Academy CEO Says Oscars Are Growing More Global, Hints Tokyo Festival Could Join Qualifying List

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is doubling down on its international ambitions even as the United States turns more inward under President Donald Trump's "America First" approach. That was the message from Academy CEO Bill Kramer at the Tokyo International Film Festival on Wednesday.

Kramer spoke at length about efforts to draw more filmmakers and film lovers from outside the U.S. into the Oscars community. "The Academy is becoming more and more global across programs, and as part of that, you're seeing a great increase in the number of academy members who live outside of the United States," he said.

He repeated a widely cited statistic: a decade ago, only 5 percent of Academy members lived outside the U.S., while the figure is now 25 percent. Addressing the Tokyo audience directly, Kramer said the Academy counts about 70 Japanese members and expects that total to rise. He described the changes as part of a push to build a more diverse and inclusive organization.

Kramer also argued that the makeup of Oscar nominations is starting to reflect the broader tastes of the membership. At the most recent ceremony, he said, every category had international representation, not only the international feature film category but also best picture. He called the best picture win by Parasite a pivot in the Academy's thinking about what global cinema could achieve at the Oscars, and said that shift continues.

The CEO also tied the Academy's somewhat controversial agreement with YouTube to the same goal. The deal gives YouTube exclusive worldwide rights to the Oscars from 2029 through 2033, with the ceremony streaming live and free around the world once ABC's final telecast airs in 2028. "In two years, the Oscars will be available on YouTube for free to 2.5 billion people around the world in over 30 languages," Kramer said, calling it a "huge, intentional move" to reach a bigger global audience with everyone seeing the show at the same time and in the same format.

The Academy sent a sizable leadership group to the festival's 39th edition. Kramer's remarks came during a panel in a high-rise in Tokyo's Hibiya district, where he appeared with Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor and Meredith Shea, the organization's chief membership, impact and industry officer. Festival director Takeo Hisamatsu moderated.

The panelists also discussed a new route into the best international feature film race. Starting with the 99th Academy Awards, eligible non-English-language films can qualify by winning a designated prize at a major festival, without needing their country's official selection. This sits alongside the long-running system in which approved national and regional committees each choose one submission. The six festivals and awards in the program are Cannes (Palme d'Or), Venice (Golden Lion), Berlin (Golden Bear), Busan (Busan Award for best film), Sundance (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize) and Toronto (Platform Award).

During the question-and-answer session, audience members asked Kramer twice whether Tokyo would soon be added to that list. Many people tied to the Japanese festival took the inclusion of regional rival Busan, and Tokyo's absence, as a disappointment.

Kramer suggested the wait may not be long. "We're looking to expand the universe of film festivals that will help a film qualify for the international feature film category," he said, adding: "Stay tuned, we're just beginning."