be front and center at major events, and that means everywhere including reinstating their London membership meeting, and even adding one in Copenhagen.
“We’re an international organization. And at this point, 25 of our members are non-u.
- 8/25/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today not only sent out its latest edition of their digital newsletter, A. Frame, to its entire 10,000-plus membership, they also alerted press and made it available to them as well just an hour later. The reason for all this? An “Exclusive” interview with new CEO Bill Kramer who last month replaced previous CEO Dawn Hudson.
Ramping up the public face of AMPAS efforts to be more transparent not just in the media, but also to their members, is a priority and this A. Frame interview certainly marks the emergency of a new era for the organization which will also include upcoming press opportunities directly with Kramer, but also an announced Academy membership meeting at the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in September, the first of multi meetings of this type to be held over the course of a year. And...
Ramping up the public face of AMPAS efforts to be more transparent not just in the media, but also to their members, is a priority and this A. Frame interview certainly marks the emergency of a new era for the organization which will also include upcoming press opportunities directly with Kramer, but also an announced Academy membership meeting at the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in September, the first of multi meetings of this type to be held over the course of a year. And...
- 8/17/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
At their Tuesday board meeting, as expected the Academy Board of Governors elected producer Janet Yang president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Yang begins her first term as president and her second term as a Governor-at-Large, a position for which she was nominated by the sitting Academy President David Rubin and elected by the Board of Governors.
Donna Gigliotti, Larry Karaszewski, David Linde, Isis Mussenden, and Wynn Thomas were re-elected as Board of Governor officers. It will be the first officer stint for Teri E. Dorman, 2020 Oscar show co-producer Lynette Howell Taylor, and Kim Taylor-Coleman.
Yang’s producing credits include “The Joy Luck Club,” “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” “Zero Effect,” “High Crimes,” “Dark Matter,” “Shanghai Calling” and the Oscar-nominated animated feature “Over the Moon.” She won an Emmy for the HBO film “Indictment: The McMartin Trial.” A member of the Academy’s Producers Branch since...
Donna Gigliotti, Larry Karaszewski, David Linde, Isis Mussenden, and Wynn Thomas were re-elected as Board of Governor officers. It will be the first officer stint for Teri E. Dorman, 2020 Oscar show co-producer Lynette Howell Taylor, and Kim Taylor-Coleman.
Yang’s producing credits include “The Joy Luck Club,” “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” “Zero Effect,” “High Crimes,” “Dark Matter,” “Shanghai Calling” and the Oscar-nominated animated feature “Over the Moon.” She won an Emmy for the HBO film “Indictment: The McMartin Trial.” A member of the Academy’s Producers Branch since...
- 8/2/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Producer Janet Yang has been elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy’s Board of Governors announced on Tuesday.
She was elected at a virtual meeting of the 54-member board, which was selecting a successor to casting director David Rubin. While presidents can serve four consecutive one-year terms, Rubin had to leave the board because of term limits after serving three terms.
Yang is a member of the Academy’s Producers Branch and for the past year had served as a vice president of the board and chair of the Membership Committee.
Yang is a producer of “The Joy Luck Club,” “The People vs. Larry Flynt” and the recent Oscar-nominated animated feature “Over the Moon.” Born in New York City, she will be the Academy’s first president of Asian descent, and the fourth woman after Bette Davis (who resigned after two months in...
She was elected at a virtual meeting of the 54-member board, which was selecting a successor to casting director David Rubin. While presidents can serve four consecutive one-year terms, Rubin had to leave the board because of term limits after serving three terms.
Yang is a member of the Academy’s Producers Branch and for the past year had served as a vice president of the board and chair of the Membership Committee.
Yang is a producer of “The Joy Luck Club,” “The People vs. Larry Flynt” and the recent Oscar-nominated animated feature “Over the Moon.” Born in New York City, she will be the Academy’s first president of Asian descent, and the fourth woman after Bette Davis (who resigned after two months in...
- 8/2/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Here’s a wish for Tuesday:
Sometime during the day, governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will meet to elect new officers, including a president to replace termed-out David Rubin. I wish they would choose a Great Communicator for the top job.
The film Academy already has a Great Operator running its staff in the person of recently appointed Bill Kramer. Less than a month on the job, Kramer has already restructured management (a new 14-member ‘masthead’ on the Oscars.org Web site integrates Academy and Museum officers), re-ordered priorities (appointment of an executive vice-president for revenue and business development points toward fiscal rigor), and laid track for a possible repositioning of the Oscar ceremony.
There’s every reason to believe that Kramer, who is articulate and not shy, could also serve as principal spokesman for the Academy in his role as chief executive.
But the members, around 10,000 of them at this point, deserve to have an elected president, one of their own, serving as their collective voice—to be their Communicator.
It’s a function that has become considerably diminished in the last decade, as a series of presidents—Rubin, John Bailey, Cheryl Boone-Isaacs—retreated from the more freewheeling public posture of previous top officers—Hawk Koch, Tom Sherak, Sidney Ganis.
Partly, it was a matter of professional background. Rubin, a casting director, and Bailey, a cinematographer, were clearly rooted in a Hollywood tradition that has restricted most communication to the public relations pros. Neither talked much publicly, and when they did speak, it was carefully, and often in tandem with Kramer’s predecessor, Dawn Hudson.
Similarly, Boone-Isaacs, though a marketing and PR professional, was fairly tight-lipped. An old-school executive, she seemed to believe that Hollywood’s business was Hollywood’s business, and mostly none of yours—a contrast with the prior three presidents, who were notably outgoing.
But Tuesday brings an inflection point. The next president, to be elected by and from among a 54-member governing board, will be in the hot spot eight months from now when the Academy finally implements an elaborate, long-promised system of racial, gender and disability standards and quotas governing Best Picture contenders.
The Identity Oscars are going to take a lot of explaining, both to contenders and to the public at large.
Already, questions are bubbling up in the expanded Faq section of the Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry platform, on which Oscar contenders are required to enter data about their performers, filmmakers, crew, distributors and content.
