Sony hack hangs over Oscar ceremony

Although it wasn’t mentioned directly, the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack continued to hang over the movie industry Sunday night during the Academy Awards.

“As we stand on this stage with the eyes of the world upon us, we as a filmmaking community have a responsibility,” said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Oscars. “A responsibility to ensure that no one’s voice is silenced by threats.”

{mosads}Her comments were a reference to the crippling cyberattack that took down Sony’s networks for months and nearly caused the film studio to cancel the release of big-budget comedy “The Interview,” after the hackers threatened any theater showing the film.

The U.S. government said North Korea orchestrated the digital assault as retaliation for “The Interview,” which depicts the assassination of its leader, Kim Jong Un.

Sony’s initial decision to cancel the film’s theatrical release was highly criticized and launched a discussion about free speech. The studio eventually released “The Interview” online and in a limited number of independent theaters.

Isaacs said the film industry has “a responsibility to ensure that different opinions can be shared without fear of personal or professional attack. A responsibility to protect freedom of expression.”

Everyone from actors to lawmakers to President Obama himself decried the cyberattack, calling it a game-changing moment for cyberspace and free speech.

Senate Armed Forces Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said it was “the greatest blow to free speech that I’ve seen in my lifetime probably.”

Boone Isaacs made the case that the Oscars encourage filmmakers not to be cowed by fear of repercussions.

“We honor the courage of filmmakers who cross borders and test boundaries, who give voice to challenging ideas and alternative points of view, and who encourage us to see the world and those around us in new ways,” she said.