As part of the four-year run-up to the 100th Academy Awards in 2028, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced Academy100, a $500 million “global revenue diversification and outreach campaign” aimed at solidifying AMPAS’ status as an international organization rather than simply an American one.
The venture was announced on Friday by Academy CEO Bill Kramer at a press conference in Rome hosted by Cinecittà studio.
“The future of the Academy is global, and Academy100 will deepen our worldwide reach and impact,” Kramer said in a statement. “The Academy will soon enter its second century, and we want to ensure that we continue to be the preeminent leader of our international film community. Like all healthy organizations, the Academy needs a sustainable and diverse base of support, and we are deeply grateful to Rolex and all of our partners for helping us launch this important and forward-looking initiative.”
Rolex will supply ongoing support for the campaign, for which more than $100 million has been committed. Other lead supporters include Cinecittà, Delta Air Lines, Dagmar Dolby and family, Dorchester Collection, Drs. Melina and Eric Esrailian, Dr. Kathy Fields and Dr. Garry Rayant, PwC, Teddy Schwarzman and George Stevens, Jr.
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Since it launched a membership drive in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite protests in 2016, the Academy has seen an enormous growth in the number of international members, partly because going outside the U.S. enabled the organization to reach its goal of increasing the diversity of its voters. That growth has had a visible impact on the Oscars, with non-English-language films doing increasingly well in both nominations and wins.
According to the AMPAS press release, the Academy100 campaign will “endow and fund programs that recognize excellence in cinematic artistry and innovation; preserve our film history; enable the creation of world-class film exhibitions, screenings, and publications; train and educate the next generation of diverse global film artists; and produce powerful digital content …
“In addition, throughout the Academy100 campaign, the Academy will host convenings, community gatherings, special events, and educational programs with Academy members and the broader film and arts communities in locations around the world. As the Academy and the film industry become increasingly global, this expanded international outreach will help develop a pool of new filmmakers and Academy members and support the worldwide filmmaking community. Locations include Buenos Aires, Cannes, Johannesburg, Kyoto, Lagos, London, Los Angeles, Marrakesh, Melbourne, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York, Rome, San Francisco, Seoul, Toronto, Toruń, Venice, and more.”
The Academy Museum will also launch a series of exhibitions, film programs and publications to honor the 100th Oscars in 2028.
More information is available at Academy100.org
