Posted by: John S Kiernan

Getting to the 2017 Academy Awards is easy. Just leave “Manchester By The Sea” for a “Moonlight” stroll, take a right at the “Fences” and head west when you see “Hacksaw Ridge.” Assuming you don't encounter a “Lion” or any “Hidden Figures” along the way, you'll be ready and waiting for Oscar's “Arrival” in “La La Land,” come “Hell or High Water”! Oh yeah, you also need to either know someone or go back in time and contribute to one of these aforementioned hit films because tickets are nearly impossible to come by, otherwise.

Which flick will take home the Oscar for Best Picture remains to be seen, of course. And we must similarly wait to see who will claim statues in all of the other categories, from Best Actor and Best Actress to Best Cinematography and Best Score. But even before PricewaterhouseCoopers finishes tallying the votes for the 83rdtime, there are a few things we do know for sure about the 89th Academy Awards.

For starters, every acting category has a black nominee for the first time ever, following two years in which not a single black actor or actress was nominated. Many winners will also receive a musical nudge to get off stage, as the Academy continues its long-running attempt to shorten the broadcast. And most importantly, it’s been a year to celebrate for the movie business, with revenue from North American ticket sales reaching a record $11.4 billion in 2016, according to comScore.

So go catch up on the nominated movies you’ve missed and get psyched for Hollywood’s biggest night by checking out all of the awesome Oscars stats and fun facts below. With a special emphasis on monetary concerns, WalletHub analyzed the event from top to bottom and collected the most interesting factoids we could find. We also hosted a Q&A on the state of the film industry with a panel of leading entertainment experts. You can find everything below. Enjoy the show!

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Ask the Experts

For a closer look at a variety of issues related to the Academy Awards, from demographics to dollars and cents, we posed the following questions to a panel of leading business and entertainment experts. You can check out their bios and responses below.

1. Do you think the anti-Trump sentiment held made by many celebrities in Hollywood will affect Oscar ratings?
2. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved?
3. Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture?

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• Tara McPherson Associate Professor of Critical Studies at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts
• Trey Ellis Screenwriter, Novelist and Professor in the Graduate School of Film at Columbia University
• Jan Millsapps Professor Emeritus in the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University
• Harvey Young Chair of Theatre, and Professor of Theatre, Performance Studies and African American Studies in the School of Communications at Northwestern University
• Ernesto R. Acevedo-Muñoz Professor of Film Studies and Director of the Film Studies Program at University of Colorado
• Michele Schreiber Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Film and Media Studies at Emory University
• Kellie Carter Jackson Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Hunter College
• Charles Dove Professor in the Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Film in the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts at Rice University
• Richard Peña Professor of Film Studies at Columbia University School of the Arts, and Director Emeritus of the New York Film Festival
• Michelle Materre Associate Professor of Media Studies and Film at The New School, and Independent Media Consultant at Creatively Speaking Film Series
• Robin Means Coleman Professor and Chair in the Department of Communication Studies and Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
• Richard Walter Associate Dean and Professor in the School of Theater, Film and Television at University of California, Los Angeles

