Hollywood artists come together amid Oscar row

Emma Stone, Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock among others condemn Academy Awards changes in signed petition

George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Robert de Niro on Thursday joined a growing protest in Hollywood over plans by Oscars organisers to present cinematography, editing and some other awards during commercial breaks at next week’s Academy Awards ceremony. Sandra Bullock, Emma Stone and Jon Hamm also added their names to an open letter signed by directors Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and Alfonso Cuaron demanding the decision be reversed.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced earlier this week that the Oscars for best cinematography, film editing, short films and makeup/hairstyling would be presented during the commercials in the February 24 telecast. The academy said edited versions of the winner acceptance speeches would be included later in the live broadcast.

Oscars: the show must go on... without a host

The plan is part of an effort to make the Oscar telecast shorter and boost television viewership. A total of 24 Oscars are handed out at the Hollywood ceremony. Organisers have pledged to trim its duration by about 40 minutes to three hours this year.  But the open letter, signed by more than 50 directors, actors and film-makers, accused the academy of “relegating these essential crafts to lesser status” and insulting the professionals who work in the four areas.

The academy on Wednesday defended the changes, blaming “inaccurate reporting and social media posts” that it said had “understandably upset many Academy members.”  Some news reports suggested that the winners of the four Oscars would not be included at all on the telecast.  In a letter to its 8,000 members, the academy said representatives of the four branches affected had volunteered to take part in the new plan.

“No award category at the 91^st Oscars ceremony will be presented in a manner that depicts the achievements of its nominees and winners as less than any others,” the academy letter said.  The changes were also attacked on Twitter by the likes of Cuaron, who is Oscar-nominated for both cinematography and directing his best-picture contender, Roma. “In the history of cinema, masterpieces have existed without sound, without colour, without a story, without actors and without music. No one single film has ever existed without cinematography and without editing,” the Mexican film-maker tweeted.



While all artists are equally upset over the Oscars debacle, Clooney is the only one to have spoken his mind openly. Earlier this week, the actor also took a stand for his close friend and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, whom he believes is being “harassed by media outlets.” In an earlier interview with the Australian magazine WHO, Clooney said, “They’re just chasing Meghan Markle everywhere; she’s been pursued and vilified. She’s a woman who is seven months pregnant and she has been pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was and it’s history repeating itself.”

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