David Rubin Re-Elected President of Film Academy

[HARDY]

 

David Rubin, the casting director who has served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the past year, has been re-elected to that position for another year, the length of all Academy officers' terms.

Last August, when Rubin was first elected the 35th president of Hollywood's most elite organization, he became its first openly gay leader. The proud cinephile has since presided over numerous ups (Parasite made history at the 92nd Oscars in February by becoming the first film not in the English language to win the best picture Oscar, and the Academy met its A2020 inclusion goals in June) and a few downs (the pandemic has shuttered the Academy's offices since March and forced the organization to change its eligibility requirements and push back the 93rd Oscars to April 25, 2021 and delay the opening of its long-gestating Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to April 30, 2021).

Through it all, the 63-year-old has worked well with Academy CEO Dawn Hudson and remained unusually popular with fellow board members, Academy staff (some 300 people work for the organization) and members (of which there are now some 9,000).

His re-election comes on the same day that the TV Academy recognized him with an Emmy nomination for his casting of the HBO drama series Big Little Lies and the 92nd Oscars with an Emmy nomination for best variety special (live).

Also re-elected to the Academy's governing board: makeup artist Lois Burwell as first vice president (and chair of the awards and events committee) and writer Larry Karaszewski as vice president (and chair of the preservation and history committee).

Executive Jim Gianopulos, meanwhile, returns to a position he previously held, as treasurer (and chair of the finance committee).

This year's first-time officers are costume designer Isis Mussenden as vice president (and chair of the museum committee), producton designer Wynn P. Thomas as vice president (and chair of the eudcation and outreach committee) and producer Janet Yang as secretary (and chair of the membership and governance committee).

Under recently revised rules, Academy board members may serve up to two three-year terms (although incumbents currently in their third three-year term, like Rubin, can finish serving it out), followed by at least a two-year hiatus, after which they may serve up to two additional three-year terms. And Academy officers can serve no more than four consecutive years in any office.

This means that Rubin's term as a governor will continue for this year (2020-2021) and next (2021-2022), after which he will be compelled to take a two-year hiatus from the board. He could theoretically then return to the board and the presidency, if elected.

 

[CGTitan]

At least we've getting a little more open in these changing times. I mean, the exceptions are quickly becoming the norms. Such is the human condition.