Yes, says the platform, it is necessary for all of the hundreds of Oscar-submitted pictures to create a Raise entry, even if they don’t want to be considered for Best Picture, “as we cannot distinguish a Best Picture entry at the point of submission.”
No, the platform says, you cannot review your own submission until you have entered information for all of the many standards.
Of course, the bigger questions will arise when the Academy inevitably discloses its list of films that qualify under the inclusion standards—leaving the unqualified, if any, to explain their exclusion. Are they racist? Are they sexist? Are they simply films born in a national culture that is less multi-ethnic or diversity-conscious than our own?
And if no films are disqualified, why are we doing this at all?
According to the current whisper, front-runners in the Academy’s closed-door presidential race are Janet Yang and DeVon Franklin, both of whom were appointed as governors-at-large—representing no specific branch–under the board’s diversity initiative.
In truth, their provenance matters less than their powers of persuasion. As the next president, Yang, or Franklin, or anyone else will at last have to sell this new system as best for the Academy and for the industry it serves.
Sometime during the day, governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will meet to elect new officers, including a president to replace termed-out David Rubin. I wish they would choose a Great Communicator for the top job.
The film Academy already has a Great Operator running its staff in the person of recently appointed Bill Kramer. Less than a month on the job, Kramer has already restructured management (a new 14-member ‘masthead’ on the Oscars.org Web site integrates Academy and Museum officers), re-ordered priorities (appointment of an executive vice-president for revenue and business development points toward fiscal rigor), and laid track for a possible repositioning of the Oscar ceremony.
There’s every reason to believe that Kramer, who is articulate and not shy, could also serve as principal spokesman for the Academy in his role as chief executive.
But the members, around 10,000 of them at this point, deserve to have an elected president, one of their own, serving as their collective voice—to be their Communicator.
It’s a function that has become considerably diminished in the last decade, as a series of presidents—Rubin, John Bailey, Cheryl Boone-Isaacs—retreated from the more freewheeling public posture of previous top officers—Hawk Koch, Tom Sherak, Sidney Ganis.
Partly, it was a matter of professional background. Rubin, a casting director, and Bailey, a cinematographer, were clearly rooted in a Hollywood tradition that has restricted most communication to the public relations pros. Neither talked much publicly, and when they did speak, it was carefully, and often in tandem with Kramer’s predecessor, Dawn Hudson.
Similarly, Boone-Isaacs, though a marketing and PR professional, was fairly tight-lipped. An old-school executive, she seemed to believe that Hollywood’s business was Hollywood’s business, and mostly none of yours—a contrast with the prior three presidents, who were notably outgoing.
But Tuesday brings an inflection point. The next president, to be elected by and from among a 54-member governing board, will be in the hot spot eight months from now when the Academy finally implements an elaborate, long-promised system of racial, gender and disability standards and quotas governing Best Picture contenders.
The Identity Oscars are going to take a lot of explaining, both to contenders and to the public at large.
Already, questions are bubbling up in the expanded Faq section of the Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry platform, on which Oscar contenders are required to enter data about their performers, filmmakers, crew, distributors and content.
Yes, says the platform, it is necessary for all of the hundreds of Oscar-submitted pictures to create a Raise entry, even if they don’t want to be considered for Best Picture, “as we cannot distinguish a Best Picture entry at the point of submission.”
No, the platform says, you cannot review your own submission until you have entered information for all of the many standards.
Of course, the bigger questions will arise when the Academy inevitably discloses its list of films that qualify under the inclusion standards—leaving the unqualified, if any, to explain their exclusion. Are they racist? Are they sexist? Are they simply films born in a national culture that is less multi-ethnic or diversity-conscious than our own?
And if no films are disqualified, why are we doing this at all?
According to the current whisper, front-runners in the Academy’s closed-door presidential race are Janet Yang and DeVon Franklin, both of whom were appointed as governors-at-large—representing no specific branch–under the board’s diversity initiative.
In truth, their provenance matters less than their powers of persuasion. As the next president, Yang, or Franklin, or anyone else will at last have to sell this new system as best for the Academy and for the industry it serves.
- 8/1/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
With new Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer in place, the next big question mark for the organization that hosts the Oscars revolves around who will replace outgoing president David Rubin, whose term ends this summer. On Aug. 2, the AMPAS Board of Governors will select its 38th president.
Whoever takes the No. 2 slot will face intense pressure to navigate agendas dictated by bylaws, decades of tradition and an ever-changing media landscape. Two front-runners have emerged to lead the organization’s nearly 10,000 members, and both are producers: Janet Yang, an Ivy League graduate whose film credits include “The Joy Luck Club” (1993), and DeVon Franklin, a former Sony Pictures Entertainment executive who is president and CEO of multimedia company Franklin Entertainment.
Yang, who is of Chinese descent, and Franklin, who is Black, would represent a new-looking Academy leadership that’s been overwhelmingly male and white over its history.
Whoever takes the No. 2 slot will face intense pressure to navigate agendas dictated by bylaws, decades of tradition and an ever-changing media landscape. Two front-runners have emerged to lead the organization’s nearly 10,000 members, and both are producers: Janet Yang, an Ivy League graduate whose film credits include “The Joy Luck Club” (1993), and DeVon Franklin, a former Sony Pictures Entertainment executive who is president and CEO of multimedia company Franklin Entertainment.
Yang, who is of Chinese descent, and Franklin, who is Black, would represent a new-looking Academy leadership that’s been overwhelmingly male and white over its history.
- 7/20/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In an attempt to further cement its dedication to diverstity across all activities, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has promoted Jeanell English to EVP Impact and Inclusion, Academy CEO Bill Kramer announced today. English will report directly to Kramer.
In this newly created executive job English will lead the Academy’s initiatives designed to address underrepresentation across the industry and to discover, empower, and advance the work of emerging and diverse film artists. Adding to her portfolio, English will also be overseeing the various Academy’s talent development programs, known as Academy Gold. These programs include the Gold Rising internship and mentorship program, Gold Fellowship for Women, Student Academy Awards, Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, and the Gold Alumni Program.
English who joined the Academy staff as VP Impact and Operations in 2020 will still be overseeing the Academy’s sustainability, representation, inclusion, and accessibility efforts as she has previously done.
