Published 13:58 IST, September 15th 2020
Does 'Dunkirk' and other 'All-White' films stand no chance in Oscars after new guidelines?
'Dunkirk' was an all-white film which may not be accepted by the new Oscar guidelines laid down recently. Read to know about the possible future of such films.
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The Academy is favouring diversity - This is a statement that might not surprise cinephiles around the world. Through the years, as times change and representation of people belonging to different ethnicities and sexualities in cinema become a topic of mainstream discussion, the awards criteria for them also change drastically. In recent years, the Academy has been vocal about awarding films which represent diversity through its storytelling or creative team.
However, it has gone a step further now and introduced a new criterion which makes it compulsory for a film to have at least one lead or significant supporting character belonging to the Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Native American and other underrepresented race or ethnicity. This leaves back viewers with one question - what happens to films which boast an all-White cast? Some of the stellar Oscar nominee films have boasted an all-White cast like Dunkirk and 1917. Read below to know what could be a possible future for such films -
Do White films stand a chance in the future of Oscars?
The 'Predominantly White' films which are the staple offering by Hollywood are now somewhat out of fashion. Viewers do not wish to watch an all-white cast in their films now and like to watch their community or ethnicity get representation on the bigger screen. However, some stories might just require a white cast to make a film that serves the script which makes them by default not follow the guidelines laid down by Oscars. However, there is a catch.
Also read: 'Love In Winterland' Cast: List Of Actors And Characters They Play In This Hallmark Movie
Image courtesy - Dunkirk official poster (Warner Bros. Production)
A total of four standards have been laid down by the Academy, out of which a film needs to make up at least two. These guidelines, when put simply, emphasise on the inclusion and representation of women, LGBTQ+ and underrepresented communities and ethnicities in on-screen presentation, creative team, industry personnel, and marketing/publicity. This means that if a film wishes to go ahead with an all-white cast, it has to include people belonging to diverse cultures, the LGBTQ+ community and include women in their creative team, in prominent positions. While the new standards laid down by the Academy might feel a bit forced to cater to audiences around the world, simply following those guidelines and making an inclusive film does not sound like a daunting task in any form.
13:58 IST, September 15th 2020