Guillermo del Toro, others criticise Academy for Oscar rule change

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) decision to present four Oscar awards during commercial breaks of the 91st awards ceremony has drawn criticism on social media, particularly by people hailing from the film fraternity.

The four awards -- best cinematography, film editing, live action short and makeup and hairstyling -- will be announced during the ads and the winning speeches will edited to remove the winners' walk from their seats to the stage. Each speech will be aired separately later in the telecast.

The decision has not gone down well with many, including filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, on social media.

del Toro, who won the Best Director award for fantasy romance drama "The Shape of Water" last year, tweeted, "If I may: I would not presume to suggest what categories to cut during the Oscars show but - Cinematography and Editing are at the very heart of our craft. They are not inherited from a theatrical tradition or a literary tradition: they are cinema itself."
Director Jason Reitman, the maker of films such as "Juno" and "Up in the Air", tweeted, "Editing is filmmaking. Say it ain't so, Oscars."
Mexican writer and director Issa Lopez wrote,"The fundamental role of @TheAcademy should be to recognise and showcase the talent and work of those who make movies better. By limiting the spotlight to those who already have it, it makes its core job null."
Another user said, "A movie. does. not. exist. without. cinematography. To take off that off the live broadcast of the Oscars is beyond shameful. Every single person running this year's Oscar broadcast at @TheAcademy needs to be fired. They clearly don't love film."