The White House is looking to avoid troubled waters in the Academy Awards race as they announce there will not be any other film screenings after showing Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported that some believe the screening practice “has made Barack Obama a pawn in the Academy Awards race.” Other accusations include the White House’s favoritism toward Harvey Weinstein, a known Obama fundraiser.
Ever since Steven Speilberg’s Lincoln was shown at the White House in 2012, the president has allegedly been bombarded with requests for screenings of movies with deep social messages.
Adding to the controversy, filmmakers of 12 Years A Slave have questioned why the White House has omitted screening their film which displays a theme deeply embedded in our nation’s history. Weinstein counters the claims of Obama’s favoritism by pointing out that his Lee Daniel’s The Butler failed to receive an official White House screening.
