Since 1929, The Academy Awards have been primarily white. The first African-American actor to win in a competitive category was Hattie McDaniel in 1940 but only for a supporting role. An African-American director has yet to win an Oscar for Best Director. The first nomination of an African-American director was in 1991 – 62 years after the first Academy Awards. 

This lack of diversity has not gone unnoticed by movie-goers of the 21st century. Starting in 2015, the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag has trended during awards season. This hashtag does not only apply to the lack of nominations for people of color but also the lack of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently or has now established new standards of diversity and inclusion for the Best Picture category. While this does not change for movies nominated for the next three years, they will make the standards mandatory for all films nominated for best picture in 2024.

The new standards lay out four categories of diversity, of which two must be fulfilled to be considered for the Best Picture nomination. The four categories: On-Screen Representation, Themes and Narratives; Creative Leadership and Project Team; Industry Access and Opportunities; and Audience Development. 

The first category addresses the lack of non-white members of the cast and a lack of focus on marginalized narratives. There are three stipulations for this category, only one of them must be completed for the fulfillment of this category. The three stipulations are:

– There must be at least one lead actor from a marginalized or under-represented ethnic group.

– A minimum of 30 percent of minor roles are filled by women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, marginalized ethnicities or persons with cognitive or physical disabilities.

– The main theme of the movie must center around one of the aforementioned under-represented groups.

The second category tackles the lack of diversity in technical positions in the film industry. The three stipulations for this category are:

– A minimum of two of the following positions must be filled by a member of an under-represented group: Casting Director, Cinematographer, Composer, Costume Designer, Director, Editor, Hairstylist, Makeup Artist, Producer, Production Designer, Set Decorator, Sound, VFX Supervisor, Writer

– At least one of six members of the technical team, excluding Production Assistants, must be from an under-represented group of people.

– At least 30 percent of the film’s crew must be members of an under-represented group of people.

The third category focuses on the lack of opportunity for those in under-represented minorities in Hollywood. The two stipulations are: 

– The distribution or financing group of a film must have paid apprenticeships or internships for members of under-represented minorities.

– The film or financing company must offer training for under-skilled workers that belong to an under-represented group of people.

The final category tries to fight the lack of diversity in marketing and distribution. This category only has one stipulation: 

– The studio or film company must have multiple in-house executives on their marketing and distribution teams from under-represented minorities. 

These new rules for consideration were released by the Academy Sept. 8 and divided much of the film-loving community. While many people see these new standards as a step toward equality in the representation of minorities on and behind the camera others saw this as a publicity stunt. By making it so that the films must only complete two stipulations from different categories out of the nine that were put forward many believe that it will be too easy for films to create temporary programs or positions to fill their quota of diversity before the release the film to the public. 

I see these prerequisites for nomination as a partial step in the right direction for the future of cinema. If a film fulfills the bare minimum of these requirements for consideration when making the film nothing will have changed for a majority of the movies we see today. The stories will still be from the perspectives of the majority while the marginalized voices are relegated to the same indie films that they have been for decades. 

The film industry has to finally step out of the time that it has chosen to stay in since Hattie McDaniel won her Oscar in 1940. But that step can’t just be made by those who give out the awards, it has to be made by the film studios, the directors, the casting companies, the screenwriters – but most importantly – it has to be made by us. We have to support the movies that are about and are told by marginalized people. It is only then that the films will change to truly represent the diversity in America that we see every day.

For the first time ever, an international film won the Oscar for best picture when the South Korean film “Parasite” took home the award at the 92nd Academy Awards. Bong Joon-Ho also took home Oscars for best director and best original screenplay. There was some criticism of the fact that “Parasite” won best picture in addition to its win for best international feature film earlier in the night, but overall, movie fans were thrilled to see “Parasite” clean up at the Oscars this year.

This praise and excitement is well-deserved, as “Parasite” is, in my opinion, one of the best films to come out in the last 10 years. Often a film will either have an interesting message or will tell a story in a unique and beautiful way. Many films fail to do both, but director Bong Joon-Ho and cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong have crafted a visual and storytelling masterpiece – a rare gem among the recent influx of sequels and remakes that typically fill the movie theaters these days. 

