90th Academy Awards - March 4th, 2018

[Darth Marcus]

While it's still a ways out before the 90th Academy Awards get here, new rules have dropped today concerning the Best Documentary Category, Best Picture Category, Best Animated Feature Category, and Original Score Category.

Source: Variety

Oscars: New Rules Bar Multi-Part Documentaries Like ‘O.J.: Made in America’
Dave McNary - Film Reporter

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has barred multi-part and limited series from the best documentary feature category.

AMPAS announced the new rules for the upcoming 90th Annual Academy Awards on Friday. The change would have prevented this year’s winner in the category — Ezra Edelman’s ” O.J.: Made In America” series — from taking the Oscar. The eight-hour documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year, showed in limited qualifying theatrical runs in Los Angeles and New York before being broadcast as a five-part series on ABC and ESPN.

AMPAS did not single out “O.J.: Made in America” in Friday’s announcement, which reads: “In the documentary categories, multi-part or limited series are not eligible for awards consideration. The Documentary Branch Executive Committee will resolve all questions of eligibility and rules.”

“O.J.: Made in America,” directed by Edelman and produced by Caroline Waterlow, topped a strong field at the 89th Academy Awards, including immigrant story “Fire At Sea,” autism story “Life, Animated,” “I Am Not Your Negro,” based on James Baldwin’s writings, and Ava DuVernay’s race relations exploration “13th.”

“O.J.: Made in America” is the longest-running film ever nominated for an Oscar. It also won at the Spirit Awards, the DGA, the PGA and the International Documentary Assn., while “13th” won at BAFTA.

The film is an analysis of race and celebrity in America through the story of accused murderer O.J. Simpson, tracks Simpson’s career as a football star; the history of race relations in Los Angeles; the murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman; his subsequent acquittal; and how he was imprisoned for another crime more than a decade later.

The AMPAS board also announced Friday that for the first time, nominations voting in the animated feature film category will be opened up to the entire eligible voting membership.

“Invitations to join the nominating committee will be sent to all active Academy members, rather than a select craft-based group,” the Academy said. “Voting in the nominations round will now be preferential instead of based on a numerical scoring system. Members participating on the nominating committee may view films in their theatrical runs or at other screenings, through the Academy’s streaming site or on DVDs/screeners to qualify to vote.”

The Academy also announced two rule changes that may expand the number of nominees in the Best Picture and Original Score categories. In the Best Picture category, the revised rule states that a team of two people can be considered a single producer; the Music Branch will now allow a film score written by three or more “equally contributing” composers to be nominated.

[imsounoriginal]

I'm not really opposed to this. I was kinda surprised OJ got nominated anyway, let alone won (haven't seen it so I can't comment on whether the win was deserved, I've heard it was).

[Darth Marcus]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

I'm not really opposed to this. I was kinda surprised OJ got nominated anyway, let alone won (haven't seen it so I can't comment on whether the win was deserved, I've heard it was).

IMO, it was the best film to be released last year, if one would call it that as opposed to a series. I was personally surprised it even got nominated, and it deservedly won, but I find it interesting that now all of a sudden films of this nature are no longer eligible, or how it was even "eligible" in the first place.

[imsounoriginal]

Nothing ever changes unless influential people complain about it. Probably the financiers behind other documentaries who felt they were unfairly snubbed by a multi-hour series while they delivered a two-hour... movie.

[Adam_ME]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

I'm not really opposed to this. I was kinda surprised OJ got nominated anyway, let alone won (haven't seen it so I can't comment on whether the win was deserved, I've heard it was).

Yeah, that OJ documentary got away with murder.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by Adam_ME

Yeah, that OJ documentary got away with murder.

[Show spoiler]

[Darth Marcus]

Originally Posted by Adam_ME

Yeah, that OJ documentary got away with murder.

[Rodney-2187]

I guess you could say it stole the Oscar too.

[MifuneFan]

Well this thread is off to a great start

[Jasonic]

I do think the rule for Documentaries is a good one. While OJ: Made In America was definitely the best of the bunch, I did think it was a little unfair. Especially considering one of the things I was most impressed with it was that it was able to keep it fresh and feel new throughout the series due to the fact that it was over seven hours.

From the sound of it I'm not happy with the new rule for Animation. While maybe the rule could have gotten The Lego Movie nominated if implemented earlier. I feel that foreign animated flicks may have a harder chance now. If non-animated craft people are voting, it might push stuff like that out for Finding Dory or The Secret Life of Pets instead.

The Original Score is a good one as well, as many great scores became ineligible in the past just because multiple people worked on it.

[Adam_ME]

Originally Posted by rodneyfaile

I guess you could say it stole the Oscar too.

It did not steal the Oscar. It was reclaiming its own property.

[DanTheMan]

Hey, whatever gives LEGO Batman Movie a better chance at getting a nom.

[Buscemi]

O.J. played in theatres (all seven-and-a-half hours with two intermissions) before its television premiere. How should it be ruled ineligible while a Netflix film can still be eligible despite being basically pay cable (the Emmys consider them as being like HBO, I believe the Academy should do the same)?

The Animation category's gotten weird in recent years. They put these obscure films in there to increase the field (and I would not call The Red Turtle, a lesser Studio Ghibli film, better than Finding Dory) and GKIDS games the system by opening things on the last week of the year just get nominated but the most financially-successful film still wins (Moana was more deserving than Zootopia). I'd rather it's things voters have seen than abusing qualifying rules. A similar event had to be done in the Documentary category after the snubbing of Hoop Dreams exposed the ridiculous nomination process.