Tara McPherson Associate Professor of Critical Studies at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? I was saddened but not surprised by the lack of diversity in this year's Oscar nominations. The disconnect between Hollywood's power brokers and larger national conversations about race and racism runs deep. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? The membership of the Academy is dominated by white men. Thus, it shouldn't surprise us when the awards are focused on white actors and on films about white men rampaging around in the wilderness. The process would be improved by diversifying who can vote within the Academy. Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture? I suspect we'll see lots of awards for “The Revenant”, but I would have preferred that “Carol” get all that attention. Trey Ellis Screenwriter, Novelist and Professor in the Graduate School of Film at Columbia University Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? The Academy's problems with inclusiveness and with awarding women and minorities for their excellent work has been well documented for years. I think it only came to a head this year because we were shut out two years running. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? Very little about the Academy is transparent, but Ms. Isaacs is doing amazing work making it much, much more so. A simple fix they'd tried earlier was just nominating more films. Jan Millsapps Professor Emeritus in the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? The awards and lack of diversity in nominations are not the issue. The issue is (still) that Hollywood is a profit-driven industry that sticks to proven, bankable formulas, does not employ a diverse workforce, and rarely steps outside these self-imposed boundaries in its investments. If movie studios don’t fund and generate material featuring women and persons of color in leading roles, then of course there won’t be any female or minority actors to nominate. It seems odd to me that we only notice this during Academy Award season when it is routine practice in Hollywood. Professor Millsapps current film project is a documentary about women and space: “Madame Mars: Women and the Quest for Worlds Beyond” being produced by the DocFilm Institute at SF State. Harvey Young Chair of Theatre, and Professor of Theatre, Performance Studies and African American Studies in the School of Communications at Northwestern University Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? Yes. For good or for bad, the Oscars (and Oscar nominations) have come to represent the very best in the film industry. When the slate of nominees lacks diversity, it signals that the nominating committee did not widely consider the full spectrum of eligible artists. It also tells minority artists that the quality of their work may not (and perhaps may never) be recognized by their peers in the industry. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? In a way, the current system is fair and reasonably transparent. It’s a pretty simple nominating process in which members of the academy vote for the films that they liked best as well as the performances that most resonated with them. If there’s a problem, it’s that the Academy membership is not particularly diverse — there’s a significant underrepresentation of people of color, women, and individuals under the age of 60 within the current membership. One way to diversify the slate of nominees is to diversify the Academy itself. Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture? Here are my picks. Leonard DiCaprio and Brie Larson will win the acting categories; Alejandro Iñárritu for directing (but a George Miller win would not be shocking); and “Spotlight” for best picture (but “The Revenant” could be 2016’s “Braveheart” and just might win). Ernesto R. Acevedo-Muñoz Professor of Film Studies and Director of the Film Studies Program at University of Colorado Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? Yes, very concerned. The nominations reflect the composition of the Academy (mostly white men over 50) and puts in evidence a chronic, historic problem with that thing we call “Hollywood” and US media culture in general, namely the lack of diversity and the lack of concern about the lack of diversity. That the Academy members cannot find diverse talent worthy of nominations is alarming. Clearly, a look at other award-giving bodies (The Golden Globes, SAG, for instance) demonstrates that the talent is there. The Academy is just not looking at other deserving actors. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? The nominations system is a mystery to most people outside the Academy. In theory, actors are nominated by their peers, who must also be members of the Academy. But Academy membership is granted by “sponsorship” (from two other members of the branch where membership is sought), or by being nominated for an Academy Award, in which case membership becomes automatic. But no actor, director, writer, cinematographer, costume designer, etc., can apply for membership. The problem is that the Academy is not a “guild” or a union (like SAG or IATSE) so even people with years and years of steady work in the industry cannot become members (unless, as stated above.) The system is definitely not fair and transparent as it’s historically been designed and put to use to prevent people from becoming members. It’s an elite club, and you’re not invited. Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture? If the trends (and “buzz”) established by the awards cycle so far stays its course, it seems inevitable that Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson will be the winners in the top acting categories. I hope I am wrong too, but it also looks like “The Revenant” and its director Mr. González Iñárritu will win “Best” Picture and Director respectively, an unfortunate development but in tune with the Academy’s taste for long, large, loud, “macho” oriented movies. Michele Schreiber Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Film and Media Studies at Emory University Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? The lack of diversity in Hollywood is and has always been very concerning. The Academy Award nominations are a symptom of a much larger, systemic problem that sees only a handful of people from a very narrow demographic – namely, Caucasian men — at the helm of most facets of film production. Not coincidentally, this demographic also makes up the majority of Academy membership. It is a cycle that can only be broken by giving opportunities to people who fall outside of this category – and not just first chances but second chances too. Even women directors or directors of color who make successful first features aren’t able to make a second film whereas white male directors whose first features fail miserably are still given opportunities to helm big budget films. White men are perceived to be versatile and able to adapt to different genres and roles, whereas actors or directors of color are more often than not pigeonholed into certain types of films, and those films are rarely nominated for Oscars. If you diversify the talent in the films, the Academy Awards will follow suit. