Academy Awards announce no change in rules for streaming platforms

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ announced today that there will be no change in eligibility rules for the Oscars. This is good news for all the streaming platforms as there were speculations that they may not be allowed in the Oscars due to their release practices. Below are all the details you would like to know about the same.

After the buzz around the criteria changes for any streaming giants, today in Los Angeles, a board of governors meeting was held which voted to maintain the status quo. According to which any feature-length film can be considered for the Oscars but it should have at least a seven-day run, with three public screenings each day. The films can be released on any streaming platform, for example, Netflix and Amazon Prime and still be eligible for the Academy Awards. Academy President John Bailey in a statement said, “We support the theatrical experience as integral to the art of motion pictures, and this weighed heavily in our discussions. Our rules currently require a theatrical exhibition. And also allow for a broad selection of films to be submitted for Oscar
considerations.” The statement further says, “We plan to further study the profound changes occurring in our industry and continue discussions with our members about these issues.”

The spotlight came to the topic when in Oscar 2019, Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma; a Spanish black and white film won three Oscars and made it big at the Academy. While produced and distributed by Netflix, the film had a three-week theatrical run before releasing on the platform. The theatre giants seemed to have not liked the concept and demanded for a 90 days gap between the release in theatres and platforms. Director Steven Spielberg also supported the theatres and also stated that he would appeal the Academy to revisit considering films that do not have a significant theatrical release.