Posted on 05/02/2020 12:56:51 AM PDT by nickcarraway
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has tweaked its Oscar eligibility rules in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
During a meeting on Tuesday, the board of governors approved a temporary hold on the requirement that a film needs a seven-day theatrical run in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County to qualify for the Oscars.
Instead, films will be allowed to be released digitally without playing in theaters. However, that doesn’t mean any movie premiering on a streaming service is eligible for Oscar gold. To be considered, the streamed film must have already had a planned theatrical release. The film must also be made available on the Academy Screening Room member-only streaming site within 60 days of the film’s streaming or VOD release.
“The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theater,” Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement. “Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering. Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules. The Academy supports our members and colleagues during this time of uncertainty. We recognize the importance of their work being seen and also celebrated, especially now, when audiences appreciate movies more than ever.”
Once movie theaters are allowed to re-open, the seven-day window will once again be required for eligibility. Pics that have already streamed will not have to then be released in theaters. When theaters re-open, the Academy will also expand the number of qualifying theaters beyond Los Angeles County to include venues in New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta.
The Academy also announced that it will eliminate an Oscar category. The sound mixing and sound editing categories will be combined into one award, reducing the total number of categories presented on the show to 23. This change was initiated by the sound branch.
Also, for the first time, all Academy members will be invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting for international feature film. Members will have to meet a minimum viewing requirement to be allowed to vote.
In the original score category, the board voted that a score must comprise a minimum of 60% original music. Additionally, for sequels and franchise films, a score must have a minimum of 80% new music.
In keeping with the Academy’s ongoing efforts to be more sustainable, the board also voted to eliminate DVD screeners. Like the TV academy edict, DVD mailers will be banned after this year. In October, the Academy expanded its Streaming Room platform to include best picture hopefuls following its addition of documentaries, animated films and shorts. Distributors are charged $12,500 per movie to screen on the platform.
The 93rd Oscars telecast will air Feb. 28, 2021 on ABC.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is also making changes to its film eligibility rules for the 2021 Golden Globes, including allowing studios to provide screening links for voting members instead of having films played at third-party facilities.
Instead of only considering movies released in theaters, or made available on pay-per-view cable or pay-per-view digital delivery (not subscription cable or digital delivery) in the greater Los Angeles area for a minimum seven days before Dec. 31, the HFPA will now consider titles that had a theatrical release planned to begin in Los Angeles starting March 15, with no cut-off date.
SAG Awards eligibility rules are expected to be announced in July.
>>Also, for the first time, all Academy members will be invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting for international feature film. Members will have to meet a minimum viewing requirement to be allowed to vote.
Requirements to vote??!
Hollywood loves it when low information Democrats stuff ballots in political elections.
Excuse me, but am I supposed to care what the Hollyweirdos are doing?
Not only care, but be in awe ;-)
There won't be any theaters left when this is over.
Anyhow, this frees up producers to send their prestige films straight to Netflix without even bothering with a token week-long theatrical release to qualify for contention. Hollywood has been asking for this. They know the movie theater's days are coming to an end. CV was the death blow.
Well then I guess big budget movies are going that way too.because there are certain types of movies people go into theaters to see.
No, they won’t. It doesn’t matter though: it will be the same political lefty lovefest as it is every year. Forrest Gump should have won, not Pulp Fiction, the blood-soaked Tarantino nihilist piece of crap.
Of course! We must all bow down before our liberal overlords! ;)
....and still no one will watch their telecast! My suggestion is to make it all female, no one over 24 and do it topless! I might watch.
No new movies. Theaters are closed. What are the Oscars about, and does it include more than 50 people in a room together?
Forrest Gump cleaned up at the 67th Academy Awards, beating out Pulp Fiction for Best Picture. Additionally, Director Rober Zemeckis beat out Quentin Tarantino, and Tom Hanks beat John Travolta for Best Actor.
PF won Best Original Screenplay (a category FG wasn't nominated in, having won Best Adapted Screenplay).
We now know that China owns the larges theater chain in the world (AMC). I wonder how much influence China has on the content of movies being made today?
“Me too”
Well in the long run, this is going to affect movie production.
I think I’ve only read about one program that has resumed taping new episodes.
And since this is global, it isn’t like Hollywood can play their usual trick and duck out to Canada or Eastern Europe to shoot cheaply.
Chinese influence on movies can be seen in Disney, where they have added additional scenes to the avengers and other films and where they have restricted some content and movies that are seeing globally.
My thoughts exactly! Why should I, or any clear thinking person, give a damn what these self righteous coots do. sheesh
why not?
they already nominate Films That People Didn’t See (no interest or even only screened 1 week in Hollywood)
Oscar has a fever and dry cough.
Pass ‘em around to all them fine folks in the Academy that say silly things like if ‘We only gave Communism a real chance’.
Oscar has a fever and dry cough.
Pass ‘em around to all them fine folks in the Academy that say silly things like if ‘We only gave Communism a real chance’.
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