Oscars chief: Film world is ‘just beginning’

Speaking to press at the Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday ahead of a keynote speech at the film festival’s conference, Isaacs touched upon several developments in the film world that the Academy faces today.

First was the issue of diversity, which the Academy -- best known for awarding the Oscars each year -- has been grappling with for a long time. 

“I think the diversity question that is at the forefront these days is a good one, because it is allowing people, all people, to talk about it,” said Isaacs, who sparked discussion about diversity when she became the first African-American, and just the third woman, to become the Academy’s president in 2013. 

“We are seeing a change. It could be faster, that’s for sure. But we are seeing it,” she added. “We’re making great strides in diversifying (the Academy’s) membership. This last year, we’ve had the largest class of new members than we’ve ever had, and very diverse.”

Yet diversifying the Oscar awards themselves, in step with changing film formats such as mobile films, was still a question that Isaacs was hesitant to address. “There’s a lot of discussion these days in the motion picture business about the future of film. It is still a conversation. What will happen in the future? I don’t know,” she said.

“I do know that every year we review our rules and regulations in every area because we want to stay as current as we can.” 

Isaacs also added that more than the format of the films themselves, the bigger change she saw was in the ways of distributing films -- and even that was not a fundamental shift. 

“There are some who think that the movie-going experience (in theaters) may be waning. I don’t think so. I really don’t.”

One area in which Isaacs did acknowledge big changes was that of new rising film markets. “Right now, Asia is absolutely on the forefront, building new theaters, allowing the population to experience moviegoing,” she said. 

“South America is blossoming as well, and the next big frontier will be Africa. I think this is a global activity that mankind everywhere around the world is thrilled and interested to participate in.” 

Isaacs was invited to the BIFF Conference as a keynote speaker and was to speak Wednesday. 

“Most people know (the Academy) by our big night out, the Oscars, but are not aware of the activities we do year-round, and have been doing since we were formed in 1927,” she said. “I thought it was very important because Busan is such a big film festival full of film lovers and they should know a little bit more about the Academy.”

The Busan International Film Festival’s Conference and Forum will be held from Oct. 7-9. BIFF runs until Oct. 10.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)