Academy investigates indie film’s surprising Oscar nomination

• The Academy had received numerous calls and emails following the nomination.
• There was a heated discussion among filmmakers over whether the rules had been broken.
• The Academy announced on Friday that it will be reviewing its procedures, but it made no specific mention of the movie.

Days after a small independent film shocked industry observers with a stunning nomination to Hollywood’s most prestigious awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Friday that it was starting a study of Oscar’s campaigning.

When “To Leslie” lead Andrea Riseborough’s name came on the list of contenders for Best Actress, the movie had only made $27,000 at the box office.

Riseborough beat out expected front-runners Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) and Danielle Deadwyler to win the award for her portrayal of a Texas single mother battling alcoholism (“Till”).

After an aggressive, last-minute social media campaign on her behalf by famous pals like Edward Norton, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Sarah Paulson, she received the nod.

According to the film industry publication Variety, the Academy had received numerous calls and emails following the nomination, and there was a heated discussion among filmmakers over whether the rules had been broken.

The Academy announced on Friday that it will be reviewing its procedures, but it made no specific mention of the movie.

According to a statement, “The Academy is committed to providing an inclusive awards process, and it is our mission to ensure that the Awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner.”

“We are reviewing the campaign practises surrounding this year’s nominees to make sure no rules were broken and to determine whether any adjustments to the rules are necessary in the new era of social media and digital communication.

We promote sincere grass-roots initiatives for exceptional performances because we are confident in the fairness of our nomination and vote processes.

The 9,500 members of the Academy, many of whom have won the Oscar before, cast their votes to choose the winners.

The Academy is made up of 17 branches, including actors, directors, producers, costume designers, and more. Each branch selects the nominees in their own fields of competence.

Just over 200 votes are required for a nomination in this category to join the shortlist, given that the actors’ chapter has about 1,300 members.

Billboards in Los Angeles are covered with movie commercials in the months leading up to the Oscars, which will be hosted this year on March 12. Studios do this in an effort to influence voters.

A variety of gatherings and activities are also held with the intention of creating a buzz.

Campaigns are typically the domain of large studios because they are frequently organised by professional businesses and are typically expensive.

However, “To Leslie” wasn’t on this circuit.

The “Titanic” actress Frances Fisher reportedly urged her fellow Academy members to nominate Riseborough in a social media post on Friday, according to Variety.

She posted on Instagram, according to Variety, “To my fellow Performers in The Academy – According to Pete Hammond writing for Deadline, Andrea Riseborough may secure an Oscar nomination if 218 (out of 1,302) actors in the Actors Branch nominated her in first place for Best Actress.”

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