The Academy has announced new rules for the upcoming season impacting films in the international feature film, animation, original score, and screenwriting categories
Animated features submitted in the international feature film category will now become eligible for consideration in the animated feature film category if eligibility requirements outlined for both categories are met.
The new eligibility period for the international feature film category runs from November 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
In the music (original score) category, the shortlist will increase from 15 to 20 titles, and three composers will be allowed to receive individual statuettes if they all contributed fully to the score.
In prior seasons three composers were required to submit as a group. The rules now clarify the definition of a group as a recognised band.
In the screenwriting categories the Academy now requires campaigners to submit a final shooting script.
Heading into the 97th Academy Awards season, there are also changes in the testimonial awards presented at the Governors Awards. The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, given to a creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production, will now be presented as an Oscar statuette.
The definition of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award has been revised to clarify the broad term humanitarian efforts, and will be “given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities”.
Two special awards presented at the Scientific and Technical Awards have been renamed: Gordon E. Sawyer Award to ‘Scientific and Technical Lifetime Achievement Award’, and John A. Bonner Award to ‘Scientific and Technical Service Award’.
For Oscar consideration, a feature must have a qualifying theatrical release between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024. Drive-in theaters will no longer be a means of qualification, and the six qualifying US metropolitan areas will now include Dallas-Fort Worth, in addition to Los Angeles County, the City of New York, the Bay Area, Chicago, Illinois, and Atlanta, Georgia.
As previously announced, a change to support theatre-going sees campaigners in the best picture category now mandated to expand the theatrical footprint no later than 45 days after the initial qualifying release.
Once a film has received its initial one-week theatrical release in one of six qualifying US markets, it must meet certain additional theatrical standards for best picture eligibility.
Click here to read previous Screendaily report on the change.
As previously announced, eligibility for consideration in the best picture category remains contingent upon submission of a confidential Academy Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry (RAISE) form, with the film required to meet two of the four standards.
Distributors and/or producing teams should submit for PGA Mark Certification or awards determination no later than the date of the film’s first commercial screening in its qualifying run.
The 97th annual Academy Awards will take place on March 2, 2025. The timetable is here.
Submission deadlines and additional key dates announced on Monday:
August 15, 2024: first submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories
September 12, 2024: first submission deadline for General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture and RAISE form
October 2, 2024: submission deadline for International Feature Film
October 10, 2024: final submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories
October 17, 2024: final submission deadline for Documentary Feature Film
November 1, 2024: submission deadline for Music (Original Score) and Music (Original Song) categories
November 14, 2024: final submission deadline for General Entry categories, Animated Feature Film, Best Picture and RAISE form
January 11, 2025: make-up and Hairstyling, Sound and Visual Effects nominating screenings (bake-offs)
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