The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Friday it is launching a review of its Oscars promotional campaign, days after a small indie film stunned industry watchers with a surprise nomination for Hollywood’s most prestigious awards. Startled.
“To Leslie” had taken in just $27,000 at the box office when star Andrea Riseborough’s name appeared on the list of Best Actress nominees.
Riseborough, who plays a Texas single mom struggling with alcoholism, beat out presumptive frontrunners Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadweiler (Until).
The nod came after an intense, last-minute social media campaign on her behalf by celebrity friends including Edward Norton, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sarah Paulson.
Film industry magazine Variety said that the Academy had received many calls and emails in the wake of the nominations, and there was a heated debate among filmmakers about whether rules had been broken.
On Friday, the academy said it would investigate its procedures, though it did not mention the film by name.
“It is the Academy’s goal to ensure that the awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process,” it said in a statement.
“We are reviewing campaign procedures surrounding this year’s nominees to ensure no guideline violations have been committed, and to inform us that the guidelines have been violated in the new age of social media and digital communications.” Changes may or may not be required.
“We are confident in the integrity of our nomination and voting processes, and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performance.”
Oscars are awarded based on votes from the Academy’s 9,500 members – many of whom are past winners.
Membership of the Academy is divided into 17 branches — actors, directors, producers, costume designers, and so on — each branch chooses nominees in its own area of expertise.
With approximately 1,300 members of the actors’ branch, only 200 votes are needed to shortlist a nominee in this category.
In the months leading up to the Oscars, which will be held on March 12 this year, billboards in Los Angeles are filled with advertisements for the films as studios try to persuade voting members.
Parties and events are also hosted with the aim of generating buzz.
Expeditions are often organized by professional companies and generally do not come cheap, so are generally the preserve of the larger studios.
But “To Leslie” was absent from this circuit.
Variety reported Friday that “Titanic” star Frances Fisher had encouraged her fellow Academy members on social media to nominate Riseborough.
“To my fellow actors at the Academy – according to Pete Hammond writing for Deadline, Andrea Riseborough could secure an Oscar nomination if 218 (of 1,302) actors in the actors’ branch nominated her in first place for Best Actress ,” he wrote on Instagram. According to media reports.
