Oscar awaits new protector

There's a job vacancy in town -- a damn good job at that -- but it's not the sort of position you can simply apply for. You have to be a member of an elite organization if you want to campaign for it, but, in doing so, you must be especially cool and cautious. And you must avoid invoking Obama-like words such as "change" -- the organization you'll be running does not covet change. The presidency of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has been ably filled these last four years by Sid Ganis, a man who deploys the mix of diplomacy and pragmatism favored by his conservative constituency. Ganis waited until the final days of his reign before unveiling a surprise package -- the number of Oscar nominated films would go from five to 10 starting next year. The announcement startled many Academy members who, as we said, never... [read full story]                    

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