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Black cast of Straight Outta Compton not invited to the Oscars

Only the film's four, nominated, white screenwriters will be attending the ceremony

Jess Denham
Friday 29 January 2016 15:24 GMT
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Only the film's four white screenwriters were nominated for an Oscar
Only the film's four white screenwriters were nominated for an Oscar

Straight Outta Compton will be represented at the 2016 Oscars, but only by the film’s four white screenwriters.

The black cast of the acclaimed hip-hop movie have not received invites to walk the red carpet at the star-studded awards ceremony, but Andrea Berloff, Jonathan Herman, Alan Wenkus and S Leigh Savidge are nominated for Best Original Screenplay and will be attending.

Straight Outta Compton was snubbed in the Best Picture category but reports that Academy is free to invite whoever it wants, whether they are in the running for a gong or not, quickly sparked controversy. Despite the #OscarsSoWhite diversity crisis, none of the film’s black actors are on the guestlist.

However, a spokesperson for the Academy has clarified that getting a seat at the Oscars is not as easy as many might expect and members have to enter a ballot to win tickets to attend the ceremony.

“The Academy invites the nominees only and each studio gets a limited ticket allotment, based on the number of nominated films, to use at their discretion. It has been this way for decades,” they told People magazine.

Producer Ice Cube “would’ve RSVP’d a ‘No’” even if he had been invited, according to TMZ.

Film industry professionals have been voicing their outrage at the Academy’s failure to nominate a single black actor in the acting categories for the second year running.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have announced their intention to boycott the Oscars as they “would not feel comfortable” attending, while a host of others including Spike Lee, Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon have come out in support.

Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs responded to diversity criticism by insisting that she was “both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion”.

She has promised “big changes” as the Academy plans to “take dramatic steps to alter the makeup of its membership”.

The Oscars takes place on Sunday 28 February.

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