Starting with the cinematography, the film is breathtaking. Bong-Joon Ho uses lighting in really intriguing ways. Not only does the flickering light in the Park home create an eerie atmosphere at times, it is also crucial to the story, as we find out later in the film. The red-tinted light in the flooding scene is also quite stunning. There are also several shots of people looking out windows, which not only creates for some cool reflection shots but also creates a feeling of separation between the rich Park family and the poor Kim family, a contrast which is at the heart of the film.

The framing is masterful, especially with the staircases at both the Park’s house and the Kim’s house. The shot of Park Yeon-kyo coming up the stairs with the light directly above her head and her face in the center of the frame is the most iconic example of this. It is shots like this that really pull the audience into the film and will cause this film to be considered a classic by later generations.

It is hard to talk about this film without praising the acting. The entire cast does a fantastic job, and it shocked me that not a single actor was nominated for an acting award at the Oscars. Kang-Ho Song as Kim Ki-taek was the standout for me, and his long take monologue at the shelter was a hypnotizing moment in the film. Overall, the entire cast truly brings their characters to life.

This film is full of twists, turns and some intense moments, but a commentary on the differences between social classes lies in the center of it all. This is an important issue throughout the globe today. This is why I encourage everybody to see this film – it has something to say to people of all languages and backgrounds.

My favorite part of this movie is that neither side of the economic divide is inherently good or bad, and the movie does not try to force us to hate one side or the other. Both the Park family and the Kim family do some really bad things. The Park family is rude and entitled, and the Kim family lies, assaults and kills in order to move up the social and economic ladder. But the way in which the story plays out shows that it is not inherent evil in the characters that causes these actions, it is the situations that play out throughout the story that lead the characters to commit more drastic acts. 

Similar to “Joker,” “Parasite” tells a story about people who are easy to sympathize with despite their evil actions. The fact that we sympathize with the Kim family tells us that deep down, we know that we each have our own breaking point. We are not perfect, and sometimes it is important that we are reminded of that. 

Overall, I cannot recommend this film enough. To me this is a once-in-a-generation film that, despite the language barrier, can connect with absolutely anybody. Whether you are looking for a beautiful film, a film with a powerful message and great acting, or just a good time, “Parasite” is for you. 

Held Feb. 9, the 92nd Academy Awards supposedly celebrated the best and brightest of the entertainment industry, but the show ended with ambivalent results. “Parasite” made history as the first film not in the English language to win best picture and Taika Waititi became the first person of Maori descent to win an Oscar through his best adapted screenplay award for “Jojo Rabbit.” But on the whole, the nominees and winners did not compose a very diverse picture.

One of the greatest moments of the night happened on the red carpet before any winners were announced. Actress-turned-activist Natalie Portman gave a subtle, but powerful nod to the lack of female nominees for best director. Her Dior cape featured the names of women left out of the category in gold embroidery, including Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”), Lorene Scafaria (“Hustlers”) and Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”).

For the second year in a row, the Oscars did not have a host. Instead the show opened with a dynamic musical number performed by Janelle Monae featuring dancers wearing costumes that also nodded at snubbed films and directors, including “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” “Midsommar,” “Us” and “Little Women.”

The most unexpected snub of the night went to “The Irishman,” which had nominations in 10 categories. Though much talked about leading up to the awards, the Martin Scorsece mob drama went home without any statues.

Eminem gave a surprise performance of “Lose Yourself” from the film “8 Mile” 17 years after the song won him the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Eminem’s presence may have seemed out of place, but it immediately followed a montage highlighting the awards for best sound mixing and editing – including clips from “8 Mile.”

Other memorable moments came from winners who used their speech time as a platform. 

“They told me I have 45 seconds this year, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week,” Brad Pitt said while accepting his award for best supporting actor. “I’m thinking maybe Quentin [Tarantino] does a movie about it and, in the end, the adults do the right thing.”

