*Netflix has fired back at director Steven Spielberg’s planned proposal to the Academy Awards to disqualify the streaming giant’s original films from competing at the Oscars.
The move comes after the 2019 Oscar win of Netflix’s “Roma” — which bagged three awards out of 10 nominations, including best director for Alfonso Cuarón’s as well as best cinematography.
Some might say that Spielberg has long been a hater of streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu but “Roma” leading the Oscar nominations clearly triggered him because a spokesperson for his Amblin production company recently reiterated on his behalf that “Steven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation. He’ll be happy if the others will join [his campaign] when that comes up [at the Academy Board of Governors meeting]. He will see what happens.”
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Steven Spielberg Takes Aim at Netflix: ‘Movie Theaters Need to Be Around Forever’
We love cinema. Here are some things we also love:
-Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theaters
-Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time
-Giving filmmakers more ways to share artThese things are not mutually exclusive.
— Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm) March 4, 2019
Spielberg is expected to make his case at the next Academy Board of Governors meeting in April. In the meantime, Netflix wants him to know that:
“We love cinema. Here are some things we also love,” the company tweeted, adding: “Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theaters. Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time. Giving filmmakers more ways to share art.”
Their statement concluded: “these things are not mutually exclusive.”
Right now, all a film needs to qualify for Academy consideration is a one-week theatrical engagement in New York or Los Angeles before December 31. Netflix plays by those rules.
Steven Spielberg wants to discriminate against one studio/distribution company, and that’s not right. https://t.co/pdbrOCtPyA
— Ron Hogan (@RonHogan) March 2, 2019
Spielberg previously criticized streaming platforms being allowed to submit original movies for Academy Award nominations.
“Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie,” he explained in an interview with ITV News. “I don’t believe that films that are given token qualifications, in a couple of theaters for less than a week, should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”
Meanwhile, his campaign has sparked debate online among cinephiles, with influencers from the film community weighing in — including Ava Duvernay, who addressed the Academy directly on Twitter, writing: “Dear @TheAcademy, This is a Board of Governors meeting. And regular branch members can’t be there. But I hope if this is true, that you’ll have filmmakers in the room or read statements from directors like me who feel differently. Thanks, Ava DuVernay.”
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