Spike Lee insists he still won't attend the Oscars, despite proposed changes to the Academy.
Spike Lee
The 'Do the Right Thing' filmmaker has welcomed changes proposed by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to dramatically ramp up efforts to double its membership of women and minorities following the controversy over the lack of diversity in this year's nominations, but won't be going back on his original promise not to be at the ceremony next month.
In a new interview from IMDb's Sundance Studio, he said, "They had to do something, it was a firestorm of protest. And I want to thank [Academy] President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the Board of Governors, for doing the right thing.
"[But] I'm not showing up. My wife and I, we made the decision, we're not going to change our decision. ... We took a moral stance, and we're not going to do a punk move and go back on our word."
On Friday (22.01.16), Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs unveiled the organisation's plans for the future, which includes a pledge to double the amount of female and minority members by 2020.
Cheryl said in a statement: "The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up. These new measures regarding governance and voting will have an immediate impact and begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition."
Another measure will see the Academy add three new seats to its board of governors, with the hope that these additions will help diversity the leadership of the organisation.
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