Oscar voters will probably be required to show that they’ve watched all of the movies in every class earlier than they solid their remaining ballots, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced Monday.
The new rule, which addresses a longstanding concern that voters are skipping some movies, will apply for the subsequent Oscars ceremony in March 2026, the Academy mentioned in a press release.
The Academy beforehand operated underneath an honor system that voters would see each Oscar-nominated movie earlier than casting their ballots.
However, with the variety of nominees rising in recent times, some voters have admitted not absolutely fulfilling that obligation.
Under the brand new system, Academy members will probably be tracked on the group’s voters-only streaming platform to ensure they’ve watched every movie.
For films seen elsewhere, corresponding to in cinemas or at competition screenings, voters will probably be required to “fill out a form” vouching for when and the place it was watched, in response to the Hollywood Reporter.
For the Best Picture class alone, which has 10 nominated movies, competing studios historically host glitzy occasions to woo voters throughout their awards campaigns, with events, screenings and competition showings, generally adopted by Q&A periods with the celebrities and filmmakers.
The Academy additionally weighed in on an argument that arose over the past voting season, which was marred by questions on the usage of synthetic intelligence in films, corresponding to “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Perez.”
In steering issued Monday, the Academy mentioned AI and different digital instruments will “neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination.”
The new rule clarifies that the usage of know-how will not be disqualifying.
“The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award.”
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