Diversity out of the picture in Oscars race

The slate for the 87th Academy Awards was a reminder of the glacial pace of change in Hollywood’s film industry, even after what looked like progress for black actors and filmmakers last year stemming from the best picture winner, “12 Years a Slave.”

All 20 actors nominated in the four acting categories this year are white and no women are nominated for either best director or screenwriter. Award watchers called it “the whitest Oscars” in years.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has some 6,000 members, who are selected for the quality of their work and recommendations by existing members. Academy branches, such as for actors and directors, nominate for their categories, and everyone can nominate best picture contenders.

“The Academy is about 90 percent white and 70 percent male and we’re seeing the sad result of that in voting,” said Tom O’Neil, founder of awards tracker Gold Derby, referring to figures from a 2012 Los Angeles Times study on Academy voters.

Race and gender are not considered, although behind-the-scenes, members say there are debates at branch level about how to make membership more diverse.

(Reuters)