What began nearly 100 years ago as a PR stunt, designed to improve the image of a scandal-plagued movie industry, has become the most famous film award in the world – the Oscars. We trace its history from 1927 to today, looking at the winners and losers, the many controversies, and the changing role of the Academy Award in Hollywood history. Finally, we take a deep dive into this year’s race and the special challenges the Oscars have faced in the COVID era with declining audiences for movies in theaters.
- Week 1: This year’s Oscar race. Why various artists and films won (and lost)
- Week 2: Back to the beginning. The creation of the awards in the late 1920s by the Motion trade organization – the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
- Week 3: Oscar controversies over the years
- Week 4: The rise of new campaign strategies in the 1990s. Disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein
developed new marketing ideas for his Miramax Films, scoring upset after upset - Week 5: Oscar and fashion. The tight relationship between the movie and fashion industries
- Week 6: Acting categories over the years. How the Oscar selections have evolved from awarding heavy favorites to quirky upsets
Facilitator: Joe Meyers
Joe Meyers is Director of Programming for the Focus on French Cinema film festival in Connecticut. He is co-host of the Spotify podcast Now a Major Motion Picture. Since 2020 he has been a weekly contributor to the number-one morning drive time radio show Chaz & AJ. Joe has written features about movies, theater and books for more than 30 years for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group and other publications.