Rounding out the acting categories, Joaquin Phoenix took home best actor for “Joker,” Renée Zellwegger received best actress for “Judy” and Laura Dern won best supporting actress for “Marriage Story.”

The big winner of the evening was the South Korean film “Parasite,” which won best picture, international feature film, original screenplay and director. 

“Thank you, I will drink until next morning,” director Bong Joon-ho said – delivering the most memorable line of the show.

As the show had already extended past its intended runtime, the Academy tried to dim the lights during the speeches, but the audience’s boos and chants of “Up! Up! Up!” succeeded in giving the cast and crew of “Parasite” a bit more stage time.

But “Parasite’s”  big win shrouded what was really a night that almost couldn’t have been less diverse if it tried. Cynthia Erivo earned a standing ovation for her performance of “Stand Up” from “Harriet,” but she was also the only person of color to receive an acting nomination. Although Hollywood and the Academy are becoming more diverse, the Oscar results reflect the opinions of a voting body still composed of mainly white men. 

The 91st Academy Awards had no host for the first time in 30 years. But, as the night went on, more and more records were broken in better ways – breaking down the barriers of race, gender and more. The whole night was a historical event.

Several people of color took home the coveted award. In the 89 years of the Academy Awards, only 39 African-American actors and actresses have taken home an Oscar. This has sparked a social debate, as many accuse the academy of predominantly choosing white actors and actresses, filmmakers and films themselves.

In the 2019 Oscars, though, there were seven black winners in six separate categories, making history and setting a new record for most individual black winners. Mahershala Ali won best supporting actor for “Green Book” and Regina King won best supporting actress for “If Beale Street Could Talk.” Spike Lee and Kevin Willmott, who co-wrote “BlacKkKlansman” won best adapted screenplay.

This was also a year of firsts for African-American filmmakers. Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler took home best costume design and production design for “Black Panther,” becoming the first black winners in this category as well as taking home the first Oscars for a Marvel feature film. The pair were also the first black women to win an Oscar not pertaining to acting since 1984, when Irene Cara was the first for winning best original song. Co-Director Peter Ramsey also became the first black director to win best animated feature, for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

Rami Malek, who was heavily praised for his depiction of Freddie Mercury in the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” also won the award for best lead actor, making him the first Egyptian-American to win the category. In total, three of the four coveted acting awards were given to people of color – making large strides in the fight to recognize non-white actors in hollywood.

The 91st Oscars also made history for women, with 14 women taking home awards – the highest number in the history of the Academy – and the most since the record set in 2007 for 13 female winners.

“Roma” was also the first Mexican film to win best foreign language film, with director Alfonso Cuaron winning best cinematography.

That, in total, makes eight records set for the 91st Academy Awards, with all of these firsts mostly pertaining to people of color, along with the record set for most female winners. Each winner has expressed their pride in winning such awards and making history while doing so.

Ruth E. Carter spoke candidly during her acceptance speech, saying what many have felt during the history of the Oscars: “This was a long time coming.”

Spike Lee also used his speech as a platform for speaking on racial injustice and how the underappreciation of black people, not only in Hollywood, needs to come to an end and will come to an end:

“The word today is ‘irony.’ The date, the 24th. The month, February, which also happens to be the shortest month of the year, which also happens to be Black History month. The year, 2019. The year, 1619. History. Her story. 1619. 2019. 400 years. Four hundred years. Our ancestors were stolen from Mother Africa and brought to Jamestown, Virginia, enslaved. Our ancestors worked the land from can’t see in the morning to can’t see at night… Before the world tonight, I give praise to our ancestors who have built this country into what it is today along with the genocide of its native people. We all connect with our ancestors. We will have love and wisdom regained, we will regain our humanity. It will be a powerful moment.”

Overall, the Oscars proved to be a night of history and joy for all those who worked hard to be recognized and showed more of an appreciation for all races and genders coming to light in Hollywood, the arts and in society overall.