In this newly created executive job English will lead the Academy’s initiatives designed to address underrepresentation across the industry and to discover, empower, and advance the work of emerging and diverse film artists. Adding to her portfolio, English will also be overseeing the various Academy’s talent development programs, known as Academy Gold. These programs include the Gold Rising internship and mentorship program, Gold Fellowship for Women, Student Academy Awards, Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, and the Gold Alumni Program.
English who joined the Academy staff as VP Impact and Operations in 2020 will still be overseeing the Academy’s sustainability, representation, inclusion, and accessibility efforts as she has previously done.
- 7/11/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
As the Academy Confronts Diversity Challenges, CEO Bill Kramer Adds New Impact and Inclusion Officer
Bill Kramer, the new CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, continues to plow forward. One of the challenges facing the Academy is how it executes an ambitious slate of sustainability, representation, inclusion, and accessibility efforts. To spearhead these programs, Kramer has promoted Jeanell English to Executive Vice President, Impact and Inclusion, reporting directly to him.
English will be responsible for the ongoing implementation of the Academy’s representation and inclusion standards, and in this new position, will “lead the Academy’s initiatives designed to address underrepresentation across the industry and to discover, empower, and advance the work of emerging and diverse film artists,” the Academy announced.
Kramer is tasked with implementing several initiatives launched by CEO Dawn Hudson, who has left the Academy after 11 years. She moved decisively to implement radical change in the largely white male Academy member ranks, bringing in a more diverse and...
English will be responsible for the ongoing implementation of the Academy’s representation and inclusion standards, and in this new position, will “lead the Academy’s initiatives designed to address underrepresentation across the industry and to discover, empower, and advance the work of emerging and diverse film artists,” the Academy announced.
Kramer is tasked with implementing several initiatives launched by CEO Dawn Hudson, who has left the Academy after 11 years. She moved decisively to implement radical change in the largely white male Academy member ranks, bringing in a more diverse and...
- 7/11/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Wow. Bill Kramer’s lightning strikes at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—into the chief’s job 17 days early, Chief Operating Officer Christine Simmons out by mid-morning, Jacqueline Stewart in place to take his old Academy Museum post less than a week later—are impressive. Even the Academy’s often spotty Website was updated in real time: The revised executive line-up posted as the coup got underway.
Really, Kramer moved in like Grant took Richmond. Slowly at first (a lot of lobbying preceded his appointment to replace predecessor Dawn Hudson), and then all of a sudden. Boom!
So now what?
In the first week of a new fiscal year, less than a month until the election of a new Academy board president, with 248 days to maneuver before the next Oscar show (but who’s counting?), Kramer holds in his hands the rare opportunity to salvage and perhaps reshape an American institution.
Really, Kramer moved in like Grant took Richmond. Slowly at first (a lot of lobbying preceded his appointment to replace predecessor Dawn Hudson), and then all of a sudden. Boom!
So now what?
In the first week of a new fiscal year, less than a month until the election of a new Academy board president, with 248 days to maneuver before the next Oscar show (but who’s counting?), Kramer holds in his hands the rare opportunity to salvage and perhaps reshape an American institution.
- 7/7/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Exiting Academy Museum director Bill Kramer is not wasting any time. He sought to take the reins of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences from departing CEO Dawn Hudson, and landed the gig with unanimous support from the Board of Governors. He was supposed to start in his new role on July 18, but took over July 1 to get started on Oscar-planning season. First order of business: he dismissed Hudson’s Chief Operating Officer Christine Simmons.
And Wednesday the Board of Trustees of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced the expected appointment of Jacqueline Stewart, the museum’s Chief Artistic and Programming officer, to replace Kramer as Director and President of the museum. Kramer brought in the cinema scholar, curator, public educator, and TCM host in 2020. She’ll take over the role of Academy Museum Director and President on July 18 to guide the future course of the organization, which...
And Wednesday the Board of Trustees of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced the expected appointment of Jacqueline Stewart, the museum’s Chief Artistic and Programming officer, to replace Kramer as Director and President of the museum. Kramer brought in the cinema scholar, curator, public educator, and TCM host in 2020. She’ll take over the role of Academy Museum Director and President on July 18 to guide the future course of the organization, which...
- 7/6/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
In a move that wasn’t unexpected, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ Board of Trustees has announced that Jacqueline Stewart will become the institution’s Director and President. She succeeds Bill Kramer, who last week officially assumed his duties as the new CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he takes over for departing CEO Dawn Hudson.
Stewart was considered the most likely person to replace Kramer and was appointed in 2020 to a key position there as Chief Artistic and Programming Officer. She will begin the top job on July 18, overseeing all aspects of its operations. Perhaps best known as a host for Turner Classic Movies, guiding its “Silent Sunday Nights,” Stewart also is a leading scholar, curator and public educator on cinema.
Ted Sarandos, Chair of the Academy Museum’s Board of Trustees and Co-CEO of Netflix, said: “The Board warmly and unanimously agrees...
Stewart was considered the most likely person to replace Kramer and was appointed in 2020 to a key position there as Chief Artistic and Programming Officer. She will begin the top job on July 18, overseeing all aspects of its operations. Perhaps best known as a host for Turner Classic Movies, guiding its “Silent Sunday Nights,” Stewart also is a leading scholar, curator and public educator on cinema.
Ted Sarandos, Chair of the Academy Museum’s Board of Trustees and Co-CEO of Netflix, said: “The Board warmly and unanimously agrees...
- 7/6/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Dawn Hudson, whose roller-coaster 11-year tenure as the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came to an end Friday, hailed her successor, Bill Kramer, as “a visionary leader” in an email to the organization’s members obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, further asserting, “The Academy is in the best of hands.”
Hudson was expected to remain in her position through July 18, but news leaked Friday that her handoff to Kramer had been moved up, and also that Hudson’s handpicked deputy, Christine Simmons, the organization’s COO since 2018, had been ousted as part of the transition to a new administration.