I still believe the Score category needs to be two categories again (one for Original, one for Adapted). This would have fixed a lot of issues the category's had with all of the disqualifications of contenders.

Meanwhile, I've noticed no one has predicted possible contenders. I think The Greatest Showman on Earth is the early favorite, with Call Me by Your Name close by. The Phantom Thread could be in there if it's ready by the planned Christmas date while Last Flag Flying could make some noise on the festival scene (I'm expecting a Cannes or Venice debut on this one).

[Darth Marcus]

Originally Posted by Buscemi

Meanwhile, I've noticed no one has predicted possible contenders. I think The Greatest Showman on Earth is the early favorite, with Call Me by Your Name close by. The Phantom Thread could be in there if it's ready by the planned Christmas date while Last Flag Flying could make some noise on the festival scene (I'm expecting a Cannes or Venice debut on this one).

The Playlist had a pretty good premature list that they posted last month.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Buscemi

O.J. played in theatres (all seven-and-a-half hours with two intermissions) before its television premiere. How should it be ruled ineligible while a Netflix film can still be eligible despite being basically pay cable (the Emmys consider them as being like HBO, I believe the Academy should do the same)?

The Animation category's gotten weird in recent years. They put these obscure films in there to increase the field (and I would not call The Red Turtle, a lesser Studio Ghibli film, better than Finding Dory) and GKIDS games the system by opening things on the last week of the year just get nominated but the most financially-successful film still wins (Moana was more deserving than Zootopia). I'd rather it's things voters have seen than abusing qualifying rules. A similar event had to be done in the Documentary category after the snubbing of Hoop Dreams exposed the ridiculous nomination process.

I still believe the Score category needs to be two categories again (one for Original, one for Adapted). This would have fixed a lot of issues the category's had with all of the disqualifications of contenders.

Meanwhile, I've noticed no one has predicted possible contenders. I think The Greatest Showman on Earth is the early favorite, with Call Me by Your Name close by. The Phantom Thread could be in there if it's ready by the planned Christmas date while Last Flag Flying could make some noise on the festival scene (I'm expecting a Cannes or Venice debut on this one).

Every Netflix nominated film has had a theatrical screening, therefore they are eligible.

[Mandalorian]

Edelman considered it a film, and said he was given the freedom to put as much detail into it as necessary to tell his story, hence the length and plethora of content, but I'm not opposed to this rule change, because it keeps the playing field more level. That said, the film still played in theaters in its full length, and there were plenty of debates about this leading up to the awards, so this change is not surprising. It was one of my top three films of the year, and I included it in my list, so I was very happy it won, and was even nominated.

[Buscemi]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Every Netflix nominated film has had a theatrical screening, therefore they are eligible.

But they are available on Netflix at the same time. When HBO and Showtime tried this in the 90's with films, they were ruled ineligible. So why does Netflix get a free pass? It's hypocritical to say one pay service can be eligible but another can't. Also, can you name a Netflix film better than The Last Seduction (a film that premiered on HBO that was ruled ineligible for Best Actress back in 1994)?

But of course, these are the same people who claim motion capture isn't animation but rotoscope (what motion capture basically is) is. A lot of things with the Academy make little sense.

[Buscemi]

Originally Posted by Darth Marcus

The Playlist had a pretty good premature list that they posted last month.

Typical Playlist (perhaps the most overpraised site for film criticism as it's nothing more than ego-stroking for mumblecore filmmakers). Half of those movies will be non-factors by awards time (and the Spielberg film has been put on the backburner in favor of The Post, which won't be out before Ready Player One).

[Adam_ME]

Originally Posted by Buscemi

But they are available on Netflix at the same time. When HBO and Showtime tried this in the 90's with films, they were ruled ineligible. So why does Netflix get a free pass? It's hypocritical to say one pay service can be eligible but another can't. Also, can you name a Netflix film better than The Last Seduction (a film that premiered on HBO that was ruled ineligible for Best Actress back in 1994)?

But of course, these are the same people who claim motion capture isn't animation but rotoscope (what motion capture basically is) is. A lot of things with the Academy make little sense.

Isn't the rule that it has to screen theatrically first? I know that's why The Last Seduction was ineligible. It aired on HBO before it played in theaters. It's too bad cuz Linda Fiorentino would've probably won the Oscar in 1994 had she gotten nominated.

[Buscemi]

Yes but Netflix releases their first at the same time, more or less gaming the system. Netflix distributes their films like a pay cable service where you pay by the month. The Academy seems to be convinced they are like Vudu or Google Play where you pay to rent or buy the film (and those were always meant as theatrical films). Netflix films are meant to benefit only Netflix with a theatrical run as an afterthought.

If they released them like a week earlier, I wouldn't have a problem. But because they do things day-and-date (and can't possibly be making money, seeing how they are charging only $10 a month and producing thousands of hours of material), it blurs the line and that's what's unfair. They shouldn't be ruling a great film like O.J.: Made in America ineligible. It followed the rules. They should be striking a blow to Netflix's ego. They are not theatrical films. They are TV movies getting the briefest of theatrical releases and should be considered as such. Besides, winning all the Emmys would be a better example for them than trying and consistently failing to find Oscar glory.