Sean Penn accuses the Academy Awards of cowardice

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) – Sean Penn on Tuesday blasted organizers of the Academy Awards for being cowards who in effect limit the kinds of films that can be financed and made.

The 64-year-old actor said at the Marrakech Film Festival that he only gets excited about the Oscars on the rare occasion that films he appreciates are nominated.

“The producers of the Academy have shown really extraordinary cowardice when it comes to being part of the world of expression and have actually helped to a great extent to limit the imagination and limit different cultural expressions,” Penn said at the festival, where he received a career achievement in this week.

“I don’t get very excited about what we want to call the Oscars,” he said, noting exceptions when certain films grace the ceremony, including Sean Baker’s ” The Florida Project“,” Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” and Jacques Audiard ” Emilia Perez. “

Penn’s remarks dovetail with longstanding criticism of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a lack of diversity within the ranks of its members and the films they celebrate with awards.

It has in recent years steps taken to reform and rebrand itself, but has faced criticism for not going far enough. The academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Penn also praised Iranian-Danish director Ali Abassi and his latest film ” The apprentice ” about President Donald Trump. It had difficulty finding a US distributor in the run-up to the US election in November.

“It’s kind of amazing how scared this ‘maverick company’ is when they get such a great movie with great, great acting,” he said. “They, too, can be just as scared as an odd little Republican congressman.”

As part of a career tribute, the Marrakech Film Festival is screening four of Penn’s films this week in Morocco’s tourist capital. Local media in Morocco reported more audiences finishes a screening of “Milk” during a scene that depicted two men in bed. Homosexuality is illegal under Morocco’s criminal code, although cases are not often prosecuted.

The actor whose 2023 film ” Superpower ” documenting war in Ukraine, also expressed support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called himself a “patriot in crisis” in response to a question about the American political landscape.