Buzz
Simply releasing an exceptional film in a given year isn’t sufficient to earn a Best Picture Oscar. To qualify, the movie must adhere to various standards set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, particularly those related to its distribution.
1. A FILM MUST BE A FEATURE-LENGTH PRODUCTION
A feature-length film must have a minimum runtime of 40 minutes. Interestingly, the shortest film to ever win the Best Picture Oscar was the 90-minute Marty.
2. A FILM MUST BE SCREENED IN LOS ANGELES FOR A WEEK
A movie can be released nationwide, but unless it plays for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial theater within Los Angeles County, it will not qualify.
3. THE SEVEN-DAY WINDOW MUST FALL WITHIN THE CALENDAR YEAR PRIOR TO THE OSCAR CEREMONY
To be eligible for the Academy Awards, a film must have its Los Angeles theatrical run in the year before the Oscar ceremony. This run can take place at any time from January 1 to December 31.
4. A MOVIE MUST NOT BE AIRED IN NON-THEATRICAL FORMATS PRIOR TO ITS LOS ANGELES PREMIERE
This was a point of contention during the Academy's review of eligibility for films released in 2014, especially regarding The Babadook. A film is not allowed to air on television, be released on DVD, made available on Video on Demand/Pay-per-view, or distributed legally via the Internet before its qualifying Los Angeles County screening.
5. HOWEVER, A FILM MAY DEBUT IN OTHER THEATERS BEFORE LOS ANGELES
There’s some flexibility here. A movie can release in any commercial theater during the calendar year before the year in which it’s considered for an Academy Award, as long as the screening venue is a commercial theater. No other form of distribution is permitted until the film has its qualifying Los Angeles run.
6. FOREIGN FILMS ENJOY ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY
In addition to the exceptions granted to domestically released films, foreign films first released outside the U.S. may be aired on TV, DVD, VOD/PPV, and more, provided that such releases don’t reach the U.S. (legally).
7. FILM FESTIVAL PARTICIPATION IS ALSO ACCEPTABLE
Being part of a film festival lineup doesn’t significantly affect a film’s eligibility for the Best Picture Oscar. However, it can play a major role for short films and documentary shorts, where a festival win can override a lack of commercial screening, granting the film eligibility.
8. ALL FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS MUST INCLUDE ENGLISH SUBTITLES
While most films follow this rule, only nine foreign language films have ever been nominated for Best Picture: Grand Illusion (French), Z (French), The Emigrants (Swedish), Cries and Whispers (Swedish), Il Postino (Italian), Life Is Beautiful (Italian), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Mandarin), Letters from Iwo Jima (Japanese), and Amour (French). None of them have won.
9. STRICT TECHNICAL STANDARDS EXIST FOR A FILM’S VISUAL AND AUDIO FORMATS
Finally, for a film to be considered for an Academy Award, it must meet these technical specifications:
Images must be displayed on 35mm or 70mm film, or digitally at 24 or 48 frames per second with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 x 1080 pixels. The screen images must align with the ST 428-1:2006 D-Cinema Distribution Master (DCDM) format for standard cinematic displays. If compression is used, the images must follow the JPEG 2000/ISO/IEC 15444-1 format.
Stereo audio must consist of three channels: right, left, and center. The audio data must adhere to the industry standards for transmission, including the ST 428-2:2006 D-Cinema Distribution Master for Audio Characteristics and ST 428-3:2006 D-Cinema Distribution Master for Audio Channel Mapping and Labeling.
As for the individuals representing the films nominated…
10. THE INDIVIDUALS NOMINATED MUST BE CREDITED AS “PRODUCER”
This is a very specific rule: the name of a nominee must be paired with a “Producer” or “Produced by” credit that appears onscreen during the film. Credits like “executive producer,” “associate producer,” “line producer,” and similar titles do not qualify!
11. ONLY THREE PRODUCERS CAN BE NOMINATED FOR THE BEST PICTURE OSCAR
If more than three producers are credited, the three with the most substantial involvement in the film’s production will be considered for eligibility. The Academy holds the final authority in selecting which three will receive this honor.
12. HOWEVER, AN EXCEPTION IS MADE FOR CERTAIN PRODUCER DUOS
Two producers may be nominated together if they have a long-standing professional partnership of at least five years and have previously collaborated on at least two films.
