Academy To Accept Streaming Films For Next Oscars?

The Coronavirus has devastated everyone, every industry, including the film industry. The pandemic  has left many people re-assess things and today The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science have changed. It seems the Academy are set to open the door for Streaming films to be eligible for the 2021 Oscars.

This news comes with no surprise, especially  the lack of releases that could qualify for nominations.  In the awards 90 plus years, it finds itself in a unique position and has no option to adapt. For any film to qualify for nominations, it would have been having  some form of theatrical release. After this the film must be made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service may qualify in the Best Picture.

For those films that fall under general entry and specialty categories,the film must be made available on an  Academy in a special  screening Room for  member-only streaming site. It also look like this will also be the last year DVD screeners will be given out to voters. Like many things, everything is going digital.

However if cinemas do re-open with all health restrictions in place , the new rules won’t apply. Which means everything will be reverted back to that standard Academy qualifying requirements. That would mean the films once again playing in key cities for a certain length of time to be considered.

Other changes for the next Oscars, will be Sound Mixing and Sound Editing. This news will frustrate last year’s nominees such as 1917, Le Mans’66, but it’s a logical move as many people don’t know the difference. Best Original score, films must have at least 60% original music to qualify.

So far Trolls World Tour would be eligible under these new rules. Sadly Hugh Jackman‘s Bad Education won’t be as it wasn’t attended for cinemas.

The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony is still slated to take place 28th February, 2021.

Source: THR