Ep. 99: How the Oscars Addressed its Diversity Problem

TIFF Long Take

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob sits down with Shawn Finnie, Associate Director of Member Relations at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to talk about how the Academy has worked to address concerns over the lack of diversity in its membership, nominees, and award winners. In 2012, the Academy was 77% male and 94% white. In 2018 those numbers shifted to 69% male and 84% white — a sign that, while change is definitely slow going, things are trending in the right direction.

Finnie talks about his vision for the future of the Academy, how he helped create the Academy's most diverse class ever, and why a Moonlight Best Picture win 10 years ago likely would have been impossible.

He also talks about why invitations to join the Academy should be based on more than your resume, and why he saw #OscarsSoWhite as an opportunity.