Following the departure of Executive Vice President Shawn Finnie, the fourth African-American executive to leave the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in a year, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang sent a letter to members on Friday affirming its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. initiatives, saying that “there is still a lot more work to be done.
“We have heard from some of you who have inquired about our DEAI Academy programs, as these efforts in our film community and other industries have been called into question,” the letter began. “In addition, a number of black executives in Hollywood have left their roles, including within the Academy, and we recognize the concern this raises. Given all of this, we want to reiterate, in the strongest possible terms, the Academy’s commitment to not only continue, but expand our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within our organization and the film industry as a whole. We have made a lot of progress in recent years, and there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Finnie, who served as executive vice president of member relations, global outreach and awards, was the last black executive to leave the Academy after chief operating officer Christine Simmons, vice president of global relations and member outreach Patrick Harrison and the executive vice president of impact and inclusion Jeanell Inglés.
The high-profile departures mark a worrying trend in the industry, as DEI executives from Warner Bros. Discovery (Karen Horne), Netflix (Vernā Myers) and Disney (Latondra Newton) were fired or resigned this summer.
The Academy letter touts that at the vice president level or above, 71% of the organization’s executives identify as women and 42% identify as coming from an underrepresented ethnic or racial community.
“Our DEAI-focused work is an ongoing journey that requires sustained attention, commitment, and resources across all Academy departments,” the letter reads. “We will look at additional ways to accomplish these efforts and we are strongly committed to the process.”
The new diversity requirements for films in the Oscars race take effect starting this year. To qualify for the Best Film category, 2023 films will need to submit a Representation and Inclusion (RAISE) Entry Form demonstrating that they met inclusion and diversity standards in two of four areas: Screen Representation, Themes, and Narratives. ; Creative Leadership and Project Team; Industry Access and Opportunities; and audience development.
Read the Academy’s letter to members, which was first published by Varietyin full below.
Dear Academy members:
We have heard from some of you who have inquired about our Academy DEAI programs, as these efforts in our film community and other industries have been called into question. In addition, several black executives in Hollywood have left their roles, including within the Academy, and we recognize the concern this raises.
Given all of this, we want to reiterate, in the strongest possible terms, the Academy’s commitment to not only continue, but expand our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within our organization and the film industry as a whole. We have made great progress in recent years, and there is still a lot of work to be done.
Of our current Academy executives at the Vice President level or above, 71 percent identify as female and 42 percent identify as coming from an underrepresented ethnic or racial community. And in our class of 2023 new members, 40 percent identify as female, 34 percent identify as coming from an underrepresented ethnic or racial community, and 52 percent come from outside the United States.
Besides:
We have expanded our Employee Resource Groups, evolved our DEAI-focused recruiting and hiring initiatives, and continue to grow our People and Culture Department.
Our talent development programs that focus on voices traditionally underrepresented in film now extend from K-12 to mid-career initiatives.
Our Inclusion Standards formally go into effect this award year.
Aperture, our member orientation program, will continue to drive diversification across all member legs.
Our Academy Museum continues to program (and now travels) exceptional and diverse exhibitions and screenings that contextualize and challenge the dominant narratives around cinema.
Moving forward, we remain committed to continuing our global engagement efforts, expanding our work with our member affinity groups, and exploring additional ways to empower our employees.
Our DEAI-focused work is an ongoing journey that requires sustained attention, commitment, and resources across all Academy departments. We will look for additional ways to accomplish these efforts and are strongly committed to the process.
On behalf of the Academy, thank you very much for your support. We look forward to continuing this important conversation.
Bill Kramer and Janet Yang
