Prince William's callout against the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) earned good results as the organization announced Thursday that it is making 120 changes for its next awards season.
The Duke of Cambridge said in his speech to BAFTA, in February, that there is a lack of diversity in the categories. He also noticed that the nominees are dominated by white and male individuals when there are several awards to be given away.
In response to Prince William's callout, BAFTA confirmed an overhaul of its rules, which promises to be more inclusive. The voting round will also be aimed at more diversity while any individual members of the academy may also receive training on how to vote for their choices this year.
BAFTA is also making it compulsory for voters and jurors to watch the long list of films before the voting's second round. This way, every movie for exhibition will be given airtime and the productions won't simply rely on press releases, news and hype.
For instance, the category Outstanding British Film will be expanded from six to 10 titles to include more indie movies, BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar confirmed. The individual nominees will also have more names this year, including more women.
The organization also plans to conduct regular membership surveys for evaluation of the state of the British film industry, after inviting 1,000 new members from different backgrounds in the film and TV industry. Majumdar said that by doing the surveys, the academy will be able to assess if there are enough members from the minority and disadvantaged communities that are getting work and opportunities. The chair said that this move is beyond race and color but also class and economic status.
Majumdar also said that some of the rule changes may be difficult to legislate in light of COVID-19 but it will still make a big difference.
BAFTA members who will decline the survey, however, will not get to vote for the awards season. The chairperson also said that this move is not about being "woke" but it is about hearing the pain and grief of industry workers who have been feeling discriminated.
In a statement issued by Kensington Palace, Prince William acknowledged the changes and said that it is a "positive step towards greater diversity" at BAFTA. Majumdar said that the Duke of Cambridge was continually updated in the changes while the group's officials also consulted with actors, technicians, filmmakers and even film distributors.
The awards ceremony is set to run on April 11, 2021.
