From 2024, for a movie to be nominated for an Oscar as ‘Best Picture’, it must meet a new set of diversity standards both on camera and behind the scenes. The move is aimed at bringing what the Academy says will be “long-lasting, essential change to the movie industry”. Bae Eun-ji has the full story. A new set of standards will change the way Oscars are awarded to nominees for ‘Best Picture’ starting in 2024. The body which oversees the Oscars, California-based ‘Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’,… revealed Tuesday local time,…that it has added a new set of diversity requirements for films to be able to be nominated for the prestigious award. The Academy has been criticized for failing to honor enough people of color with the social media hashtag ‘#OscarsSoWhite‘. Films must meet certain standards such as casting more than one lead actor or a significant supporting actor who is from an under-represented minority group. Alternatively, 30-percent of the cast should come from at least two of the under-represented categories…including women, those from the LGBTQ community, or people with disabilities. Or, the film’s story line must be focused on these groups. The Academy said…the new measures will become (quote) “a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in the industry”. In February, South Korean movie ‘Parasite’ made history by becoming the first non-English-language film to win ‘Best Picture’. But the trend of recognizing diversity has also led the Berlin Film Festival making its acting prizes gender-neutral. The festival’s organizers said in a statement that…not separating the awards according to gender, signals the need for more gender-sensitive awareness within the movie industry. Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.