“The historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception,” Academy officials say
The Academy’s board of governors temporarily waived its requirement that a film must have a week-long theatrical run in a commercial movie theater in Los Angeles in order to qualify for Oscars consideration.
Under the new rule, films that are released digitally without a theater release are eligible for consideration. A caveat is that only films that initially had a planned theatrical release will be eligible. The movie must also be available on the Academy Screening Room members-only streaming site within 60 days of the film’s streaming or video-on-demand 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.
The Academy also announced changes for the sound mixing and sound editing categories. The two will now be combined into one best sound category, which brings the number of Oscars presented during the telecast down from 24 to 23. Meanwhile, the original score category now has a requirement that at least 60 percent of the film’s score must be original.
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