The Casting Directors Branch of the Academy was established in July 2013 and has around 160 members. Janet Yang, the CEO and Academy president, shared in a press release that this inclusion aims to acknowledge the vital role of casting in filmmaking. She stated that,
“Casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking, and as the Academy evolves, we are proud to add casting to the disciplines that we recognize and celebrate.”
The details of who can be nominated and how voting works for the new casting award will be announced in April 2025. It’s also unclear if this category will be open to films outside of the United States, including those from the Nigerian film industry.
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However, Nigerian-British photographer Misan Harriman‘s short film “The After,” starring David Oyelowo, is already making waves as it’s been nominated in the Best Live-Action Short Film category at the 2024 Academy Awards.
You can catch it streaming on Netflix while it competes against “Invincible” (Canada), “Knight of Fortune” (Denmark), “Red, White, and Blue” (UK), and “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” (USA) for the prestigious award.
This nomination shines a light on the international talent at the Oscars, even as we await further details about the new casting category’s rules and potential inclusion of international films. So, check out “The After” to see if it lives up to its title and becomes a potential award winner.
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