Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar nomination for indie drama ‘To Leslie’ won’t be overturned, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ use of social media in a grassroots campaign supporting her didn’t sit well .
After the film academy announced it would be ‘conducting a review of campaign procedures’ following Riseborough’s shock Best Actress nomination, the body’s board deliberated during a meeting previously scheduled for Tuesday.
“Based on concerns that surfaced last week around the ‘To Leslie’ awards campaign, the Academy has begun a review of the film’s campaign tactics. The Academy has determined that the activity in question is n “not rise to the level for the film’s nomination to be rescinded. However, we have uncovered social media and outreach campaign tactics that have raised concerns. These tactics are being addressed directly with the responsible parties,” said the Academy CEO Bill Kramer in a statement.
“The purpose of the Academy’s Campaign Rules is to ensure a fair and ethical awards process – these are core values of the Academy. Given this review, it is evident that the elements of the rules need to be clarified. to help create a better framework for respectful, inclusive, and unbiased campaigns. These changes will be made after this awards cycle and will be shared with our members. The Academy strives to create an environment where votes are based solely on artistic and technical merits of eligible films and achievements,” he concluded.
Ever since the Oscar nominations were announced, industry professionals and journalists have been wondering if the 41-year-old English actor’s awards campaign breached any of the Academy’s strict rules and guidelines. Directed by Michael Morris, “To Leslie” earned just $28,000 at the box office. That hasn’t stopped a Best Actress campaign from forming, as well as rumors that the band have used ‘aggressive’ tactics to target all 1,302 members of the acting branch to secure a nomination for Riseborough. .
Among the most significant potential campaign violations was a deleted Instagram post from the ‘To Leslie’ account that quoted an excerpt from Richard Roeper’s Top 10 Movies of the Year, which referenced Riseborough’s Best Actress nominee , Cate Blanchett (“Tár”).
The variety spoke with several anonymous AMPAS voters over the past week, with the majority agreeing that there was no wrongdoing and that his nomination should not be overturned. This has only happened nine times in the Academy’s history.
The Academy’s first statement after the nominations were announced did not specifically name Riseborough or “To Leslie”.
“We are conducting a review of campaign procedures around this year’s nominees to ensure that no guidelines have been violated and to advise if changes to the guidelines may be necessary in a new era of social media and communication. digital,” the statement said. “We have confidence in the integrity of our nominating and voting procedures and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performance.”
Each year, the Academy and its board meet for an autopsy after its ceremony to discuss any potential changes to the show or its rules. Updates and revisions to the rules and regulations could arrive after the Oscars ceremony on March 12.