Films released only in streaming will be eligible for the Oscars 2021
The Hollywood Academy is very reluctant to change when it comes to giving films opportunities for their long-awaited Oscars. But in the 2021 installment we are going to see a small temporary change, because they will allow nominating films that have only gone through digital streaming and not by cinemas.
For those who do not understand this change: in a normal environment, the Academy only allows films, short films and documentaries that have been on the billboards in New York or Los Angeles for a week, or in one of the 70 festivals, to be submitted to the Oscars. from renowned cinemas throughout the United States.
Streaming cinema is worth nominating this year
These rules are very strict because the Academy is very conservative. That's why Netflix had to screen The Irishman in a few theaters to be able to submit Martin Scorsese's film, or why the American distributor of the anime film Your Name screened it for a week in a few theaters at the end of December 2016, but its official public release was in 2017 so it could be submitted for Best Animated Feature. But due to the coronavirus, that's not currently possible because it's unknown when movie theaters will reopen.
Due to this exceptional situation, the Academy has decided to lift this restriction. But only for the edition of the Oscars in 2021, and from distributors that had planned to release the film at some point in 2020 in American theaters. And if they open theaters in the rest of the country before Los Angeles, they will accept the premieres in Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, and San Francisco.
The Academy insists that the best way to enjoy movies is in theaters. They're not going to change their stance or start accepting films from Netflix, Amazon, or HBO that have only been available on streaming. The Oscars remain a celebration of the Hollywood machine and depend heavily on movie theaters, which are nearing bankruptcy and were furious with Universal for allowing the digital release of Trolls 2.
Source: Engadget
