Oscars To Enforce New Racial and Gender ‘Inclusion Standards’ For Best Picture With Surprise ‘Spot Checks’ of Sets

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The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday that they will begin enforcing new racial and gender “inclusion standards” for films competing for Best Picture, which will be enforced through “spot checks” of sets, according to the New York Times.

Starting with the 2024 Oscars, in order to qualify for Best Picture films must meet two of four representation categories concerning “Onscreen Representation, Themes and Narratives,” “Creative Leadership and Project Team,” “Industry Access and Opportunities” and “Audience Development.” Each category also has a range of criteria regarding the inclusion of underrepresented themes and groups.

The Academy is set to use a template inspired by the British Film Institute Diversity Standards that monitor eligibility in certain BAFTA categories.

“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,” Academy President David Rubin and Chief Executive Dawn Hudson said in a joint statement. “The Academy is committed to playing a vital role in helping make this a reality. We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”

The Oscars have often been the central point for backlash regarding the lack of diversity in entertainment. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, created by activist April Reign, first swept through Twitter in 2015 after the academy announced its nominees, and despite their ongoing initiatives, not much has changed since — explaining their new stricter standards.

The news follows a previous announcement by the Academy, which revealed another phase of its equity initiative: a new task force to set inclusion standards and a minimum of 10 nominees for Oscar’s Best Picture category.