MATT PETIT / A.M.P.A.S. / HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
In another rule change caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMPAS has instituted several rule changes for the following Academy Awards yesterday.
One of the major changes included in these is about the eligibility period. Instead of the usual period of January 1 to December 31 as per Academy rules, the recently released amendment states that the eligibility period for this year is now from January 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021.
While not a big surprise in itself, this is a disappointing move on the Academy’s part.
This article will discuss why I think this is bad not just for the Academy, but also for the films released this year.
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Academy rules state that for a film to be eligible for the Academy Awards, it must have had a minimum of seven consecutive days of run in a theater in Los Angeles County. However, theaters in LA have all been mandated to close because of the pandemic as early as March.
Due to this health measure, many of the big studio releases were forced to delay their supposed theatrical run. Meanwhile, other films opted the path of streaming/VOD release instead of waiting for the uncertain return of the theatrical experience.
In a rule change announced in April 28, the Academy said that films released via streaming or VOD will be eligible for Oscar consideration, provided that the film had a previously planned theatrical release. This move already assuaged musings about this year not having enough films in consideration.
In my opinion, this actually levels the playing field, especially for some smaller films that find it difficult to penetrate the increasingly homogenized landscape of the theater chains. This rule change gives the chance for Academy members to actually get the chance to watch the films since most, if not all, are staying at home.
But that was not enough.
With the extension of the eligibility period, the Academy highlights their longstanding but unsaid bias: they prioritize films that would fall under the traditional Oscar fare category so they do not think this year in film could not stand on its own as worthy of Oscar attention.
Let’s see how this impacts the Oscar race.
Warner Bros.
Major studios are on a standstill with regards to their releases. Given the pace of how the medical community is handling the pandemic (and we’re not yet getting into the ineffectiveness of some governments), there are already films that whose releases were postponed. Other “upcoming” releases, some even poised to have considerable Oscar buzz, are sure to be affected by this. They include:
| TITLE |
STUDIO |
ORDA |
NRDB |
| A Quiet Place Part II |
Paramount |
March 20 |
September 20 |
| No Time to Die |
Universal |
April 2 |
November 20 |
| Promising Young Woman |
Focus |
April 17 |
TBA |
| Black Widow |
Disney/Marvel |
May 1 |
November 6 |
| The Personal History of David Copperfield |
Searchlight |
May 8 |
August 14 |
| The Woman in the Window |
Disney/Fox 2000 |
May 15 |
TBA |
| The Green Knight |
A24 |
May 29 |
TBA |
| Wonder Woman 1984 |
Warner Bros. |
June 5 |
October 20 |
| In the Heights |
Warner Bros. |
June 18 |
June 18, 2021 |
| Tenet |
Warner Bros. |
July 17 |
July 31 |
| The French Dispatch |
Searchlight |
July 24 |
October 16 |
| The Eternals |
Disney/Marvel |
November 6 |
February 12, 2021 |
A ORD – original release date
B NRD – new release date
Other films expected to be Oscar contenders have not yet changed their release dates. These include:
| TITLE |
STUDIO |
ORD |
| The Nest |
IFC |
September 18 |
| The Trial of the Chicago 7 |
Paramount |
September 25 |
| The Father |
SPC |
November 20 |
| Dune |
Warner Bros. |
December 18 |
| West Side Story |
20th Century |
December 18 |
| The Last Duel |
20th Century |
December 25 |
| News of the World |
Universal/Sony |
December 25 |
| Respect |
Universal |
December 25 |
Meanwhile, films like Nomadland (Searchlight), Ammonite (Neon), and Minari (A24) have still not announced any release dates, tentative or otherwise.
In summary, these are the reasons why the Academy decided to extend the eligibility period. Whether because films have stalled in post-productions, filming have not yet completed, or some studios and filmmakers simply refuse to release in a non-theatrical setting.
In a joint statement by Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson, they said:
“Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control.”
In an article from Variety, an Academy member is quoted saying:
“This is a much needed boost for those films who may have been stalled in post-production.”
While the intentions are probably noble, this also puts into question the Academy’s priorities.
Why wait for these films – majority of those from major studios – to be released?
Films continue to premiere during the pandemic through different platforms. Hence, the rule change to allow them to be eligible despite not premiering in the theaters.
It would be remiss to not mention the landscape change in reference to the Oscars: films premiering in film festivals, especially in Europe (Cannes, Berlin, Venice) and North America (Telluride, Toronto), get the chance to be picked up for distribution and could become formidable Oscar contenders.
But aside from that, studios already have their films ready at this point. We already have a general who’s who of the Oscar contenders at this point.
What is stopping them from abiding from the earlier released change of allowing streaming? And does the studios’ insistence on a theatrical run have cowed the Academy into submission, resulting into this additional two months for the eligibility?
Because we all know who will benefit from this – the major studios.
