Now that Netflix’s Roma has won three Oscars, filmmaker Steven Spielberg has started campaigning harder than ever to try and persuade the Academy to stop Netflix movies from being considered eligible for Oscars.
However, as Collider reports, this has drawn much criticism from other directors, especially as Spielberg has gone on record as saying that he believes Netflix films are similar to TV movies and should absolutely not be accepted by the Academy for any film awards.
“I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”
Because Steven Spielberg is part of the Directors branch of the Academy Board of Governors, he is now going to suggest a change of rules as far as Netflix’s eligibility goes. However, it is not known at this time exactly what rules Spielberg is attempting to have changed, nor if this change would mean that Netflix would have to come up with a different theatrical window than they have now to appease Spielberg.
Speaking about Spielberg’s upcoming meeting with the Academy, a spokesperson for his entertainment company Amblin stated that the director “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.”
Steven Spielberg to take his criticism of Netflix films at the Oscars to Academy: report https://t.co/cR4iGkaHu8
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 2, 2019
Steven Spielberg’s campaign to get the Academy to ban Netflix from future Oscar wins is not sitting well with fellow colleagues. These include Ava DuVernay, who has pointed out that times are changing and people living on a fixed income aren’t always able to afford to go to see movies in theaters now, especially people of color, as she noted.
DuVernay left a message to the Academy on Twitter , which reads as follows.
“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.”
Spielberg’s views on Netflix and Oscar wins are also markedly different from that of filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who will be releasing his new film The Irishman , which stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel, on Netflix this year.
Netflix fared extremely well at the 91st Academy Awards, garnering 15 nominations and winning three awards for Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma. However, it is unclear what changes will be made at the Academy after Steven Spielberg’s upcoming meeting with them, in which he will try to make a case for not allowing Netflix to be eligible for Oscars in the future.