What’s beyond #OscarsSoWhite? Chicagoans sound off on Hollywood diversity

a hand holding an oscar statue

By Jasmine Cannon and Jasmine M. Ellis While Hollywood is still recovering from criticisms revolving around racial diversity in casting, some Chicagoans believe it’s time for The Academy to take a different approach. According to UCLA’s 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report, little more than 10 percent of lead actors in theatrical films were minorities, and just […]

Oscar ceremony doesn’t shy away from important issues

By Tim Rosenberger The big question on everybody’s lips before Sunday night’s ABC telecast of the 88th Academy Awards ceremony at LA’s Dolby Theatre was not who was going to win this or that award. It was how the biggest night for Hollywood would handle the diversity issue people have been talking about for the […]

Diversifying film not just Academy’s responsibility

By Tim Rosenberger Filmmakers may hold the ultimate power and responsibility for bringing diverse voices to the movies, but The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can still increase diversity in its own membership and predominately white Hollywood through influence and trendsetting.

And the Oscar goes to…New York

By Tim Rosenberger The decision to move production of the gold Oscar statuettes to New York after 34 years at Chicago manufacturing company R.S. Owens & Company was amicable, will not hurt the company’s business and R.S. Owens even helped in the transition, said Joseph Petree, R.S. Owens’s design director.