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The three people at the Oscars who weren't shocked by the best picture fiasco

Garry Maddox

While the biggest names in Hollywood were stunned as the Oscars descended into chaos, there were at least three guests who were just enjoying the entertainment.

Having come from a small village without electricity in Vanuatu, the colourfully dressed members of the Yakel tribe from the Australian film Tanna were completely unflustered amid the confusion when La La Land was wrongly named best picture. "We had La La Land producers around us who were on their feet shouting, which quickly turned to shock," says Australian nominee Bentley Dean, who directed Tanna with Martin Butler. "Then there were yelps of anguish but also excitement and celebration."

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The 87th Academy Awards end with a major bungle as La La Land is wrongly announced as winning best picture instead of Moonlight. Vision courtesy A.M.P.A.S.

Dean says the Yakel trio – J.J. Nako, Lingai Kowia and his daughter Selin – loved the awards after being warmly received dancing in traditional dress on the red carpet. And during the dramatic scenes as Moonlight was named best picture after almost two minutes of speeches by the La La Land producers, they saw it as "all part of the entertainment, which was my point of view too".

Not far away in the Dolby Theatre, right behind two young members of the Moonlight team, Australian visual effects nominee Jason Billington was just as stunned as most of the audience. While he says everyone initially thought it was a joke, confusion took over when Moonlight was announced the winner. "The whole audience gasped," he says. "Then a cheer erupted from the Moonlight guys."

Disappointed but philosophical about The Jungle Book winning best visual effects ahead of Deepwater Horizon – "it was such an amazing accomplishment" – Billington says Oscar guests seemed to forget about the stuff-up during the Governors Ball afterwards. "It wasn't until the morning after, seeing it in the news, it was like 'oh wow, it was a big deal'."

As the fall-out continues, it's clear the biggest fiasco in Oscars history will have an impact next year ...

  • Having failed so spectacularly, the system of having partners from accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers with a set of winner's cards on each side of the stage – to be handed to presenters from whichever side they enter from – will have to change. Even with one set of envelopes, Event Management 101 suggests the winner will need to be double- or triple-checked before the presenters get the envelope from now on.
  • When there are two stuff-ups – the other being the wrong photo in the In Memoriam segment for designer Janet Patterson – it's clear that new systems are needed. And possibly new personnel.
  • With Moonlight winning best picture – plus adapted screenplay wins for writer-director Barry Jenkins and acting awards for Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) and Viola Davis (Fences), the Academy's overhaul to make its membership more diverse has clearly worked. Long may it continue.
  • It's also clear that small films have every chance at the Oscars, even if they fail to win any of the key lead-up awards. Moonlight cost just $2 million; Tanna cost even less at $1 million.
  • The lighthearted tone that host Jimmy Kimmel struck – with entertaining digs at A-list stars and President Trump and the freewheeling tour bus segment – worked well for an awards that is too often self-important and slow. While the ceremony moved quickly, it was still the longest in 10 years at three hours 49 minutes. With American TV viewer numbers down to the lowest in nine years, the organisers would be wise to make it shorter and more widely appealing next year. And - it goes without saying - get the best picture winner right first time round.

Australia is a small player in the film world, producing just 20 to 30 films a year, but has now won eight Oscars from 24 nominations in two years. With three records this year –14 nominations, two films up for best picture and a debut for best foreign-language film – that's a pretty decent record. Long may that continue too.

Twitter @gmaddox