Actress Jennifer Lawrence attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards nominee luncheon on February 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (AFP Photo)
Beverly Hills: The annual Oscar nominees luncheon is generally a time of low-stakes celebration, but this year amid discussions of Oscar diversity and a boycott, as well as dramatic changes to academy membership, the Monday gathering was also one for reflection.
Those at the luncheon did their best to keep things focused on the nominees and not the controversy swirling around the industry.
Producers Reginald Hudlin and David Hill also announced a big change for the show on Feb. 28. Winners will still have a tight 45 seconds for their acceptance speeches, but now, thanks to a scroll of key names that will appear on the screen, the speech doesn't just have to be a list of people.
This development, they hope, will give winners an opportunity to say what's in their heart, rather than worrying about forgetting to thank an agent, producer or director.
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