BEVERLY HILLS— The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on June 12 the ‘Academy Aperture 2025’ — the next phase of the Academy’s equity and inclusion initiative.

The ‘A2020’ initiative was started by the Academy back in 2016 in the wake of the controversy surrounding that year’s all-white list of acting nominees. The organization’s board committed to double “the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020.”

“These new measures regarding governance and voting will have an immediate impact and begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition,” former Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in 2016. 

With the next phase, the Academy will continue its efforts “to advance inclusion in the entertainment industry and increase representation within its membership and the greater film community,” the June 12 announcement says.

Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said there is much more work to be done in regards to representation and inclusion in the Academy and in the film industry.

“The need to address this issue is urgent,” Hudson said. “To that end, we will amend—and continue to examine—our rules and procedures to ensure that all voices are heard and celebrated.” 

Academy President David Rubin will create a task force “to develop and implement new representation and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility by July 31, 2020.” The plan will count with the collaboration of the Producers Guild of America (PGA).   

Measures will begin with the 94th Academy Awards in 2022, which will celebrate films released in 2021. In that year, the Best Picture category will be set at 10 nominees. Since 2010, the number of nominees in the category ranged from 5 and 10 nominees. 

The Academy Screening Room, the streaming service used by Academy members to watch nominated films, will also see a change. The Academy will implement a “quarterly viewing process,” making it possible for members to see films year-round.

Other measures will be introduced across sectors of the Academy. All members of the Board of Governors will be required to participate in “unconscious bias training;” the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will work with the organization’s Inclusion Advisory Committee; and an Office of Representation, Inclusion and Equity will be established “to oversee the Aperture 2025 initiative.”

“Academy leadership and our Board are committed to ensuring that we continue to weave equity and inclusion into the fabric of every Academy initiative, committee, program, and event,” Rubin said.   

A list of new members of the Academy will be announced next month.