Bill Kramer: Last News

A rare and extensive animation collection from Steven Spielberg, Shirley Kurata’s Oscar nominated costumes from 2022 Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All At Once, a blacklisted writer’s original Oscar statuette from 1958’s The Defiant Ones, and the 700+ film-strong collection of legendary film scholar and Honorary Oscar recipient Kevin Brownlow are just a few of the latest donations to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences vast collections housed at both the Margaret Herrick Library on La Cienega in Beverly Hills, as well as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures , and the Academy Film Archive. These items and many more just add to the eye-popping collected works for AMPAS, the largest film-related collection in the world (next to my garage – NOT).

Navigating the frenzied Cannes Film Festival scene can prove perilous for a first-timer, even if he’s boss of the Oscars.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday held a virtual town hall for its members to discuss the implementation of its new inclusion standards for its Oscar Best Picture category.

And the new Academy post goes to … Meredith Shea.

Sophia Scorziello editor The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named Meredith Shea as its chief membership, impact and industry officer. In the new position, she will oversee new member cultivation and outreach, awards administration, rules and regulations, membership branch structural changes, member and industry engagement, film festival and international strategies, talent development programs, and industry DEAI and sustainability efforts. Shea previously worked as an Academy executive for a decade. In her new role, Shea will report directly to Bill Kramer, Academy CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome Meredith back to the Academy in this leadership position. Her vast knowledge of the film industry and Academy membership, along with her commitment to building and nurturing a diverse and equitable global film community makes her a perfect professional for this new role,” says Kramer.

For the first time since the ceremony’s inception the 2023 Oscars featured a non-red carpet, with the Academy instead opting for a champagne colour. Organisers said the colour was chosen to “evoke the sunset” and that the decision had been approved by Academy boss Bill Kramer.The decision came from creative consultants Lisa Love, a longtime Vogue contributor, and Raul Avila, the creative director for the Met Gala in New York.

Will Smith, 54, cracked 94th Academy Awards presenter Chris Rock, 58, in the face after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.“Well, whatever I say about it, it’s going to have to be great, right?” he told The Hollywood Reporter last week. “Because so much has been said and there’s so much focus on it.

The 95th Academy Awards take place tonight, marking the biggest event in the film industry’s awards season. The Oscars will see the most famous faces in the business come together in recognition of the most impressive and groundbreaking films, performances, songs, visual effects, and more.

Lights, camera, fashion! The 2023 Academy Awards are almost upon Us.  

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the live broadcast last year.During the ceremony, a “crisis team” will be poised to intervene should anything unanticipated occur, Bill Kramer, the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told Time last month.“We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place,” he said. “We’ve run many scenarios.

Makeover alert! The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to try something new ahead of the 95th Oscars on Sunday, March 12. 

As last minute preparations and rehearsals were busily taking place at the Dolby Theatre for this Sunday’s 95th Annual Academy Awards, I was able to carve out some time with AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer on Wednesday to talk about the show, handling potential crisis situations, continuing controversies about Oscar campaigning and social media, plus the future of the broadcast with ABC and the Dolby Theatre venue where it has taken place for several years. He was in a very upbeat mood about what he was seeing so far in his first year as CEO so involved with the Oscar show with new President Janet Yang on behalf of the Academy and what they hope will be somewhat of a return to Oscar’s former glory after a rough couple of years where the broadcast was deeply affected by the pandemic and then the now-infamous Will Smith/Chris Rock slap which we also talk about including Kramer’s reaction to Rock’s Netflix comedy special last Saturday and its timing just a week before this year’s show.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor At a Wednesday press conference about what audiences can expect from Sunday’s Oscars telecast, the creative team behind the 95th Academy Awards, including executive producer and showrunner Glenn Weiss, confirmed Lady Gaga will not be performing her Oscar-nominated song from “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Hold my Hand.” The Will Smith factor was also addressed by the creative team, which included executive producer and showrunner Ricky Kirshner, musical director Rickey Minor, writers Dave Boone, Nefetari Spencer and Agathe Panaretos and producer Sarah Levine Hall. Traditionally, the previous year’s best actor winner returns to present the best actress award, but Smith, who resigned from the Academy following his slapping of host Chris Rock is banned from attending for ten years. Executive producer Molly McNearney said, “We’re going to acknowledge it, and then we’re gonna move on.” She added, “We don’t want to make this year about last year. It’s certainly something we can and will address in a comedic fashion.”

