Academy Launches $500 Million Global Outreach Initiative to Broaden Base and Honor 100th Oscars Edition
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday launched a global outreach campaign called Academy100 intended to expand its scope and connection with a worldwide base.
Academy President Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer launched the Academy100 initiative, that entails a $500 million fundraising drive, at a Rome event hosted by the Eternal City’s storied Cinecittà Studios.
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The fundraising drive has already raised $100 million from partners inlcuding Rolex, which has long supported the Academy.
“The future of the Academy is global, and Academy100 will deepen our worldwide reach and impact,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer. “The Academy will soon enter its second century, and we want to ensure that we continue to be the preeminent leader of our international film community,” he added.
“Like all healthy organizations, the Academy needs a sustainable and diverse base of support, and we are deeply grateful to Rolex and all of our partners for helping us launch this important and forward-looking initiative,” Kramer went on to note.
Yang in a passionate speech said that AMPAS is becoming more diverse and international than ever. Within its current almost 11,000 members, 30% now “resides outside of the U.S. and this number continues to grow,” she noted.
“These changes have resulted in heightened enthusiasm for international films, as they travel
fluidly across increasingly porous borders to reach audiences everywhere,” Yang added.
“And when we elevate international voices and bring them into the fold, we in turn bring in
ever newer audiences from around the world, strengthening the direct impact we’re having on
global culture at large,” she went on to point out.
The Academy100 campaign involves hosting conferences, community gatherings, special events, and educational programs “with Academy members and the broader film and arts communities in locations around the world,” as a statement put it.
Details of the various events that are part of this milestone initiative are still being kept under wraps.
“As the Academy and the film industry become increasingly global, this expanded international outreach will help develop a pool of new filmmakers and Academy members and support the worldwide filmmaking community,” the statement said. The initiative’s locations include Buenos Aires, Cannes, Johannesburg, Kyoto, Lagos, London, Los Angeles, Marrakesh, Melbourne, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York, Rome, San Francisco, Seoul, Toronto, Toruń, Venice, and more.
Beginning in 2027, in honor of the Oscars’ centennial in 2028, the Academy Museum will present a series of special exhibitions, film programs, and publications connected to the history of the Academy and the Academy Awards.
Cinecittà is a “founding supporter” of the Renzo Piano-designed museum as part of a five-year agreement that will involve a series of annual events celebrating Italian cinema.
“Cinecittà welcomes the Academy for such a significant celebration of its history,” said Cinecittà CEO Nicola Maccanico. “Co-hosting this Academy100 event underscores the strength of our partnership, which is also evident in our support for the Academy Museum and its Italian film programming,” he added.
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