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? The current system for nominating films is transparent but not flawless. However, any way the Academy approaches the process is going to be riddled with problems, which is why they have changed it twice since 2008. The current system allows for a broader range of films to be considered than was the case in the old five-nominee system. However, these films are, more often than not, still seen by very few people whereas more popular films tend to be overlooked. The fact that “Mad Max: Fury Road” was nominated for Best Picture this year is quite a coup in this regard as it was a genre film, did well at the box office and was critically acclaimed. Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture? Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio – It’s his time, even if he doesn’t necessarily deserve it for this role. Best Actress: Brie Larson – A breakthrough performance. Best Director: Alejandro Iñárritu. Best Picture: “The Revenant” or “The Martian”. The tide seems to be moving in The Revenant’s direction but don’t count out one of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of the year. Kellie Carter Jackson Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Hunter College Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? Yes, I am very concerned about the lack of minority actors nominated. There will always be people who will try to trivialize or minimize it, but the arts can be a reflection of how we see the world and more importantly how the world sees us. The stories we tell and the images we see on the big screen are powerful, transformative even. Recognition from the academy is the highest form of validation for the field of film. The lack of nominations sends the message that actors of color contribute nothing that is valuable. This is particularly troubling given the demographics of moviegoers (46% of ticket buyers are people of color). My concern is not limited to film alone, but TV, books, corporate America, politics and college faculty… Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? As an outsider, I don't see how a largely homogenous voting block is good or sustainable for the academy. I’m not sure that transparency would help either. We need industry wide changes. At this point, people don’t want good intentions; they want outcomes. This year's black films were mainly about athletes, rappers, and a warlord. Awards aside, I'm more concerned with having a diversity of stories where people of color live their lives without having to operate in a vacuum, teach a lesson, or push an agenda. I mean, can I live… on screen? Awards are important, but let's change how the industry conceives of black stories first. Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture? Honestly, I will most likely watch Chris Rock’s opening monologue and then change the channel. But for kicks and giggles, here are my predictions: Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”. Best Actress: Brie Larson, “The Room”. Best Director: Tom McCarthy, “Spotlight”. Best Picture: “The Big Short”. Charles Dove Professor in the Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Film in the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts at Rice University Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? Yes, but the problem extends beyond minority actors to the behind the scenes people, cinematographers, editors, etc. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? It is not transparent. But the problems reflect the nature of the people in the MPAA and not the process really. Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture? I suspect “The Revenant” will win for Actor and possibly Motion Picture. Cate Blanchett will probably win for Actress. It would be good if George Miller won Best Director. Richard Peña Professor of Film Studies at Columbia University School of the Arts, and Director Emeritus of the New York Film Festival Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? Not really; minority actors and other artists have been nominated other years, even recently. It's less a comment on the Academy (an easy target) than it is a comment of the lack of interesting roles for minorities in American films (a difficult target). Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? I think people have to realize that the Academy is a private organization, and as such is under no obligation to make its methods of nominating people for awards, or giving them, available to public scrutiny. Why we care about the opinions of 6000+ mainly older white men about the current state of movies is another matter. Michelle Materre Associate Professor of Media Studies and Film at The New School, and Independent Media Consultant at Creatively Speaking Film Series Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? Yes, I am concerned that there were no films, actors, directors, editors, nor any film professionals of color nominated for Academy awards again this year – second year in a row! As a professor of media studies and a film professional for many years, I think it is particularly offensive given that there were several excellently produced, high quality, topical stories that were qualified to receive recognition, and of the same caliber as those of similar topics and content that actually won awards. For example, “Spotlight” won for its retelling the story of the Catholic priests who were child molesters. “Concussion” was also based on a true news story, equally as compelling and relevant – the NFL cover up of what happens to players’ mental capacity as a result of the ongoing impact they endure while engaged in that very highly visible, money hungry sport! What didn’t the two have in common? One was an entirely white cast and subjects, the other had two black characters as the lead subjects. Only difference! Not to mention that there were several other very commanding and credible performances by actors of color that deserved such attention and recognition, namely Idris Elba for “Beasts of No Nation”, Benicio Del Toro in “Sicario”, and Michael B. Jordan for “Creed”. And how Sylvester Stallone won for best supporting actor without neither Michael B. Jordan nor Ryan Coogler winning for best director is beyond my comprehension. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? I don’t believe the current system of nominating films is fair, nor is it transparent. Requirements are tinkered with and changed in very nuanced ways every year, and unless you happen to have a publicist who is a Hollywood insider, or a paid legal team on staff reading every line of the Academy rules on an annual basis, you’re not going to qualify. What independent filmmakers of color have this kind of resources at their fingertips? Even with those necessary assets in place – i.e., “Creed” and “Concussion”, as we have now seen, they didn’t quite make the grade for some “other” reason… I do know that the President of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, immediately initiated some changes to diversify its membership. These changes were instituted in reaction to Jada Pinckett Smith’s recent video blast where she gives a very compelling argument for why she and husband, Will Smith, won’t be attending the Oscars this year. However, even though these changes may go into effect immediately, the impact of these changes won’t be significantly realized for several years to come… basically, as older members “age out”. What else can be done to improve the process? Make Academy Award members take a “cultural competency test” like many medical professionals are required to do! Really! And, here’s a list of other “how to” do this:

