The Oscars 2021 Delayed: What are the New Rules to be Implemented?

The Academy has confirmed the floating rumor about the Oscars being delayed, it was potentially to implement new rules as to inculcate more diversity among the major artistic categories. Confirming a report from the Variety, the Academy of Motion Pictures and arts confirmed that the Oscars will be moved from February to April.

It's true! Next year's #Oscars will happen on April 25, 2021.

Here's what else you need to know:

– The eligibility period for the Oscars will be extended to February 28, 2021
– Nominations will be announced on March 15, 2021
– @AcademyMuseum will open on April 30, 2021 pic.twitter.com/cTsqOfsf8k

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 15, 2020

Earlier the Oscars were being held on February 28, 2021, but the new date announced was April 25, 2021. The delay comes as the audiences also need to conjure up a habit of going to the theatres and the movies get more time in the theatres. The Oscar consideration for a movie has also changed i.e. the deadline for the opening of a movie has been shifted from December 31, 2020, to February 28, 2021. This all comes partly due to the implementation of new rules and partly due to the pandemic.

pic.twitter.com/kEz5brusJK

— ‏ؘ (@fiImagic) June 15, 2020

The most notable change in the rules is that from now on the Academy voter will vote for 10 best picture nominees, every voter, mandatorily, will now select 10 movies which they would like to nominate for the Best Picture category. This is a piece of good news for all the indie and small-budget film-makers whose movies were snubbed due to less number of nominations. After 2013-14, only eight or nine movies have been nominated every year in the category and the films missing the limelight were usually snubbed partly due to less recognition and partly due to malicious money laundering by guild producers ( remember Weinstein?) who would snarkily pay the voters to get nominations.

#Oscars #news
The Oscars Will Add a Diversity Requirement for Eligibility https://t.co/UozZTD2aqW

— Cinema UG (@CinemaUGApp) June 16, 2020

The Academy is also partnering with the Producers Guild of America to create a task force that will implement “representation and inclusion” standards. The whole protocol and formalities of this rule will be announced next month, but generally, this is to promote more diversity and representation of minorities and other communities at the Oscars. This will also help in promoting small indie films which are in fact great but couldn’t get representation due to heavy campaigning of high-budget films.

#BAFTA postpones 2021 awards ceremony in line with new #Oscars dateshttps://t.co/3LUlF3mAsN pic.twitter.com/nCYgd4LPj3

— World News Network (@worldnewsdotcom) June 16, 2020

The Academy has also announced that it would improve the rate of general movie screenings for voters and will hold quarterly screenings of potential “Oscar” films. Not to be pessimistic, but the real problem comes in representing films which are great but are generally outside the plethora of the “Oscar club”. Other independent awards often represent such films which have the finest art form but don’t make a cut to the Oscars. Overall the Academy has taken good steps but the fruits that these bears will be seen in the future, after all, we came to know about the malicious “industry standards” at least 10 years after it had been going on.

.@TheAcademy is gonna play this clip when they announce Delroy's Best Actor nomination next year. https://t.co/pPZY3vp6ud

— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) June 16, 2020