Guillermo del Toro has criticised the format changes to this year’s Oscars ceremony.
During his acceptance speech for the Filmmaking Achievement Award from the Hollywood Critics Association, del Toro called out the decision to move eight categories to a slot an hour before the live broadcast and re-edit them into the show.
Speaking at the ceremony, the director said: “We don’t do [movies] alone, we do them together, and the people that made them with us, they were risking everything in a pandemic.
“If any year was the year to think about it, this is not the year not to hear their names live at the Oscars. This is the year to say it – and say it loud.”
Encouraging others to speak out against the change, he added: “Many of you that have a voice and that can say it should say, ‘We should not do that.’ We shouldn’t do it this year. We shouldn’t do it ever, but this year we are together in this.
“The art is good. Every time we say something we invoke a whole reality with it, and we must say that this, 2021, was a fucking great year for movies.”
His comments come after Academy CEO Dawn Hudson clarified the changes, which have been criticised by many in Hollywood.
Speaking to Deadline, Hudson said: “The board has discussed and agreed on the need to make changes to the broadcast, to allow for a celebratory show that also doesn’t run well over three hours. That discussion has been ongoing but with more urgency for this year’s show.
“The decision to show eight categories in our first hour in the Dolby Theatre was the creative solution arrived at by our producers, our officers, and our awards committee. We chose a mix of categories which would then be folded into our live broadcast.”
Hudson also stated that every category “will be celebrated” during the live broadcast.
Del Toro’s latest film, Nightmare Alley, has been nominated for four Oscars at this year’s event, including Best Picture, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design.
The 94th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 27 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It will be hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes.
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