Oscar winner Sam Mendes express views on awards

• Sam Mendes says awards are used as a “TV show” to promote films.
• The director believes gender-neutral awards are inevitable.
• Mendes received an Oscar and a BAFTA in 2000 for his work.

Sam Mendes is candid about his opinions on award winning in general.

The 1917 director stated, “For me, people forget with awards, I think this happens all the time, they use it as a bellwether for the industry but the truth is awards are a TV show,” in an interview.

“You know, awards are there to promote films. If that film wins an award, I’m more likely to go and see it and that’s what you’re doing there. It’s not about yourself, it’s not about the art or craft of the industry, especially, it’s about selling films.”

Mendes responded, “I’m not dismissing the importance of them but I’m saying they were there to promote films and the craft and art of films,” when the reporter objected that he appeared to be disregarding the accolades he had previously received. “They’re the shop window but they’re not the thing itself.”

The director of American Beauty also spoke on gender-neutral awards, saying, “I have total sympathy with it, yeah, and I think it might well be inevitable in the end,” adding, “I think that’s the way it’s moving and I think that it’s perfectly reasonable.”

For American Beauty and 1917, Mendes received an Oscar and a BAFTA in 2000.

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