In her communiqué, Hudson said it had been “the privilege of a lifetime” to lead the Academy, asserting that under her watch it had become “a truly global film organization, a world-class museum, an unstinting commitment to representation and inclusion,...
Dawn Hudson, whose roller-coaster 11-year tenure as the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came to an end Friday, hailed her successor, Bill Kramer, as “a visionary leader” in an email to the organization’s members obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, further asserting, “The Academy is in the best of hands.”
Hudson was expected to remain in her position through July 18, but news leaked Friday that her handoff to Kramer had been moved up, and also that Hudson’s handpicked deputy, Christine Simmons, the organization’s COO since 2018, had been ousted as part of the transition to a new administration.
In her communiqué, Hudson said it had been “the privilege of a lifetime” to lead the Academy, asserting that under her watch it had become “a truly global film organization, a world-class museum, an unstinting commitment to representation and inclusion,...
- 7/2/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bill Kramer has begun his new position as chief executive officer of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Variety has confirmed.
In addition, Christine Simmons is out as the chief operating officer of the Academy, effective Friday. Simmons, who first joined the Academy in 2018, was the first COO for the organization since the resignation of Ric Robertson in 2013. The Academy did not specify why she left, but confirmed she is no longer with the organization. No successor for the position has yet been named.
Kramer, who will assume all responsibilities as CEO effective immediately, begins the position roughly two weeks before the previously announced July 18 start date. Prior to taking the reins of the Academy, Kramer served as director and president of Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. He was tapped to replace Dawn Hudson, who is leaving the position after 11 years, last month after being unanimously elected by the AMPAS board.
In addition, Christine Simmons is out as the chief operating officer of the Academy, effective Friday. Simmons, who first joined the Academy in 2018, was the first COO for the organization since the resignation of Ric Robertson in 2013. The Academy did not specify why she left, but confirmed she is no longer with the organization. No successor for the position has yet been named.
Kramer, who will assume all responsibilities as CEO effective immediately, begins the position roughly two weeks before the previously announced July 18 start date. Prior to taking the reins of the Academy, Kramer served as director and president of Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. He was tapped to replace Dawn Hudson, who is leaving the position after 11 years, last month after being unanimously elected by the AMPAS board.
- 7/1/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Christine Simmons, COO of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), is out as Bill Kramer, the new CEO, has taken over weeks ahead of his previously announced July 18 start date.
Kramer replaces Dawn Hudson, whose contract expires next spring and has been with the Academy in the role for 11 years. Hudson will remain with the Academy as an advisor during the transition period. The decision to name Kramer in the position passed via a unanimous vote by the board, an individual with knowledge of the vote added.
Simmons, whose departure is effective immediately, doesn’t have a successor named yet. Her departure was announced by the Academy in an email on Friday. Simmons previously joined the Academy COO in late 2018, and was President and COO of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
Also Read:
Ariana DeBose, Troy Kotsur, Billie Eilish Among 397 Invited to Join Oscars Academy
Kramer...
Kramer replaces Dawn Hudson, whose contract expires next spring and has been with the Academy in the role for 11 years. Hudson will remain with the Academy as an advisor during the transition period. The decision to name Kramer in the position passed via a unanimous vote by the board, an individual with knowledge of the vote added.
Simmons, whose departure is effective immediately, doesn’t have a successor named yet. Her departure was announced by the Academy in an email on Friday. Simmons previously joined the Academy COO in late 2018, and was President and COO of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
Also Read:
Ariana DeBose, Troy Kotsur, Billie Eilish Among 397 Invited to Join Oscars Academy
Kramer...
- 7/1/2022
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Christine Simmons is no longer the chief operating officer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, effective Friday, an individual with knowledge of the situation tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Simmons joined the Academy as COO in 2018. The group hadn’t had someone in the role since 2013, when Ric Robertson resigned as COO. Simmons was responsible for the day-to-day management and enhancement of the Academy’s internal organization and infrastructure, with focus on the Academy Foundation, comprising the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy Film Archive, its educational programs and the Science and Technology Council.
It is unclear whether Simmons was let go or whether she decided to leave on her own accord.
Prior to becoming president and COO of the Los Angeles Sparks, Simmons served as executive vp of Magic Johnson Enterprises, where she led the day-to-day operations of the Sparks throughout the team’s first season.
Christine Simmons is no longer the chief operating officer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, effective Friday, an individual with knowledge of the situation tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Simmons joined the Academy as COO in 2018. The group hadn’t had someone in the role since 2013, when Ric Robertson resigned as COO. Simmons was responsible for the day-to-day management and enhancement of the Academy’s internal organization and infrastructure, with focus on the Academy Foundation, comprising the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy Film Archive, its educational programs and the Science and Technology Council.
It is unclear whether Simmons was let go or whether she decided to leave on her own accord.
Prior to becoming president and COO of the Los Angeles Sparks, Simmons served as executive vp of Magic Johnson Enterprises, where she led the day-to-day operations of the Sparks throughout the team’s first season.
- 7/1/2022
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Christine Simmons is out as COO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as new CEO Bill Kramer takes the Oscar org’s reins today — weeks ahead of his scheduled start date.
Simmons’ departure is effective immediately, but no successor has been named. The Academy unveiled her exit in an email this morning and offered the usual best wishes for her as-yet-unspecified future. Simmons “is no longer with the Academy,” the email read in part.
Kramer is taking up his new chief exec post today — Day 1 of AMPAS’ new fiscal year — rather than the July 18 date that was set when the move was announced on June 7. He replaces Dawn Hudson, who is exiting her post after an 11-year run.
Governors Awards: Michael J. Fox, Diane Warren, Peter Weir & Euzhan Palcy Set For Academy Honors
Kramer, who’s also director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,...
Simmons’ departure is effective immediately, but no successor has been named. The Academy unveiled her exit in an email this morning and offered the usual best wishes for her as-yet-unspecified future. Simmons “is no longer with the Academy,” the email read in part.
Kramer is taking up his new chief exec post today — Day 1 of AMPAS’ new fiscal year — rather than the July 18 date that was set when the move was announced on June 7. He replaces Dawn Hudson, who is exiting her post after an 11-year run.
