An addendum to last week’s #OscarsSoWhite clamor (it seemed like such a tumultuous week), culminating in the Academy’s announcement approving what it called a "sweeping series of substantive changes," The Hollywood Reporter has released some very related video interviews that I thought were worth sharing here (even though I said I wouldn’t write about this issue anymore… "Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in," to quote Michael Corleone in "The Godfather: Part III").
The first 2 videos, also the shortest of the bunch, features Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Dawn Hudson, CEO of the Academy, addressing some of the celebrity blowback they’ve faced over the last week, from the likes of Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett-Smith, as well as the tone-deaf comments made by Charlotte Rampling. They also talk about the day the 2016 Oscar nominees were announced, what their expectations were, their reactions when they themselves saw the list of nominees before they were announced, and what they hope to do about a second consecutive year of all white Oscar nominees.
The 3rd and final much longer video is a 40-minute piece titled "Diversity Conversation: Working in Hollywood When You’re Not White" with producer/LAFF director Stephanie Allain, writer/director Justin Simien, and producer Alan Yang. I think the title is self-explanatory. I think you’ll find it all quite enlightening.
Watch all 3 videos below: