Oscars still lagging in female and minority representation
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 2017 Oscar nominations were a banner year for black nominees both in front of and behind the camera, but other nonwhite groups and women were largely left out of the running.
The lead actress category is even bleaker for Asian women.
Supporting actor nominee Mahershala Ali hopes that people of color can become part of the fabric of entertainment in a "real and organic way."
For women behind the camera, things have gotten worse overall, despite some strides, including "Jackie" composer Mica Levi becoming the first women to be nominated for original score.
Only one woman was nominated in any screenwriting category, Allison Schroeder for "Hidden Figures," down from three last year, and, once again, no women were nominated for cinematography.
Other categories experienced similar drops, save an increase in nominations for women in the sound editing and sound mixing categories, thanks to "La La Land's" Ai-ling Lee.
It's wonderful to see a lot of female producers whose films are nominated for best picture, but again this illuminates how difficult it is for women to rise to the top of the business and to be taken seriously at this level.