Governors Awards: Michael J. Fox, Diane Warren, Peter Weir & Euzhan Palcy Set For Academy Honors
Kramer, who’s also director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,...
- 7/1/2022
- by Erik Pedersen and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Every summer, when the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invites new members, publicists scramble to update their lists. In the past seven years since #OscarsSoWhite, the Academy membership ranks have burgeoned dramatically, adding more young, diverse, and international members. As the Academy has sought to meet its diversity goals, the organization has swelled its ranks since 2015 from 6,446 to 10,665 total members (including Emeritus), if all the 2022 invitees accept membership, and the number of voting members to 9,665.
In the past two years, though, the pace has slowed, since the Academy met its goal of doubling the number of women and people of color in its membership. Instead of 819 new invites going out in 2020, the 2022 invites are just 397, a sign that the Academy is continuing to pull back on its 10 percent growth rate surge, and that the number of qualified experienced industry professionals has limits.
Next...
In the past two years, though, the pace has slowed, since the Academy met its goal of doubling the number of women and people of color in its membership. Instead of 819 new invites going out in 2020, the 2022 invites are just 397, a sign that the Academy is continuing to pull back on its 10 percent growth rate surge, and that the number of qualified experienced industry professionals has limits.
Next...
- 6/28/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
A column chronicling events and interviews on the awards circuit.
This week it is the final chance for Emmy voters to be heard as ballot deadlines loom, an honor at the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures that not only recognized a veteran Asian filmmaking powerhouse but the Asian Pacific industry community as well, plus an interview with two-time Emmy winner Courtney B. Vance who has thoughts on the state of this country on a day many are worried about its future.
For all you straggling Emmy voters, get your act together. You have this final weekend to get those ballots in (due Monday night), and it seems like no one is letting up on their campaigns. The calls keep coming in: “Hi, it looks like some time opened up on Miles Teller’s schedule. I know it’s a long shot but….” or “Is it still possible to do an interview for Annie Live!
This week it is the final chance for Emmy voters to be heard as ballot deadlines loom, an honor at the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures that not only recognized a veteran Asian filmmaking powerhouse but the Asian Pacific industry community as well, plus an interview with two-time Emmy winner Courtney B. Vance who has thoughts on the state of this country on a day many are worried about its future.
For all you straggling Emmy voters, get your act together. You have this final weekend to get those ballots in (due Monday night), and it seems like no one is letting up on their campaigns. The calls keep coming in: “Hi, it looks like some time opened up on Miles Teller’s schedule. I know it’s a long shot but….” or “Is it still possible to do an interview for Annie Live!
- 6/24/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood producer Janet Yang was feted on Tuesday evening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with a pillar named in her honor.
Yang, who worked alongside Steven Spielberg on “Empire of the Sun,” and produced Netflix’s “Over the Moon” and “The Joy Luck Club,” became the first Asian American woman to have a pillar at the museum. She called it “a symbol of how communities can come together.”
Some of the most prominent Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Hollywood came out to celebrate the historic moment, including legendary actor James Hong, journalist Lisa Ling, singer Katherine Ho, Gold House CEO and co-founder Bing Chen, actor Daniel Dae Kim and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma.
Also present at the celebration, which included a dinner and presentation, were producer Lisa Henson, “The People vs. Larry Flynt” scribe Larry Karaszewski, incoming Academy Museum Director and CEO Bill Kramer, and Academy...
Yang, who worked alongside Steven Spielberg on “Empire of the Sun,” and produced Netflix’s “Over the Moon” and “The Joy Luck Club,” became the first Asian American woman to have a pillar at the museum. She called it “a symbol of how communities can come together.”
Some of the most prominent Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Hollywood came out to celebrate the historic moment, including legendary actor James Hong, journalist Lisa Ling, singer Katherine Ho, Gold House CEO and co-founder Bing Chen, actor Daniel Dae Kim and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma.
Also present at the celebration, which included a dinner and presentation, were producer Lisa Henson, “The People vs. Larry Flynt” scribe Larry Karaszewski, incoming Academy Museum Director and CEO Bill Kramer, and Academy...
- 6/22/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Actress Marlee Matlin, director Jason Reitman and producer Jason Blum are among the 12 film professionals who have been elected to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors for the first time, the Academy announced on Wednesday.
Where Academy elections have typically found incumbents winning in nearly all branches, this year’s was a step in a dramatic remaking of the board that will take place over a few years.
While all four of the incumbents who ran for re-election did win, stricter terms limits meant that existing governors could not run again in 11 of the 17 races, and the incumbents chose not to run in an additional two races.
The change was set in motion by new, stricter limits on that were put in place in 2020. Previously, they had to leave the board after serving three consecutive three-year terms, but could return after spending a year away.
Where Academy elections have typically found incumbents winning in nearly all branches, this year’s was a step in a dramatic remaking of the board that will take place over a few years.
While all four of the incumbents who ran for re-election did win, stricter terms limits meant that existing governors could not run again in 11 of the 17 races, and the incumbents chose not to run in an additional two races.
The change was set in motion by new, stricter limits on that were put in place in 2020. Previously, they had to leave the board after serving three consecutive three-year terms, but could return after spending a year away.
- 6/22/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Janet Yang, the veteran Hollywood producer who has been described as “the godmother of Asian-Americans in the industry” — and who is rumored to be a candidate to succeed David Rubin as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ board of governors, on which she has served as a governor-at-large for the last three years and a vice president for the past year, in August — was feted on Tuesday evening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where a pillar was dedicated and a dinner was held in her honor.
If Yang — the daughter of Chinese immigrants who made her name connecting the Chinese and Hollywood film industries before serving as a producer on films like The Joy Luck Club and The People vs. Larry Flynt — wasn’t planning on seeking the presidency of the Academy’s board prior to Tuesday’s gathering,...
Janet Yang, the veteran Hollywood producer who has been described as “the godmother of Asian-Americans in the industry” — and who is rumored to be a candidate to succeed David Rubin as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ board of governors, on which she has served as a governor-at-large for the last three years and a vice president for the past year, in August — was feted on Tuesday evening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where a pillar was dedicated and a dinner was held in her honor.
