Film industry can be 'narrow minded', says John Boyega's agent

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John BoyegaImage source, AP
Image caption,

John Boyega plays Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

John Boyega's agent says decision makers in film "reflect the world they live in" and can be "narrow minded".

Femi Oguns has been speaking to Newsbeat about diversity in the industry.

His comments come as the Oscars are hit by a fresh row about the lack of black nominees in the big categories.

Jada Pinkett Smith and director Spike Lee say they won't attend this year's ceremony because of it.

And Oguns says there is "a lot of catching up to do" in the movie world.

"These decision makers are normally white middle-class men who have not, in any way, invested an interest in trying to research, celebrate or understand other cultures," he tells Newsbeat.

"It's reflected upon the world they live in, which is quite narrow-minded and not open to receiving other cultures for what they actually represent."

So who decides on nominations?

If you're wondering who decides who's nominated, it's made up of 6,300 people in the film industry.

Of those, 94% are white and 77% are male.

The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite has been trending since the nominations were announced.

Academy Awards president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, tweeted that she was "heartbroken and frustrated" at the lack of inclusion in this years nominations.

Read her full statement here., external

He does, however, believe America is still much better than the UK for BAME acting career prospects.

Newsbeat spoke to some British black, Asian and minority ethnic people about how they feel about their identity.

Watch the YouTube video for: Do you tick the British box? , external

"There are so many more opportunities out there," he says.

"I've got 25 actors living out there full time.

"It's not about actors not getting a part. It's about them not having the opportunity to go for the roles."

He says that doesn't tend to happen in this country.

"It's not that hard to figure out.

"All we're asking for is for people to have open minds when it comes to castings.

"Whether that touches on race, sex or disability, we need need to be able to reflect the world we live in."

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