The process of choosing the nominees and winners of the Academy Awards is overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), an organization made up of over 9,000 members from various fields of the film industry, including actors, directors, producers, and writers. The members of the Academy vote in several rounds to determine the nominees and winners in each category.
The first round of voting is done by members within their respective branches, so directors vote for the nominees for Best Director, actors vote for the nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress, and so on. This process results in a list of nominees in each category, which are then voted on by the entire membership of the Academy to determine the winners.
The voting process is designed to be as unbiased as possible, with all members of the Academy given an equal voice in the outcome. However, there have been allegations of lobbying and other forms of manipulation of the voting process in the past.
Ultimately, the Academy Awards are meant to recognize excellence in filmmaking and to celebrate the art and craft of cinema. While winning an Oscar is undoubtedly a great honor and can be a boost to a filmmaker's career, it is important to remember that the ultimate goal of filmmaking is to tell compelling stories and to connect with audiences on a deep and meaningful level.
So, the concept of the Academy Awards was born out of a desire to improve the image of Hollywood and to prevent unionization among film industry workers. The idea was to create an organization that could represent the industry as a whole and help to negotiate with labor unions, while also promoting excellence in filmmaking through the awards.
Over the years, the Oscars have become one of the most prestigious and highly anticipated awards ceremonies in the world, with filmmakers and actors from all over the globe vying for the chance to take home one of the iconic golden statuettes. Despite occasional controversies and accusations of bias or unfairness, the Academy Awards continue to be seen as a symbol of excellence in the film industry and a celebration of the art and craft of cinema.
Oscars have come a long way since their inception, and have evolved into one of the most prestigious awards ceremonies in the world. The introduction of the Best Foreign Language Film category in 1956 helped to broaden the scope of the awards and recognize the talent of filmmakers from all over the globe.
The Big Five categories - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay - are indeed the most coveted awards in Hollywood, and winning in any of these categories is seen as a major achievement. In order to be eligible for consideration in any category, a film must meet certain criteria, including having been released in commercial theaters for at least one week in the preceding calendar year.
The Oscars have also faced criticism over the years, with some accusing the awards of being biased or lacking diversity. The Academy has taken steps to address these concerns, including increasing the diversity of its membership and expanding the number of nominees in certain categories. Despite these challenges, the Oscars remain a beloved and highly anticipated event in the world of film, and winning an award is still considered a great honor.
RRR movie has been released in the following countries and regions outside of India:
- United States: The movie was released in theaters across the US, including in states like California, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and others.
- United Arab Emirates: RRR was released in theaters across the UAE, including in cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and others.
- United Kingdom: The movie was released in theaters across the UK, including in cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, and others.
- Australia: RRR was released in theaters across Australia, including in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and others.
- Canada: The movie was released in theaters across Canada, including in cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and others.
- Singapore: RRR was released in theaters across Singapore.
- Malaysia: The movie was released in theaters across Malaysia, including in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang, and others.
- New Zealand: RRR was released in theaters across New Zealand, including in cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
To be eligible for the awards, a film needs to play in commercial theaters for at least a week between January 1st and December 31st of the previous year. Most popular films fulfill this criterion, but there are exceptions for some award categories, such as documentaries, short films, and foreign language films, which have different requirements.
For example, the foreign language film category requires each country to submit only one film, officially submitted by the film's producers. For the 95th Academy Awards, Chhello Show, a Gujarati drama film, was India's official submission, and it was shortlisted, but it did not make it to the final list of nominations.
Many people confuse being shortlisted with being nominated for an Oscar. The Academy releases a Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 95th Academy Awards, which is basically a long list of all eligible films that meet the eligibility criteria. However, the word "shortlist" is not mentioned in this report.
There is a significant difference between being eligible and being shortlisted. For instance, in the category of Best International Feature Film, 301 films were eligible, but only 15 were shortlisted. Out of those 15, only five were nominated, and one was eventually declared the winner.
Voting is how the winners of the Oscars are selected. Around 10,000 industry professionals, including directors, actors, writers, and producers, vote for the awards. The voters are grouped into 17 branches, such as a branch of directors, a branch of casting directors, producers, executives, etc. The category of the award is voted on by people from that specific branch.
For example, only actors vote for the award of Best Actor, and only directors vote for Best Director. The process of voting can be carried out through ballot paper or online. Most categories of awards require a simple majority of votes, but the Best Picture category uses a Ranked Choice Voting system or Preferential Ballot, where nominees are ranked according to voters' preferences.
India's presence at the Oscars is also fascinating, with Bhanu Athaiya making history in 1983 as the first Indian to win an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in Gandhi. Satyajit Ray, a legendary filmmaker, received an honorary award for Lifetime Achievement in Filmmaking during the 64th Academy Awards in 1992, the only Indian to be honoured thus far. AR Rahman, another Indian, won two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire, while Resul Pookutty was a part of the winning Sound Design Team.
There are mixed opinions about the Oscars, with some considering it a liberal propaganda machine, while others argue that it promotes conservative ideas. Some feel that the award is American-centric, with no expectations for the rest of the world to win. However, the importance of the Oscars has transcended the borders of America, with many calls for inclusivity, as exemplified by the popular hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, which emerged in 2015. This prompted the Academy to increase its inclusivity, with the 2020 membership including 36% underrepresented ethnic or racial communities and 49% international members. In 2020, new eligibility guidelines were created, with four categories, including the representation of underrepresented racial groups, to increase inclusivity in the awards.
Bhanu Athaiya's historic win in 1983 for Best Costume Design in Gandhi marked a significant moment for Indian cinema, highlighting the country's talent and potential. She went on to win two National Awards for Gulzar's film Lekin in 1990 and Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan in 2001. Satyajit Ray, a legendary filmmaker, received an honorary award for Lifetime Achievement in Filmmaking during the 64th Academy Awards in 1992, the only Indian to be honoured thus far. If one wants to understand Ray's filmmaking style or learn more about his life, the audiobook Oscar Winner Satyajit Ray in Hindi on KUKU FM is an excellent resource.
AR Rahman's two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire and Resul Pookutty's participation in the winning Sound Design Team reflect India's continuing success at the Oscars. However, Pookutty's statement that he received no work in the Hindi film industry after the Oscar win illustrates the challenges that arise after the excitement and glory of the award.
The Oscars have always generated mixed reactions, with some viewing them as a liberal propaganda machine, while others believe they promote conservative ideas. Some consider the award to be American-centric, with no expectations for the rest of the world to win. Nonetheless, the significance of the Oscars has transcended America's borders, with the popular hashtag #OscarsSoWhite exemplifying calls for inclusivity. The Academy has taken steps to increase its inclusivity, with the 2020 membership consisting of 36% underrepresented ethnic or racial communities and 49% international members. In 2020, the Academy introduced new eligibility criteria, including four categories, such as the representation of underrepresented racial groups, to increase inclusivity in the awards.
