Sean Penn's charge shakes the Academy as boss breaks silence

Sean Penn’s strong comments about the Academy came back into the news when its chief, Bill Kramar, finally spoke about them at the Marrakech Film Festival. 

Penn said the Academy showed “cowardice,” which created a lot of noise in Hollywood.

Bill did not get emotional or defensive when the question came up, as he said that he would not share exactly how he felt at that moment because he did not want his reaction to become a headline. 

Instead, the 59-year-old CEO talked about how he tried to handle any kind of feedback.

He explained that the Academy had eleven thousand members who all got different views about films, awards and the organisation itself. 

However, Bill further said that he always tried to listen with an open heart, even when the comments were harsh or public. 

He believed that serving the film world meant taking every opinion seriously.

The current CEO of the Academy also highlighted the fact that not every issue could be fixed quickly, but every voice still mattered. 

According to him, even comments that felt upsetting could guide the Academy to improve or think in a new way, saying these tough moments could turn into lessons.

Earlier, Penn claimed the Academy limited imagination and cultural expression, as his answer showed that he respected the criticism and wanted to learn from it rather than argue back. 

The exchange added to the ongoing discussion about how the Academy should grow and respond to the changing film world.