Katie Reul editor “Saturday Night Live” cast member Colin Jost, co-anchor of Weekend Update, levied a jab at the Academy for this week’s decision to hire a “crisis team” for the upcoming 2023 Oscars. Devised to ensure first-line responders are available at the awards show in the case of an emergency, the newly-implemented team comes on the heels of last year’s tumultuous ceremony. The 2022 Oscars saw actor Will Smith slap presenter Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife. The violent outburst resulted in Smith being banned from events hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for the next decade. “Guys, it’s not going to happen again,” Jost joked, seeming to address the telecast’s producers. “I’m sure you wish it would, for ratings. If anything the promo should be, ‘Who’s going to get slapped this year?’ Can Ana de Armas beat the ‘Tar’ out of Cate Blanchett? Which banshee will knock the shoes off Marcel the Shell? And who has what it takes to ‘Whale’ on Brendan Fraser?”

95th Academy Awards, a move enacted in wake of the slap heard and seen 'round the world.Glenn Weiss, a veteran live events director and multi EMMY-winning producer who will executive produce the March 12 ceremony, spoke to ET about the reasoning for the plan's implementation. While Weiss didn't directly reference Will Smith slapping Oscars presenter Chris Rock during last year's ceremony — a controversy that continues to reverberate -- the 61-year-old producer said the crisis team is another safety layer.«We go in with a really good plan for the known,» Weiss tells ET, «but you have to be ready for what may transpire with what you didn't plan.»If anyone's prepared for the unknown it's Weiss, as well as host Jimmy Kimmel, who has not only hosted multiple Oscar shows but is also comfortable in front of a live audience.

The Oscars are making sure they’re prepared for everything this year.

Will Smith walk on stage to slap Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.Little has – despite the wave of criticism they have received for years with various concerns  – also caused such an urge to change things within the way things work than the shocking incident.In the aftermath, which included a hiatus for the King Richard actor and a 10-year ban from attending the annual awards, the Academy has rolled out a series of new measures to make sure everything goes far more smoothly.WATCH: Will Smith reappears months after Chris Rock Oscars slap to answer difficult questions and issue apologiesMORE: Will Smith pays heartfelt tribute to daughter Willow with unseen family photosAs the Academy continues to grapple with the fallout of the several controversies they have faced in recent years, they have decided to incorporate a "crisis team" into their organization to be on high alert during the show and beyond.Speaking with TIME, the Academy's CEO, Bill Kramer – who only became the organization's leader last July – detailed what measures would be in place should a surprise crisis arise in the middle of the show.MORE: Will Chris Rock attend the 2023 Oscars?When asked how they are preparing, the entertainment executive first praised their choice of host, Jimmy Kimmel, as someone who is more than adept at handling live television. The star has since apologized for the incidentSpeaking of the newly founded crisis team, he said: "We have a whole crisis team, something we've never had before, and many plans in place."DISCOVER: Taylor Kinney rocks bright red lipstick in first pictures after Chicago Fire departureDISCOVER: The Rookie star Nathan Fillion's secret struggle with ongoing condition revealedHe added: "We've run many scenarios.

Academy chief executive Bill Kramer says that a “crisis team” will be introduced for the first time at this year’s Oscars to prepare for any unanticipated events. Mr Kramer said the team had run “many scenarios” ahead of the 95th Academy Awards, which is due to take place on March 12 and be hosted by US comedian Jimmy Kimmel. It comes after unprecedented scenes at last year’s ceremony, which saw actor Will Smith storm the stage and slap presenter Chris Rock.

Movie Academy CEO Bill Kramer said there is “a whole crisis team” in place for the Academy Awards next — a first for the ceremony in its 95 years.

Andrea Riseborough was a surprised as anyone else when her name was called during the Oscar nominations announcement last month.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said today that it won’t take any action to repeal Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar nomination for To Leslie. “The Academy has determined the activity in question does not rise to the level that the film’s nomination should be rescinded,” AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer said in a statement (read it below).