The Oscar Academy announced, on Monday, April 21, 2025, a change in its rules. Among them, the obligation of its members to watch all the films named in a category if they want to vote on it.
“Academy members must now see all the films appointed in each category to be able to vote during the final tour Des Oscars,” he said in a statement. This new rule will apply to the next Oscar, whose 98th ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026.
Until then, voters had to simply certify in honor after seeing vote movies. However, in fact, some of them chose among the quotes of a category without having seen them, by the effect of fashion.
How will the Academy verify?
Only for the Oscar for the best film, which has ten nominations, the studies in Theisight put the package every year during their campaign, with multiple events (festivals, private or public projections, sometimes adorned with questions and answers with stars, etc.) to ensure that voters have seen their feature film.
The Academy did not specify how it intended to verify that its members had seen all the films named in a category. According to The Hollywood Reporter, you can follow the visualization of everyone’s films thanks to the transmission platform reserved for its members.
For those who have seen a film in another place that are not on this platform, at the festival or during a projection, for example, they will have to “complete a form that indicates when and where they saw the film,” says the magazine.
The use of AI is not disqualifier
The Academy announced other developments in its rules on Monday. One of them refers to the use of artificial intelligence, after use for films “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” caused debates during the 2025 Oscar.
The new regulation establishes that the use of this technology is not disqualifying for a film.
“Regarding generative artificial intelligence and other digital tools used in the production of the film, these tools do not help or damage the possibilities of obtaining an appointment,” said the press release. “The Academy and each branch will judge the performance taking into account the place occupied by the human in the heart of creation by choosing that the film is rewarded.”
Source: BFM TV