You know who are put at a disadvantage at this? The films that were released earlier this year.
Universal
By doing the extension, the Academy marginalizes the films that were already released earlier this year. They are already facing an uphill climb in making sure they are still in the voters’ minds come awards season. Additional two months of more films premiering will definitely not help them.
Sure, not all of the films that were already released fall into what we call traditional Oscar fare. But by doing this, the Academy is discounting the achievements of these films just because they did not fit the mold of films they usually prefer. (I mean, they do, but they didn’t have to be this obvious.)
To give a fair diagnosis of what do we already have this year, let’s see some of the films already released in theaters:
| RD |
TITLE |
STUDIO |
RT |
MT |
| January 31 |
The Assistant |
Bleecker |
91 |
79 |
| February 7 |
Birds of Prey |
Warner Bros. |
78 |
60 |
| February 7 |
The Lodge |
Neon |
74 |
64 |
| February 14 |
Ordinary Love |
Focus |
93 |
73 |
| February 21 |
Emma. |
Focus |
86 |
71 |
| February 21 |
Premature |
IFC |
94 |
81 |
| February 28 |
The Invisible Man |
Universal |
91 |
72 |
| March 6 |
First Cow |
A24 |
96 |
90 |
| March 6 |
Sorry We Missed You |
Kino Lorber |
88 |
82 |
| March 6 |
Swallow |
IFC |
90 |
67 |
| March 6 |
The Way Back |
Warner Bros. |
84 |
68 |
| March 13 |
Never Rarely Sometimes Always |
Focus |
99 |
91 |
Those are practically the films that one might see having Oscar potential that were actually released in cinemas. Most of them are genre films (superhero, horror, sports) that did well at the box-office that were also well-received. The others are smaller independent films that got considerable critical acclaim.
After that, almost, if not all films, went to streaming/VOD for their releases. Some releases include:
| RD |
TITLE |
STUDIO |
RT |
MT |
| April 24 |
True History of the Kelly Gang |
IFC |
78 |
75 |
| May 5 |
Blue Story |
Paramount |
91 |
69 |
| May 7 |
Driveways |
FilmRise |
100 |
83 |
| May 8 |
Hope Gap |
Curzon |
61 |
58 |
| May 22 |
Military Wives |
Bleecker |
75 |
55 |
| May 29 |
End of Sentence |
Gravitas |
93 |
75 |
| May 29 |
The High Note |
Focus |
70 |
58 |
| June 5 |
Shirley |
Neon |
88 |
77 |
| June 12 |
The King of Staten Island |
Universal |
71 |
68 |
Just this month of June, upcoming VOD releases include Babyteeth, Miss Juneteenth, Mr. Jones, Viena and the Fantomes, and Irresistible.
Netflix
Serving as the go-to source of entertainment now more than ever, streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu continued to release films during the pandemic. Some releases include:
| RD |
TITLE |
STUDIO |
RT |
MT |
| January 16 |
Jezebel |
Netflix |
89 |
80 |
| January 27 |
Horse Girl |
Netflix |
72 |
61 |
| March 13 |
Lost Girls |
Netflix |
72 |
69 |
| March 27 |
Uncorked |
Netflix |
93 |
63 |
| April 10 |
Tigertail |
Netflix |
79 |
65 |
| May 1 |
The Half of It |
Netflix |
96 |
75 |
| May 29 |
The Vast of Night |
Amazon |
92 |
84 |
| June 12 |
Da 5 Bloods |
Netflix |
92 |
81 |
| July 10 |
Palm Springs |
Hulu |
100 |
93 |
Netflix still has upcoming releases this year for potential awards contenders including Mank, The Prom, Hillbilly Elegy, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Rebecca, The Boys in the Band, and The Devil All the Time.
Amazon also has films waiting to be released this year including Radioactive, Sound of Metal, Chemical Hearts, Herself, I’m Your Woman, Sylvie’s Time, and Uncle Frank.
Coming off of the historic Best Picture win of Parasite, non-English language films released in the United States during the first half of the year also garnered critical acclaim. As a personal advocate of non-English language films myself (as proven by my podcast The One-Inch Barrier), I would love to see more international features recognized at the Oscars. This year, some releases include:
| RELEASE DATE |
TITLE |
STUDIO |
RT |
MT |
| January 24 |
Zombi Child |
Film Movement |
85 |
75 |
| January 29 |
Beanpole * |
Kino Lorber |
91 |
84 |
| February 7 |
And Then We Danced * |
Music Box |
92 |
68 |
| February 21 |
Those Who Remained * |
Menemsha |
100 |
– |
| February 28 |
The Whistlers * |
Magnolia |
83 |
76 |
| March 6 |
Bacurau |
Kino Lorber |
91 |
82 |
| March 13 |
The Wild Goose Lake |
Film Movement |
92 |
76 |
| March 20 |
The Platform |
Netflix |
83 |
73 |
| April 17 |
A White, White Day * |
Film Movement |
95 |
80 |
| May 2 |
Ema |
Music Box/MUBI |
91 |
71 |
| May 27 |
I’m No Longer Here |
Netflix |
100 |
68 |
* submitted for Best International Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards
We are living in the golden age of documentary filmmaking. There are countless documentaries being produced, financed, and released. Documentaries has never been this accessible or connected to audiences due to the proliferation of platforms to release them. To date, the Academy has not yet nominated a documentary film in the Best Picture category (and if anyone’s asking, documentaries are indeed eligible in Best Picture).
