NEW OSCAR'S RULES: WILL CONSIDER FILMS THAT DIDN´T PLAY IN THEATERS

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made adjustments to the eligibility rules for the 2021 Oscars as a result of theater closings and film-festival cancellations amid the coronavirus pandemic. It also combined the two sound categories into a single one. “We want to be clear that the theatrical experience is the Academy’s priority and always will be,” said CEO Dawn Hudson, assuring that there are already plans to reopen theaters.

On Tuesday morning, the AMPAS Board of Governors voted to approve a new rule stating that films that premiere on VOD or streaming services can still qualify for the Oscars if their release plans were canceled due to theater closings. The films must be made available to academy members on the secure AMPAS screening platform and meet other eligibility requirements. Films that were made available via a canceled film festival’s online platform will also be allowed to qualify by providing proof of their participation in the festival. “The Academy supports our members and colleagues during this time of uncertainty,” said Hudson. “We recognize the importance of their work being seen and also celebrated, especially now, when audiences appreciate movies more than ever.”

The rule will end on a date that is yet to be determined, most likely after theaters in Los Angeles reopen. In addition, the rule that films must have qualifying runs in Los Angeles County will be changed to allow theatrical runs in New York City, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, and the Bay Area in Northern California to qualify films as well. Additional changes not related to the pandemic include combining the two sound categories, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing, into a single Best Achievement in Sound category. Academy’s Sound Branch collaborated with the decision and has been studying the feasibility of combining the categories for three years.

Up to six nominees may be awarded in the new category, the largest number for any Oscars category. This makes the sound categories the first Oscar categories to be eliminated since 1998 when the Best Original Musical or Comedy Score and Best Original Dramatic Score categories were combined into Best Original Score after a four-year run as separate categories. For the music category, an original score is now defined as consisting of at least 60% original music. For sequels and franchise films, scores must consist of 80% new material to qualify. The Board of Governors held a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss the changes. The April meeting is one during which the board always considers Academy Awards rule changes, but this year’s discussion was more complicated and more crucial because many of the traditional routes to Oscars qualifying have been shut down since early March. The procedure has also changed in the first phase of voting in the Academy’s Best International Feature Film category. Previously, voting was open only to members who see a certain number of qualifying films in a theater, but starting this year, all the eligible films will be made available on the members’ streaming platform, and all voting members of the Academy will be eligible as long as they see a minimum number of films.