If Yang — the daughter of Chinese immigrants who made her name connecting the Chinese and Hollywood film industries before serving as a producer on films like The Joy Luck Club and The People vs. Larry Flynt — wasn’t planning on seeking the presidency of the Academy’s board prior to Tuesday’s gathering,...
- 6/22/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
“Hello, Gorgeous.”
That is, of course, the classic line uttered by Barbra Streisand’s Fanny Brice in 1968’s Funny Girl. Starting Saturday night, it’s also the name of a new monthly live music series and supper club at the character’s namesake restaurant, Fanny’s, inside the Academy Museum.
Fanny’s, from restaurateurs Bill Chait and Carl Schuster and featuring chef Raphael Francois, will get a Hello, Gorgeous makeover that will feature a music program curated by Kcrw vet Jason Bentley, dramatic lighting, a prix fixe menu and an eclectic mix of entertainers. The night will see guests seated (via online reservations) at 7:15 p.m. with tiered packages on offer.
Kicking it off tomorrow night will be singer-songwriter Danielle Ponder, recently seen on Late Night with Seth Meyers and at SXSW. As for Bentley, he’s well-known in music circles as...
“Hello, Gorgeous.”
That is, of course, the classic line uttered by Barbra Streisand’s Fanny Brice in 1968’s Funny Girl. Starting Saturday night, it’s also the name of a new monthly live music series and supper club at the character’s namesake restaurant, Fanny’s, inside the Academy Museum.
Fanny’s, from restaurateurs Bill Chait and Carl Schuster and featuring chef Raphael Francois, will get a Hello, Gorgeous makeover that will feature a music program curated by Kcrw vet Jason Bentley, dramatic lighting, a prix fixe menu and an eclectic mix of entertainers. The night will see guests seated (via online reservations) at 7:15 p.m. with tiered packages on offer.
Kicking it off tomorrow night will be singer-songwriter Danielle Ponder, recently seen on Late Night with Seth Meyers and at SXSW. As for Bentley, he’s well-known in music circles as...
- 6/17/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bruce Davis, say the notices, is finally ready to publish his monumental history of Hollywood’s film Academy. Twelve years in the making; part memoir, part chronicle; the book—The Academy and the Award: The Coming of Age of Oscar and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—is due this fall from Brandeis University Press. A former executive director of the Academy, Davis has been wading through hitherto private files since his retirement in 2011. Order now. Galleys are available to the media on request.
But if only he had waited a little longer. There seems to be another chapter brewing, and it should be a good one.
Though I’ve never known Davis especially well—in my experience, he isn’t the type to waste time on idle gossip with reporters—our occasional dealings were always a delight. He is smart, thoughtful, direct and generally inclined to answer...
But if only he had waited a little longer. There seems to be another chapter brewing, and it should be a good one.
Though I’ve never known Davis especially well—in my experience, he isn’t the type to waste time on idle gossip with reporters—our occasional dealings were always a delight. He is smart, thoughtful, direct and generally inclined to answer...
- 6/13/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
The Dawn Hudson era of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is officially over. Today, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted in Bill Kramer as the new CEO of the Academy. Kramer is currently the director and President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Read More: Oscars New Rules: Social Media, Golden Globes, Original Song, and more
In his new position, Kramer will effectively remain president of the Academy Museum while taking on the larger responsibilities of running AMPAS.
Continue reading Bill Kramer Voted In As New Academy CEO at The Playlist.
Read More: Oscars New Rules: Social Media, Golden Globes, Original Song, and more
In his new position, Kramer will effectively remain president of the Academy Museum while taking on the larger responsibilities of running AMPAS.
Continue reading Bill Kramer Voted In As New Academy CEO at The Playlist.
- 6/7/2022
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Tuesday that its board of governors has voted to name Bill Kramer, the current director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, as its new CEO.
He replaces Dawn Hudson, who exited the post after an 11-year run. Kramer will assume his new role on July 18, with Hudson remaining as an advisor during the transition period.
We’re hearing the board vote for Kramer was unanimous; he had been widely considered the front-runner for the post.
As CEO, the Academy says Kramer will lead the global membership; the Oscars; the institution’s education and emerging talent initiatives; the Academy’s collections housed in the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive; and the Academy Museum and its ongoing calendar of exhibitions, screenings, educational and public programs, and retail operations.
The news means that the appointment of a new director...
He replaces Dawn Hudson, who exited the post after an 11-year run. Kramer will assume his new role on July 18, with Hudson remaining as an advisor during the transition period.
We’re hearing the board vote for Kramer was unanimous; he had been widely considered the front-runner for the post.
As CEO, the Academy says Kramer will lead the global membership; the Oscars; the institution’s education and emerging talent initiatives; the Academy’s collections housed in the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive; and the Academy Museum and its ongoing calendar of exhibitions, screenings, educational and public programs, and retail operations.
The news means that the appointment of a new director...
- 6/7/2022
- by Patrick Hipes and Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unanimously voted today to name Bill Kramer, current Director and President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, as its new CEO, replacing Dawn Hudson after 11 years. Kramer will assume his new role on July 18. Hudson will remain with the Academy as an advisor during the transition period.
Kramer, whose background is in fine arts and museum curation, will lead the vast Academy organization, overseeing global membership, the Oscars, education and emerging talent initiatives, the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, and the Academy Museum.
After a long and arduous Museum launch, Kramer emerged as a White Knight, proving to be a decisive leader and efficient administrator. After prolonged construction as well as pandemic delays, Kramer successfully launched the Academy Museum in September 2021. The museum has proved a tourist attraction and sold more than 550,000 tickets in...
Kramer, whose background is in fine arts and museum curation, will lead the vast Academy organization, overseeing global membership, the Oscars, education and emerging talent initiatives, the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, and the Academy Museum.
After a long and arduous Museum launch, Kramer emerged as a White Knight, proving to be a decisive leader and efficient administrator. After prolonged construction as well as pandemic delays, Kramer successfully launched the Academy Museum in September 2021. The museum has proved a tourist attraction and sold more than 550,000 tickets in...
