Speaking in Tokyo, Academy CEO Bill Kramer cited growing overseas membership, the Oscars' coming YouTube move and a new festival route to the international feature race.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer used a Wednesday panel at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival to argue that the organization is becoming steadily more global, according to a Hollywood Reporter account of the event. He said that a decade ago about 5 percent of Academy members lived outside the United States, compared with roughly 25 percent today, and that the Academy has about 70 Japanese members, a figure he expects to rise. Kramer added that at the most recent Oscars every category had international representation, pointing to the best picture race as well as the international feature film category, and cited Parasite's best picture win as a turning point.
Kramer also defended the Academy's agreement with YouTube, which the Hollywood Reporter describes as somewhat controversial. Under the deal, YouTube holds exclusive global rights to the Oscars from 2029 through 2033, after ABC's final telecast in 2028, making the ceremony available live and free worldwide. Kramer said that in two years the show will reach 2.5 billion people in more than 30 languages, and described the move as an intentional effort to let audiences everywhere watch at the same time and in the same format. The panel also included Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor and chief membership, impact and industry officer Meredith Shea, and was moderated by festival director Takeo Hisamatsu.
The Academy leaders also highlighted a new route into the best international feature film race. Beginning with the 99th Academy Awards, eligible non-English-language films can qualify by winning a designated prize at one of six festivals — Cannes (Palme d'Or), Venice (Golden Lion), Berlin (Golden Bear), Busan (Busan Award for best film), Sundance (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize) and Toronto (Platform Award) — without needing their country's official selection. Tokyo's absence from that list, alongside the inclusion of regional rival Busan, has been received as disappointing news by many in the Japanese festival, and audience members asked about it twice. Kramer said the Academy is looking to expand the list of qualifying festivals and told the audience to stay tuned, but he gave no timetable or commitment. The details come from a single trade report of Kramer's remarks and have not been independently confirmed here.
