Seismic Moves In Acting and International Film Categories

Key Points:

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has changed acting category rules, allowing actors to be nominated for multiple performances in the same category if they rank in the top five votes, aligning acting categories with other Oscar categories.
• The International Film category now permits films to qualify either as a country's official submission or by winning a qualifying award at select international film festivals, expanding eligibility beyond national selections.
• For the first time, the International Feature Film Oscar will credit the film itself as the nominee, with the director's name appearing on the statuette plaque, marking a shift from the previous practice of crediting only the submitting country.
• The Academy has introduced rules barring AI-generated performances and screenplays from eligibility, stipulating that only human-performed acting and human-authored writing will qualify for Oscars.
• Key submission deadlines for the 99th Academy Awards on March 14 include August 13 for short films and documentaries, September 17 for general entries and Best Picture, and September 30 for International Feature Film entries, alongside updated campaign promotional regulations.