Oscars 2019: The Shape Of Water Director Guillermo Del Toro Slams Academy's Decision Of Cutting Four Categories From Broadcast

The Academy Awards recently announced that for the 91st Oscar awards which will be held on February 24, a new format will be in place. Four major categories including editing, cinematography, live-action short and make-up and hairstyling. Ever since the Academy announced this, they have been receiving enough flak on social media from fans as well as industry people. The move was highly criticised by Academy Award-winning director of The Shape Of Water, Guillermo Del Toro. The director expressed his disappointment over Twitter.

Here's what the Shape Of Director had to say:

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.

— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) February 12, 2019

Fans too have been enraged by this move of the Academy and have been especially against the reasoning of keeping the awards run-time low.  Twitter was full of reactions towards this announcement. Oscars 2019: Four Awards Including Best Cinematography and Best Editing To Be Presented During Commercial Break

A posted about why relegating these major categories is unfair:

Not right @TheAcademy .... with this you are insulting a pantheon of legends that included Conrad Hall, Gregg Toland, Freddie Young, Haskell Wexler, Geoffrey Unsworth, Sven Nykvist, Vilmos Zsigmond, Vittorio Storaro and many others of our time .... stop this now #Oscars2019 https://t.co/RS3OAaGkAz

— NK (@NaraayanKannan) February 12, 2019

A fan expresses disappointment over Oscar cuts:

First Oscars I am not going to see, it’s bullshit to actually hand Cinematography, Film Editing & Makeup and Hairstyling during commercials. It’s an insult to the craft and care of filmmaking. @TheAcademy #Oscars2019

— Ernesto Gutierrez (@gut_netillo) February 12, 2019

The Academy may be trying hard to shorten the ceremony but airing major category awards during the commercial break certainly doesn't seem to be the solution.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 12, 2019 11:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).