By Bolarinwa Akande
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, popularly called Oscar, has published new guidelines for the 87th edition, holding on February 22, 2015.
For the Acting categories, studios and production companies must now limit eligibility to a maximum of 10 actors and 10 actresses for each film, and must submit those names on the Official Screen Credits (OSC) form.
Also, as against what obtains before, the Academy’s annual Reminder List of Eligible Releases will now list actors and actresses separately for each film. Actor Branch voters would still make their own determinations about whether a performance should be considered under the Leading Role or Supporting Role category on their nominations ballots.
Interestingly, the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal award-winning films in the Alternative, Animation, Narrative and Foreign Film categories at the 2014 Student Academy Awards will all be eligible for Oscar consideration in the Short Film categories. Also, the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in the Documentary category at the 2014 Student Academy Awards will be eligible for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category.
In the Animated Feature Film category, DVD screeners are now required as part of a film’s submission, while in the Documentary Feature category, films must now screen a minimum of four times daily during their qualifying theatrical releases in both New York and Los Angeles. The Academy says the screenings must begin between noon and 10 p.m., and at least one screening daily must begin between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
For the Music (Original Song) category, songwriters from established musical groups may now have the option to request that their song submission be considered under their group name. If the request is approved and the song wins the Original Song award, the group would receive a single statuette.
In determining the number of producers on a motion picture who are eligible for nomination under the Best Picture category, a two-person producing team shall be considered a single “producer” if the individuals have had an established producing partnership for at least the previous five years and have produced as a team, at least two previous theatrically released feature films, instead of a minimum five theatrically released feature films.
In the Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories, films that have received prior nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution may now qualify for Academy Awards consideration by winning a festival award on the Short Films Qualifying Festival List. Without a festival win, the nontheatrical distribution prior to a theatrical release would still disqualify a short film’s eligibility.
The Academy also has launched its new Awards Submissions platform for entering information required for Academy Awards consideration. This replaces its previous submissions site for feature films, and now includes the ability to submit online for the Animated Feature Film category. Submitting individuals are encouraged to register now at submissions.oscars.org.