The Academy’s Board of Governors has launched the official awards guidelines and marketing campaign promotional rules for the 97th Academy Awards, to be held on March 2, 2025.
Whereas the largest change is the enlargement of the theatrical necessities for Greatest Image, there are different highlights of observe. That features animated characteristic movies submitted for Greatest Worldwide Characteristic Movie now with the ability to additionally submit for Greatest Animated Characteristic Movie if eligibility necessities outlined for each classes are met. There’s additionally a brand new eligibility interval for the Greatest Worldwide Characteristic Movie — November 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024 — and Greatest Unique Rating now permitting three composers to obtain particular person statuettes if, in uncommon circumstances, all of them contributed totally to the rating. Plus, the screenplay classes now require a closing taking pictures script to be a part of submissions and a handful of total title modifications and/or clarifications for a number of the awards The Academy fingers out on the separate Governors Awards and Scientific and Technical Awards ceremonies.
Equally, The Academy additionally up to date and clarified formatting and language within the marketing campaign promotional rules for the 97th Oscars. A lot of what was instated final yr in wake of the “To Leslie” marketing campaign scandal nonetheless stands, with the marketing campaign promotional rules specifying movement image corporations and people straight related to Oscars-eligible movement photos might promote such movement photos, achievements, and performances to Academy members and the way Academy members might promote Oscars-eligible movement photos, achievements, and performances. (See the total listing of guidelines and rules for the 97th Academy Awards right here.)
To elaborate on the theatrical requirement modifications, the simplest factor to first spotlight is that drive-in theaters will now not be a method of qualification—one of many final vestiges of diversifications made through the peak of COVID-19.
As soon as once more, for Academy Awards consideration, a characteristic movie will need to have a qualifying theatrical launch between January 1 and December 31 of this yr, with Dallas/Fort Price being added to the listing of qualifying U.S. cities a movie can open in for a one-week run in theaters (the others are Los Angeles County; the Metropolis of New York; the Bay Space; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and Atlanta, Georgia).
After that one-week preliminary qualifying run in no less than one of many aforementioned cities, a movie then has to now meet the next extra theatrical requirements for Greatest Image eligibility:
- Expanded theatrical run of seven days, consecutive or nonconsecutive, in 10 of the highest 50 U.S. markets, no later than 45 days after the preliminary launch in 2024.
- For late-in-the-year movies with expansions after January 10, 2025, distributors should submit launch plans to the Academy for verification.
- Launch plans for late-in-the-year movies should embrace a deliberate expanded theatrical run, as described above, to be accomplished no later than January 24, 2025.
- Non-U.S. territory releases can depend in the direction of two of the ten markets.
- Qualifying non-U.S. markets embrace the highest 15 worldwide theatrical markets plus the house territory for the movie.
Whereas these theatrical modifications might appear to be a little bit of a ache for Netflix, which has to date been resistant towards strong theatrical runs for its movies, the true concern is that the brand new guidelines make it even tougher for lower-budget movies from smaller distributors to have an opportunity at Greatest Image. Utilizing “To Leslie” for instance, the Oscar-nominated movie solely performed in six theaters after its SXSW breakout.
The information of rule and regulation modifications additionally comes with one other reminder after the 2025 Oscars date announcement to submit a RAISE kind proving one’s movie has met no less than two out of 4 of the Academy’s inclusion requirements as a way to be eligible for Greatest Image. Distributors and/or producing groups ought to submit for PGA Mark Certification or awards willpower as nicely no later than the date of the movie’s first business screening in its qualifying run.
See the most recent submission deadlines and extra key dates for the 97th Academy Awards under:
Thursday, August 15, 2024: First submission deadline for Animated Brief Movie, Documentary Characteristic Movie, Documentary Brief Movie and Reside Motion Brief Movie classes
Thursday, September 12, 2024: First submission deadline for Basic Entry classes, Animated Characteristic Movie, Greatest Image and RAISE kind
Wednesday, October 2, 2024: Submission deadline for Worldwide Characteristic Movie
Thursday, October 10, 2024: Last submission deadline for Animated Brief Movie, Documentary Brief Movie and Reside Motion Brief Movie classes
Thursday, October 17, 2024: Last submission deadline for Documentary Characteristic Movie
Friday, November 1, 2024: Submission deadline for Music (Unique Rating) and Music (Unique Tune) classes
Thursday, November 14, 2024: Last submission deadline for Basic Entry classes, Animated Characteristic Movie, Greatest Image and RAISE kind
Saturday, January 11, 2025: Make-up and Hairstyling, Sound and Visible Results nominating screenings (bake-offs)