- 6/7/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named Bill Kramer, the current director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, as its new CEO. Kramer will succeed Dawn Hudson, who has occupied the position for the past 11 years.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the Academy’s board of governors voted unanimously to offer Kramer the job, which he will begin on July 18.
As CEO, Kramer will oversee the Oscars as well as the Academy’s global membership, education and emerging talent initiative and extensive collections in the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, as well as the Academy Museum and its exhibitions, screenings, programs and operations.
Kramer was associated with the Academy Museum from its earliest stages. As the museum’s managing director of development and external relations starting in 2012, he raised 250 million to help get the project underway,...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named Bill Kramer, the current director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, as its new CEO. Kramer will succeed Dawn Hudson, who has occupied the position for the past 11 years.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the Academy’s board of governors voted unanimously to offer Kramer the job, which he will begin on July 18.
As CEO, Kramer will oversee the Oscars as well as the Academy’s global membership, education and emerging talent initiative and extensive collections in the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, as well as the Academy Museum and its exhibitions, screenings, programs and operations.
Kramer was associated with the Academy Museum from its earliest stages. As the museum’s managing director of development and external relations starting in 2012, he raised 250 million to help get the project underway,...
- 6/7/2022
- by Beatrice Verhoeven and Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bill Kramer, director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, has been tapped as the new CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, replacing the outgoing Dawn Hudson.
Kramer, who was unanimously elected by the AMPAS board, will assume his new role on July 18. Hudson will remain with the Academy as an advisor during the transition period. Kramer will lead the global membership, the Oscars, the institution’s education and emerging talent initiatives, the Academy’s extensive collections housed in the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, and the Academy Museum and its ongoing calendar of exhibitions, screenings, educational and public programs, and retail operations.
In his current role, Kramer was responsible for successfully opening the Academy Museum in September, 2021. The museum has sold more than 550,000 tickets in the first nine months of operation. The appointment of a new Director of the Academy Museum...
Kramer, who was unanimously elected by the AMPAS board, will assume his new role on July 18. Hudson will remain with the Academy as an advisor during the transition period. Kramer will lead the global membership, the Oscars, the institution’s education and emerging talent initiatives, the Academy’s extensive collections housed in the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, and the Academy Museum and its ongoing calendar of exhibitions, screenings, educational and public programs, and retail operations.
In his current role, Kramer was responsible for successfully opening the Academy Museum in September, 2021. The museum has sold more than 550,000 tickets in the first nine months of operation. The appointment of a new Director of the Academy Museum...
- 6/7/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Experienced fundraiser and Academy Museum head joins organisation at challenging time.
Bill Kramer has been named CEO of the Academy and will assume his new role on July 18 after Dawn Hudson ends her 11-year tenure.
Kramer, who currently serves as director and president of the Academy Museum, said the Academy board’s decision was “the great honour of my career” and looked forward to “galvanizing the unparalleled assets of the Academy”.
Hudson will remain as an advisor during the transition. A new Academy Museum director is expected to be announced in the near future.
Kramer joins at a challenging time...
Bill Kramer has been named CEO of the Academy and will assume his new role on July 18 after Dawn Hudson ends her 11-year tenure.
Kramer, who currently serves as director and president of the Academy Museum, said the Academy board’s decision was “the great honour of my career” and looked forward to “galvanizing the unparalleled assets of the Academy”.
Hudson will remain as an advisor during the transition. A new Academy Museum director is expected to be announced in the near future.
Kramer joins at a challenging time...
- 6/7/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The nominees list for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Board of Governors has been revealed before its June 6-10 balloting.
The candidates are hoping to fill the open seats on the 54-member board. Up to four candidates are set for the open seat at each each branch, which carries three governors with staggered terms per branch.
Board members who have termed out include Academy president David Rubin (from the casting directors branch), Jan Pascale (production designers), Mark Johnson (producers) and Nancy Utley (PR).
Candidates vying for a seat include actress Marlee Matlin, composer Hans Zimmer, and executive Toby Emmerich.
The slate faces some crucial tests once installed, including selecting a new Academy president and new CEO to replace outgoing Dawn Hudson. The Academy also must overcome perceptions created in a rocky year, with its Will Smith Oscars slap incident and the uproar over what categories would make it into the Oscars broadcast.
The candidates are hoping to fill the open seats on the 54-member board. Up to four candidates are set for the open seat at each each branch, which carries three governors with staggered terms per branch.
Board members who have termed out include Academy president David Rubin (from the casting directors branch), Jan Pascale (production designers), Mark Johnson (producers) and Nancy Utley (PR).
Candidates vying for a seat include actress Marlee Matlin, composer Hans Zimmer, and executive Toby Emmerich.
The slate faces some crucial tests once installed, including selecting a new Academy president and new CEO to replace outgoing Dawn Hudson. The Academy also must overcome perceptions created in a rocky year, with its Will Smith Oscars slap incident and the uproar over what categories would make it into the Oscars broadcast.
- 6/2/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outshone all of the stars at the Cannes Film Festival after he addressed the opening night crowd of actors and filmmakers, delivering an emotional plea on behalf of his war-torn country. Appearing via video, Zelenskyy had festival-goers dabbing their eyes.
“We continue fighting,” Zelenskyy said. “We have no choice but to continue fighting for our freedom.”
Zelenskyy’s remarks came shortly before the premiere of “Final Cut,” a wacky zombie comedy that seems far removed from the brutality on display in Ukraine after Russia’s illegal invasion. But even as Cannes returned in glamorous form after two years of a global pandemic, Zelenskyy’s passionate rallying cry served as a reminder of the political turmoil still roiling the world.
“I’m sure that the dictator will lose,” Zelenskyy said, in a pointed reference to Vladimir Putin.
“We will win in this war,” he added. “Glory to Ukraine.
“We continue fighting,” Zelenskyy said. “We have no choice but to continue fighting for our freedom.”
Zelenskyy’s remarks came shortly before the premiere of “Final Cut,” a wacky zombie comedy that seems far removed from the brutality on display in Ukraine after Russia’s illegal invasion. But even as Cannes returned in glamorous form after two years of a global pandemic, Zelenskyy’s passionate rallying cry served as a reminder of the political turmoil still roiling the world.
