France‘s Oscar committee, which selects the country’s submission for the best international film category, has introduced key changes affecting the size of the group and term length of its members.
In an announcement on Friday, the CNC — France’s National Film Board — revealed that the committee will now be made up of 11 members and five alternates, a significant increase from its seven current members. The committee will also now serve a two-year term, instead of the previous one-year mandate, and the chairman of the CNC will no longer attend meetings as an observer.
A press release states that these changes have been made to “promote the collegiality of the debates, the diversity of points of view and the secret nature of the vote of each member.”
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The news comes after France’s Oscar committee faced a fair amount of backlash last year over its submission of Tran Anh Hung’s “The Taste of Things” instead of Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival. In the end, “The Taste of Things” failed to score a best international feature nomination, and “Anatomy of a Fall” won the Oscar for original screenplay after receiving nods for best picture, director, actress for Sandra Hüller and film editing.
“These three amendments will help to strengthen the independence of the commission, both with regard to public authorities and professional interests,” said Olivier Henrard, director general of the CNC and acting chairman.
Henrard recently replaced former CNC boss Dominique Boutonnat, who stepped down on June 28 after receiving a three-year prison sentence over sexual assault charges.
