Eligibilty for Academy Awards

[Ned]

The NY Times says many movies eligible for the Academy Awards have not been seen or cannot be seen by most Americans because they are not widely distributed or are not distributed beyond certain cities on either coast. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/03/mo...ei=5070&oscars

The article says the Academy is aware of the problem, but is unwilling to interfere with "distribution." However, I think there should be more than just a requirement of appearing in a movie theater somewhere in the US during the caledar year. I think there should also be a distribution requirement of some sort that would guarantee that most Americans would have the opportunity to see the film before the calendar year expires.

What say you?

[Pekka]

I agree.

[Japher]

I think it's fine.

I do, however, wonder how they get nominated in the first place.

I think the nominations help get the movies the distribution they deserve.

[MRT144]

is it really the "whats most popular among stupid southerners?" awards?

[Japher]

I don't think the awards are suppose to be about popularity, else they'd end up like the Grammys

[MRT144]

exactly, thats why it doesnt matter how many people see it

[JohnT]

However, I think there should be more than just a requirement of appearing in a movie theater somewhere in the US during the caledar year.

Actually, the movie has to appear in Los Angeles County. If it is a breakaway artistic and financial success, but has never been released in LA Co., it is ineligible.

And I disagree with the proposition. The Academy Awards, for all their flaws, are not a popularity contest akin to the People's Choice Awards. They are technical and artistic awards given to people in the film community by the film community. Given their nature and the fact that there likely isn't a film industry person at all in Dubuque, there is no need for the people in Dubuque to have seen the movie prior to the nominations and awards.

Following are the eligiblity requirements (http://academyawards.20m.com/rules.htm) :

1. Eligibility for Academy Award consideration is subject to Rules Two and Three, and to those special rules approved by the Board of Governors which follow.

2. All eligible motion pictures, unless otherwise noted (see Paragraph 9 below), must be:
a. feature length (defined as over 40 minutes),
b. publicly exhibited by means of 35mm or 70mm film, or in a 24-frame progressive scan digital format (minimum native resolution 1280 by 1024 pixels), delivered to the screen by an image and sound file format suitable for exhibition in existing commercial digital cinema sites,
c. for paid admission in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County,
d. for a run of at least seven consecutive days,
e. advertised and exploited during its Los Angeles run in a manner considered
normal and customary to the industry, and
f. within the awards year deadlines specified in Rule Three.

3. Films which receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a
theatrical motion picture release will not be eligible for Academy Awards in any category. (This
includes broadcast and cable television, as well as home video marketing and internet
transmission.)

4. Eligibility is contingent on the receipt by the Academy of the following information on
Official Screen Credits forms obtained from the Academy, to be signed by the film's producer or
distributor (unless waived by the Academy) which shall include:
a. full, complete and authentic credits,
b. the name of the Los Angeles County theater where the film has played, and
c. the dates of the Los Angeles run.

5. Eligibility for all awards shall first be determined by credits as they appear on the screen
and/or as certified to the Academy by the producing companies, but final determination in any
event shall be made by the Academy. The Academy shall not be bound by any contract or
agreement relating to the sharing or giving of credit and reserves the right to make its own
determination of credit for purposes of award consideration.

6. In the event of any dispute concerning credits, the Academy reserves the right to declare any
achievement ineligible or, alternatively, to reject all claims to credit, list credits as being in
controversy and withhold any award until the dispute is resolved.

7. The alteration of an achievement by changing a picture from the version shown in Los
Angeles County, upon which eligibility is based, shall subject such achievement to the risk of
being declared ineligible by the Board of Governors.

8. Motion pictures from all countries shall be eligible for the annual awards listed previously in
Rule One Paragraph 3, as long as they satisfy the requirements of the other applicable rules, and
contain English sub-titles if released in a foreign language.

9. Exceptions to the eligibility requirements and methods of qualifying listed in Rules Two and
Three appear in the Special Rules for the Animated Feature Film Award (see Rule Seven), the
Documentary Awards (see Rule Twelve), the Foreign Language Film Award (see Rule
Fourteen), the Music Awards (see Rule Sixteen), and the Short Films Awards (see Rule
Nineteen).

[The Emperor Fabulous]

I used to live in Dubuque...

[JohnT]

Were you in the film industry then?

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Does a local commercial count?

[JohnT]

No.

[Japher]

I bet JohnT didn't even have to look that crap up...

What's the name of that movie forum?