Navigating the frenzied Cannes Film Festival scene can prove perilous for a first-timer, even if he’s boss of the Oscars. Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is in Cannes to meet with his expanded covey of overseas members, now a quarter of Oscar voters.
He also has just signed a new international deal with Disney and ABC and is briefing members on other funding initiatives at a rare Academy party.
Pre-Kramer, the Academy had been stubbornly silent about its internal data, but now it reports that 82% of habitually testy Oscar voters actually approved of the show this year vs.
a paltry 22% in 2022. Ratings of Academy policies also experienced a sharp improvement. Even he as dons his Riviera tuxedo and celebrates his first year in office, Kramer is keenly aware of potential disruptions facing the festival: the writers strike and French pension battles.
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