The organisers of the Oscars have reversed their decision to present four awards during commercial breaks following an outcry from top movie industry figures.
By Jake Coyle, Associated Press
February 15 2019 11:38 PM
The organisers of the Oscars have reversed their decision to present four awards during commercial breaks following an outcry from top movie industry figures.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said all 24 categories will be shown live at the 91st Academy Awards on February 24.
On Monday, the academy said that the winning speeches for cinematography, film editing, make-up and hair-styling and live-action short would be aired in a shortened, taped segment during the broadcast.
“All Academy Awards will be presented without edits, in our traditional format,” the organisation said in a statement.
Nine days until the showtime, still tweaking the script. #Oscarshttps://t.co/Cv78kjDWYW
Criticism of the move was made by many of this year’s Oscar nominees, including Roma director Alfonso Cuaron and BlacKkKlansman filmmaker Spike Lee.
The American Society of Cinematographers issued an open letter, signed by Martin Scorsese, Brad Pitt and others, calling the academy’s plans an insult to the cinematic arts.
“When the recognition of those responsible for the creation of outstanding cinema is being diminished by the very institution whose purpose it is to protect it, then we are no longer upholding the spirit of the academy’s promise to celebrate film as a collaborative art form,” the letter read.
