Tuesday, April 23`, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 34
UNB: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is tightening its rules to ensure greater fairness and engagement in the Oscar voting process. Starting with the next awards season, Oscar voters must watch all the nominated films in a given category to be eligible to vote in that category’s final round.
The new rule aims to address growing concerns that viewing habits heavily influence which films ultimately win—and that some acclaimed works may be overlooked simply because voters didn’t watch them.
The move comes in response to years of criticism, especially after the release of anonymous ballots in which some voters admitted to skipping certain films, particularly longer ones or lesser-known entries.
Along with the viewing requirement, the Academy announced several other significant rule changes on Monday, including reforms related to AI, refugee filmmakers, and casting.
In a notable shift for the Best International Feature Film category, filmmakers with refugee or asylum status will now be allowed to represent a country that isn’t their place of birth or citizenship. The new regulation states that a submitting country must confirm that creative control of the film was primarily in the hands of citizens, residents, or individuals with refugee or asylum status in that country.
This change maintains the traditional structure of country-based submissions but offers greater inclusivity for displaced filmmakers working abroad.
