A divorce on the board of AMPAS.
The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Monday to make the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch two distinct branches: the Animation Branch and the Short Films Branch.
The move essentially has the effect of separating Animated Features and Animated Shorts from the Live Action Short, thus leaving the latter overseeing just live-action and nonfiction shorts, now downsized to just one governor repping it specifically. This is all very representative of the fact that animation, in its various forms, continues to explode.
The Animation Branch represents about 700 Academy members working within every aspect of the animation industry. The branch will have two governor representatives on the board of governors and oversee the Animated Feature Film and Animated Short Film awards.
The Short Films Branch comprises more than 200 Academy members whose artistic work encompasses both narrative and nonfiction short filmmaking. The branch, as noted, will have one governor on the board to be elected for a term starting in the 2024-2025 fiscal year and oversee the Live Action Short Film award.
“The Academy is dedicated to advancing and evolving with our growing global membership and with the film industry,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a statement. “Creating distinct identities for these unique and vital components of our cinema community is part of this needed progress.”
“As both the Academy’s shorts and animation communities have grown, and to ensure they continue to thrive, the need for two individual branches became increasingly apparent,” said Academy Short Films and Feature Animation Branch governors Bonnie Arnold, Jinko Gotoh and Marlon West. “We’re excited about the future of these two branches and thank our fellow governors for their support.”
The Academy now comprises 19 branches representing the film industry. The board of governors will remain at its current size of 55 members.
The Short Subjects Branch was initially created in 1941 and was renamed the Short Films Branch in 1974. In 1995, the branch was renamed the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch. The Animated Feature Film award category was established in 2001.