American Cinema Editors Call on Academy to Rethink Cut Categories Ahead of 2023 Oscars

variety.com:

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorThe American Cinema Editors gathered with production designers, set decorators and more as a sign of solidarity to push the Academy for inclusivity as they look ahead to the 2023 Academy Awards.Releasing a video statement that opens with a quote from director Francis Ford Coppola, “The essence of cinema is editing,” the editors addressed the Academy’s decision  to trim eight categories from the main broadcast and pre-record the winning speeches in the “Golden Hour.”The message was direct, “We feel cheated, insulted and angry by the way our art was deemed superfluous in favor of bloated performances and spectacle.” As they pleaded with other crafts to join in the call, they asked that in the future their voice be included in the conversation, “Give us a voice in this process.

Let us work together to find a solution that truly honors filmmaking and assure this never happens again.” Leading up to the Oscars, it was announced that the awards for documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live action short and sound would be those categories affected.As shock and outrage rippled through, Variety conducted a “Variety Artisans: Special Report” virtual panel that dug into why AMPAS’ telecast decision cut so deep.