Alternative Film Guide

Good news for documentary filmmakers:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences‘ Board of Governors has approved rule changes for the 81st Academy Awards that eliminate the multi-city theatrical rollout requirements for feature and short documentaries. As per the Academy’s press release, "these and other changes were recommended to the Board by the Documentary Branch Executive Committee, chaired by Michael Apted."

To qualify for the 81st Oscars, "documentary features must run for a minimum of seven days in both Los Angeles County and the Borough of Manhattan, and documentary short subjects must run for a minimum of seven days in either Los Angeles County or the Borough of Manhattan."

Also, "the seven-day runs must include at least two screenings per day and those screenings must begin between noon and 10 p.m. The picture must be exhibited for paid admission and the film must be advertised and listed during its run in local newspapers and/or magazines."

"By eliminating the multi-city rollout requirements we have significantly simplified the Academy rules while still retaining the core intent to ensure that we honor nonfiction work created for theatrical distribution," Apted is quoted as saying. "We believe the new rules will successfully eliminate from consideration documentaries made principally for television, the Internet or anywhere else."

(Ahem … The vast majority of documentaries are made for television/DVD whether or not they play for one week in Manhattan or L.A., as one week screenings will hardly help cover production costs.)

For the 2007 Oscars, in addition to seven-day qualifying runs in either Los Angeles County or the Borough of Manhattan, documentary features "were required to be screened in theaters for a minimum of 14 exhibitions in 10 states, and documentary short subjects for single exhibitions in at least four cities."

Another important change:

"Those whose films reach the semifinal round of voting will no longer be required to provide two film prints to the Academy for use if they are subsequently selected as nominees. The 81st Awards rules will allow the two copies to be submitted either on film or in digital format."

Reason for the change: Academy screenings can now be presented in digital formats.

Because the eligibility year for the documentary categories goes from September 1 to August 31, rules for these categories are addressed earlier than those for the categories that follow the calendar year.

Other changes involve simplifying the details of the documentary rules.

The complete rules for both the Documentary Feature length and Documentary Short Subject categories for the 81st Academy Awards can be viewed at www.oscars.org/81academyawards/rules/.

 

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