The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences turned its annual membership meeting into a roadshow on Saturday morning, convening at the Lucasfilm offices in San Francisco and streaming on its members-only website.
By and large, the proceedings were routine, as chief executive Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang addressed the state of the institution, and underscored a message he had sent the group, along with audited financials, via email on Friday. “Overall, our financial results are positive,” Kramer had said in the email, notwithstanding the stresses of a strike year, Covid recovery and museum support.
At Saturday’s meeting, one member question caught the attention of at least some who watched. Would the Academy extend help to those who were struggling to pay their $450 annual membership dues following months of strike-induced unemployment?
The answer was yes, there is a plan to offer assistance—good news for those just now emerging from one of the rougher Hollywood years in recent memory.
For those lucky enough to be in the Bay Area, the meeting was followed by a reception at the nearby Sessions restaurant, members only, plus one.
