Academy releases updated rules for upcoming 2016 Oscars

In a press release issued today by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the entity that produces the yearly Academy Awards, has issued a few changes to the rules regarding the Oscars on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. Some anticipated that the Academy may return to limiting the Best Picture nominations to five, instead of the mystifying nomination process in place now that can produce five to ten nominations depending on the nomination voting. But that rule was not touched. Instead, the Academy changed rules regarding the short film nominations, producer nominations and the visual effects category.

For Best Picture nominees to be considered for a nomination as producer, the filmmaker must have met eligibility requirements for the Producer Guild Awards. This is another way that the Academy has been working towards bringing Oscar rules in line with the various guild awards. A producer may also be eligible if they were not recognized by the guild and had appealed to the PGA (Producers Guild of America) for eligibility.

Now, if you were wondering how films like Tomorrowland, Jurassic World, Terminator: Genisys and the upcoming new Star Wars would all be able to compete with other film vying for a visual effects Oscar, you were not the only one. In anticipation of a year with many possibilities in the visual effects category the Academy has increased the number of the first round of short-listing to be increased to a number not to exceed 20 films.

All short film categories have undergone a few changes. First, all short film categories: live action, animated and documentary will now feature a total of five nominations. The first series of short-listings for the Documentary Short Subject category will be increased from eight to ten films. Live Action and Animated Short films (which have been released into select theaters over the last few years after final nominations), will now have to have a theatrical release in the Los Angeles County area for at least seven days (consecutively) and with at least one screening per day. The films also must including in the theater's published showtimes listings.