“I’m sure that the dictator will lose,” Zelenskyy said, in a pointed reference to Vladimir Putin.
“We will win in this war,” he added. “Glory to Ukraine.
- 5/17/2022
- by Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s a thought for a sunny morning: Wouldn’t it be nice to see a “daylight slate” in charge of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
If precedent holds, next month will bring the election or re-election of almost one-third of the Academy’s 54-member governing board (three governors are diversity appointments). A month later, the termed-out David Rubin will be replaced as president, and at some point the group will complete its search for a new chief executive to replace Dawn Hudson, who is leaving.
That confluence of changes brings the rare opportunity for a sudden reset — but only if the incoming leaders are not simply a new version of the old (Hudson and Rubin will influence the choice of a new CEO) and if there is any point on which they can actually agree.
So let that point be “daylight”: a commitment to transparency and member engagement.
If precedent holds, next month will bring the election or re-election of almost one-third of the Academy’s 54-member governing board (three governors are diversity appointments). A month later, the termed-out David Rubin will be replaced as president, and at some point the group will complete its search for a new chief executive to replace Dawn Hudson, who is leaving.
That confluence of changes brings the rare opportunity for a sudden reset — but only if the incoming leaders are not simply a new version of the old (Hudson and Rubin will influence the choice of a new CEO) and if there is any point on which they can actually agree.
So let that point be “daylight”: a commitment to transparency and member engagement.
- 5/10/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
The search for a new chief executive officer at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has escalated in recent weeks, multiple sources familiar with the process tell Variety.
Months ago, the organization behind the Oscars hired management consulting firm Korn Ferry to scout replacements for outgoing CEO Dawn Hudson, who previously announced she would step down by May 2023. Insiders close to AMPAS say she could depart sooner if her position is filled. Korn Ferry, known for identifying board members and C-suite executives for global corporations, has been reaching out to a number of qualified candidates of late.
Names being floated for the role include insider Bill Kramer, director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures; David White, the former executive director of SAG-AFTRA who stepped down last May after 12 years at the guild; and Keri Putnam, the former longtime Sundance CEO whose institutional knowledge of nonprofits...
Months ago, the organization behind the Oscars hired management consulting firm Korn Ferry to scout replacements for outgoing CEO Dawn Hudson, who previously announced she would step down by May 2023. Insiders close to AMPAS say she could depart sooner if her position is filled. Korn Ferry, known for identifying board members and C-suite executives for global corporations, has been reaching out to a number of qualified candidates of late.
Names being floated for the role include insider Bill Kramer, director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures; David White, the former executive director of SAG-AFTRA who stepped down last May after 12 years at the guild; and Keri Putnam, the former longtime Sundance CEO whose institutional knowledge of nonprofits...
- 5/3/2022
- by Matt Donnelly and Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences passed judgment on Will Smith last Friday, offering a decision and a mea culpa in an attempt to put to rest the mess that dominated the 94th Academy Awards on March 27.
But make no mistake, the AMPAS Board of Governors has a lot more work to do and a lot more messes to clean up.
The 54-member Board of Governors was originally going to deal with Smith’s fate at its previously scheduled April 18 board meeting, an annual post-Oscars gathering at which the board typically reviews the last Oscar show and decides on rule changes for the upcoming year. But with the Academy under fire for not acting quickly enough on The Slap, it moved the meeting to April 8 and discarded everything else that would have been on the agenda.
All of that, the Academy says, will be dealt with at a later date.
But make no mistake, the AMPAS Board of Governors has a lot more work to do and a lot more messes to clean up.
The 54-member Board of Governors was originally going to deal with Smith’s fate at its previously scheduled April 18 board meeting, an annual post-Oscars gathering at which the board typically reviews the last Oscar show and decides on rule changes for the upcoming year. But with the Academy under fire for not acting quickly enough on The Slap, it moved the meeting to April 8 and discarded everything else that would have been on the agenda.
All of that, the Academy says, will be dealt with at a later date.
- 4/12/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Will Smith, who slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face during the 2022 Oscars ceremony, cannot attend the Academy Awards for the next 10 years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced on Friday.
The decision to ban Smith from the Oscars and other academy events – both in-person and virtual – comes one week after the current Best Actor winner stepped down from the group.
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage,” academy president David Rubin and academy CEO Dawn Hudson wrote in a letter to the membership.
“Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. The Board has decided,...
The decision to ban Smith from the Oscars and other academy events – both in-person and virtual – comes one week after the current Best Actor winner stepped down from the group.
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage,” academy president David Rubin and academy CEO Dawn Hudson wrote in a letter to the membership.
“Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. The Board has decided,...
- 4/8/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The Academy has voted to ban Will Smith from all Academy events, including the Oscars, for the next 10 years as a result of his physical altercation with Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars on March 27. Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson detailed their decision in a statement shared with Popsugar on April 8.
"The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year," the statement read. "However, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage."
The Academy added: "Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith's actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. 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,...
"The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year," the statement read. "However, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage."
The Academy added: "Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith's actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. 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,...
- 4/8/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
Following Will Smith’s resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy has now banned him from attending the Oscars and related events for 10 years. “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,” AMPAS president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a letter to the organization’s membership, per Deadline. Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock for a comment the presenter made about Jada Pinkett Smith at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27. The letter described Smith’s actions as “unacceptable and harmful behavior,” adding, “We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.” “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Smith said in a...
- 4/8/2022
- TV Insider
The Academy of Motion Pictures and Arts and Sciences is ready to move on. Today, CEO Dawn Hudson and President David Rubin convened a meeting of the Board of Governors to discuss the Will Smith attack on Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards. Smith, who preemptively resigned as a member last week, was banned from attending any Academy event or programs, including the Oscars, for a period of 10 years.
Continue reading Will Smith Banned From Oscars Ceremonies For 10 Years at The Playlist.
Continue reading Will Smith Banned From Oscars Ceremonies For 10 Years at The Playlist.
- 4/8/2022
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
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