In a massive volte face, this week we see the Oscars announce that streaming-only debuts will be removed from eligibility for the ceremony. It’s an intriguing move, being played off as ‘a return to normal’, but in an industry increasingly dominated by streaming offerings, is that really indicative of reality? Entertainment attorney Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A, unpacks the news.
Eligibility Changes
Once again, films must have a theatrical debut to qualify. Day and date-style releases will be acceptable, but the theater run must be at least seven consecutive days, with at least one showing a day, across six major metropolitan areas approved by the committee. The locations remain the same as always- the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, LA, and New York.
The eligibility window also returns to normal, as opposed to the extended windows we saw over the pandemic era. There’s been a small change to the Best Song category, too, with no more than three songs from a single film eligible for nomination.
Updated Campaign Guidelines
There’s also been some tweaks to the award campaign guidelines, intended to “maintain a high degree of fairness and transparency” in promotion tactics. These address how promotional material and screenings can be distributed, as well as how much ‘hospitality’ can be sent to members and how they are contacted.
Some takeaways include the banning of ‘anything of value or promotional materials’ being distributed at screenings, and a block on hospitality and entertainment being offered as part of screenings in the period between nominations and the polls closing. Limits have been set on the amount of email material members can receive about films, and the music branch has had some particularly stringent rules applied. Consequences for infringement include everything from a film becoming non-eligible to expulsion from the academy.
It’s nice to see some tightening of the rules in order to ensure films receive a fair chance. The removal of screening eligibility at a time when the digital push is stronger than ever is a little more perplexing. It will be interesting to see how that one develops over the course of the next year. We will, as always, keep you informed.