1. Give opportunities to more film critics/writers of color – and get their work placed in more prominent, highly visible and well-respected outlets.
2. More access to funding for non-studio produced films.
3. More effort to “find” film professionals of color to work within mainstream industry productions, studios, etc. We’re out here – just may have to dig a little deeper.
4. Becoming a more “tolerant” society – I actually hate that word, but what it means is this… we are all human beings with a vast array of experiences, cultures, histories, likes and dislikes based on our own perspectives. Why can’t we learn to pay honor to those differences, and not dispel them because they are not our experiences?

Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture? I choose not to respond to this question because I don’t want to diminish the hard work and years of training, education, experience and talent that makes it possible to win an Academy Award in any area. However, I will also be “boycotting” the Oscars this year by not watching it on television, and by attending an alternative celebration where filmmakers and actors of color will be receiving the recognition they also truly deserve, but have been denied… once again. Robin Means Coleman Professor and Chair in the Department of Communication Studies and Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? This absence is deeply worrisome. The discourse around the lack of diversity has been reduced to gross narratives of quotas and lack of quality. The issue, as I see it, is one of exclusion and a sort of ethnocentrism. Plainly, voting members may judge performances and stories that come out of cultures other than their own, less favorably. They seem to be unable to see the value. The solution is inclusion and diversity. Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved? The nomination process is, I think, particularly opaque to the public. Governors, executive boards, general board memberships, lifetime voting, proposed term limits… It is complex and confusing. I believe some (wrongly) think that these nominations are almost entirely tied to box office or popularity. But, if that was the case, we’d see movies like Avengers and Furious 7 in the best movie category. There are a number of proposals about improving the process. The one part I care most about is that it becomes more diverse and inclusive. Who is going to win the award for Best Actor? Actress? Director? Motion Picture? To pick the winners here requires me to channel an organization that does not always value filmic art and performers in the same way I do. However, I very much hope that “Spotlight” wins the Best Picture category. It offers such an incredibly insightful and nuanced look inside the tireless, difficult work of journalists. In this moment, when the very existence of newspapers is being challenged, “Spotlight” reminds why print, investigative journalism remains important. Best Actor will go to Eddie Redmayne, a young, subtle actor who earns important roles and is an industry darling. Best Actress is a difficult category for me to predict. However, I believe Brie Larson had to reach into a difficult, claustrophobic place to portray her character. Best Director will likely go to Iñárritu for the “The Revenant”. But it would be awesome if Miller / “Mad Max” would win! I’ll also add that I think Stallone will get supporting actor for “Creed”. I am pretty certain that if he does, he won’t forget to thank Ryan Coogler! Richard Walter Associate Dean and Professor in the School of Theater, Film and Television at University of California, Los Angeles Are you concerned that no minority actors were nominated for an Academy Award again this year? Yes. That said, however, many among the general public seem to miss the fact that only members of the actors’ branch of the academy, approximately fifteen hundred out of sixty-five hundred members, vote for best actor. The irony here is that the actors’ branch is by far the most diverse and also the most youthful of the branches. While many people (including me) believe that Hollywood films need greater diversity, it should also be noted that American films are most diverse on the planet. The diversity in American film is the reason, it seems to me, that they are so widely distributed outside the country of their origin. Thanks to diversity, American movies are really, world movies.

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