On Sunday, March 4, for the second consecutive year, Jimmy Kimmel took the Dolby Theater stage in Hollywood to host the show awarding the most prestigious achievements in filmmaking – The 90^th Academy Awards.

At AIC, many students were tuned in to find out which of their favorite moves and actors walked away with the big prize.

AIC sophomore Brianna Garcia shared what she found interesting about the ceremony.

“My favorite thing about the Oscars were the live performances and also that the movies that you least expected win,” Garcia said.

After an intense 2017 with the #MeToo movement and Time’s Up, Kimmel addressed these issues in his opening speech saying, “The Academy, as you are no doubt aware, took action last year to expel Harvey Weinstein from their ranks. There are a lot of great nominees, but Harvey deserved the most.”

He also added, “what happened with Harvey and what’s happening is long overdue. If we can work together to stop sexual harassment in the workplace, if we can do that, women will only have to deal with that every other place they go.”

There were more funny moments for the talk show host.

“Thanks to Guillermo del Toro, we will remember this year as the year men screwed up so badly, women starting dating fish,” Kimmel joked about the director’s Shape of Water that had thirteen nominations, the most of the night.

However, this year’s nominations were all about diversity, even the host of the night emphasized it stating, “this year, we have a lot to celebrate. Ceilings have been shattered.”

It’s important to acknowledge that changes have already been made.

Three years after the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite that protested against lack of color in nominations, Jordan Peele was the third person in Academy Award history to be nominated for directing, writing and Best Picture for his debut film, also became the first black winner in the Best Original Screenplay category for his acclaimed movie Get Out.

Pixar’s Coco, that talks about Mexican holiday Day of the Dead as well as the characters are voiced by Latino actors, took home the prizes for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song with “Remember Me”, which was seen as an important win for the Latino community.

Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water won four awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, becoming the fourth Mexican in five years to accomplish this achievement. In his acceptance speech he commented on his first win, “growing up in Mexico, I thought this could never happen. It happens. This is a door, kick it open and come in.”

One of the high points of the night was when Annabella Sciorra, Ashley Judd and Salma Hayek, three of the women that accused Harvey Weinstein of assault, joined on stage to acknowledge the #MeToo movement and introduce a Hollywood inclusion clip.

Many big names are included in the video clip, one of them being the only female nominee for Best Director for Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig. She encourages other women saying, “make your movie, we need your movie, I need your movie.”

Pakistan actor and writer nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Kumail Nanjiani also addressed diversity issues on the clip, “some of my favorite movies are by straight white dudes about straight white dudes. And now straight white dudes can watch movies about dudes like me, and you relate. It’s not that hard. I’ve done it all my life.”

A huge highlight of the night was Frances McDormand’s acceptance speech for Best Actress for her role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. She asked all women nominated to stand up. “Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed.”

McDormand also pleaded the industry to remember “inclusion riders,” a clause in movie contracts that lets actors demand diversity in front of the cameras as well as backstage.

AIC freshman and movie fan Josefine Stendahl shared her thoughts on this year’s Oscars.

“I wish Meryl Streep had won Best Actress, but Frances McDormand’s speech was amazing,” Stendahl said.

All in all, changes have started and it can mean a hopeful future.