This year, we do not have a shortage of critically-acclaimed documentaries. Some releases include:
| RELEASE DATE |
TITLE |
STUDIO |
RT |
MT |
| March 25 |
Crip Camp |
Netflix |
100 |
86 |
| April 3 |
Beastie Boys Story |
AppleTV+ |
95 |
75 |
| April 22 |
Circus of Books |
Netflix |
98 |
74 |
| April 29 |
A Secret Love |
Netflix |
100 |
77 |
| May 6 |
Becoming |
Netflix |
93 |
65 |
| May 8 |
Rewind |
FilmRise |
100 |
87 |
| May 8 |
Spaceship Earth |
Neon |
88 |
73 |
| May 22 |
The Painter and the Thief |
Neon |
96 |
78 |
| May 27 |
On the Record |
HBO Max |
100 |
85 |
| June 2 |
The Infiltrators |
Oscillope |
87 |
74 |
| June 3 |
Spelling the Dream |
Netflix |
94 |
64 |
Animated films have only been represented in Best Picture thrice in history: Beauty in the Beast (1991), Up (2009), and Toy Story 3 (2010). With the recent expansion of the Best Picture lineup to a solid 10 nominees, it is at least more promising for these films to have a shot in Best Picture contention and not just sidelined in their own categories.
With animated imports yet to be considered, here are some of the animated feature this year (already released and upcoming releases included):
| RELEASE DATE |
TITLE |
STUDIO |
RT |
MT |
| March 6 |
Onward |
Disney/Pixar |
88 |
61 |
| April 22 |
The Willoughbys |
Netflix |
90 |
68 |
| June 18 |
A Whisker Away |
Netflix |
– |
– |
| October 23 |
Connected |
Sony |
– |
– |
| November 20 |
Soul |
Disney/Pixar |
– |
– |
| December |
Robin Robin |
Netflix |
– |
– |
| TBA |
Over the Moon |
Netflix |
– |
– |
| TBA |
Wish Dragon |
Sony |
– |
– |
| TBA |
Wolfwalkers |
Apple TV+ |
– |
– |
Netflix
And I just need to mention, a lot of these films already released have some things in common.
Directed by women. Directed by minorities.
Stories about women. Stories about minorities.
Now, looking at all of the films I have listed (and heaven knows this isn’t complete), you tell me: do we really have a lacking field of contenders as it stands?
Are these stories not worth the Oscar attention?
This is not about scraping the barrel. This is about getting the actual temperature of the year in film. This is about actually seeing what is available, even if it means outside the Academy’s wheelhouse.
If the best of the year in film includes documentaries, small indies, genre fare, and subtitled films, wouldn’t these films actually deserve to be rewarded as they stand?
*****
Before the rule change on eligibility period, the Academy also announced another addition: starting next year, they will have quarterly screenings for Academy members. This is to make sure that voting members get to see films all over the year and not just concentrate on what’s released at the end of the year.
If the Academy really committed to this goal, then the eligibility period change puts that into question. Why is the Academy adamant to adding two months of eligibility if films are still being released, albeit in the alternative platforms that they have validated as enough to make films eligible (i.e. streaming, VOD)?
This move is definitely sending mixed messages to filmmakers and film audiences alike.
If studios cannot release their films in time for the eligibility period, then they should release your films next year and qualify for the Oscars for 2021. They do not own 2020 in film and they should definitely not control how the Oscars work. Not in this manner, anyway.
Instead of chasing the preordained Oscar contenders whose release dates might be delayed, shouldn’t the Academy just focus on what this year has actually offered?
Granted, we lose some films. But that’s how it works, right? The Academy should proceed with what 2020 in film has. If they think the field has narrowed, so be it.
This kind of thinking also invalidates the work that have already been released. Instead of embracing the idiosyncrasy of this year, the Academy has leaned towards finding ways to ensure that they still get their traditional picks.
Are genre films, small independent films, documentaries, non-English language films, and other non-traditional Oscar fares not enough for the Academy to proceed with honoring what’s the best of 2020?
To the Academy:
Let the 2020 Oscars deal with 2020 in film.
No extensions, no excuses.
The Final Golden Statue 