Touted to be Hollywood’s most prestigious awards, the Oscars honour individuals for their artistic and technical merit. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) recently approved new rules pertaining to the awards and campaign protocols.
For a film to qualify for the best picture category, it must now screen for at least one week in each of these six major metropolitan areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Atlanta and the newly added Dallas-Fort Worth. Further, the films must submit the Academy Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry (RAISE) form while meeting at least two out of the four requirements.
In another major development, animated films vying for the Best International Feature category can also be considered for the Best Animated Feature in case they meet the requirements.
The new rules also open up more scope for music composers, with an increase in the number of shortlists for the Best Score category from 15 to 20 titles. Earlier, composers were required to submit as a group. However, up to three composers can now receive individual Oscar statuettes in case they have made a significant contribution towards the film’s soundtrack.
For screenplay nominations, writers must compulsorily submit their final scripts for consideration in either the Original Screenplay or Adapted Screenplay category.
The Governor’s Awards are set to welcome some changes as well. These include an Oscar statuette instead of the traditional bust for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, and a refined version of The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which will recognise the promotion of human welfare and address inequities.
This set of revised rules will apply for the 97th edition of the Academy Awards which is scheduled to take place on March 2 next year.
