Names on the Ballot
One of the first rule changes feels like it's been a long time coming. Moving forward, all designated nominees in all categories will now be listed on the final ballot.
That means if a movie or a song is nominated, the people behind it will have their names on the ballot. Until now, in some categories, the work was represented without the names next to it.
You Have to See the Movies to Vote
The big change is the new voting rules. The Academy has grown concerned with people just voting and not watching the movies, so they're making it much harder to do that.
The Academy is shifting from an honor system to a mandatory viewing requirement for final-round voting. Going forward, the electronic voting system will prevent members from voting in categories where they haven't confirmed watching all the nominees. Viewing will be tracked via the Academy's streaming platform or through self-declaration for films seen at screenings or festivals—a process already used in preliminary rounds for some categories.
This is pretty interesting because, for a while, it felt like whoever had the best PR push got a lot of bandwagon votes. Now, at least, people will have to verify they've seen the movies.
There's still a bit of an honor system here, but putting up any blockade is better than nothing.
Best Foreign Language Film
Another smaller, but equally big idea is that the Academy is finding a way for the work of filmmakers with refugee or asylum status to be submitted for the best international feature Oscar by the country to which they have fled.
The rule now is that you have to be a resident to submit, but let's say you fled somewhere after making a controversial movie. Now, you can stay where you're safe but submit the movie as an entry of the country where you made it.
Nominees to be Determined
Not sure if you remember, but last year there was that hilarious moment where, when announcing the best picture movies, they had a "nominees to be determined" status for a lot of the movies with many producers. Well, that's out the window now.
The Academy changed the rules to require films to submit their Producers Guild of America mark certification or awards-only determination earlier so that they'll have those names at the ready when the nominations are announced.
Artificial Intelligence
AI will always be a hot-button issue moving forward, so the Academy needed a way to provide guidance when using it and talking about it.
The following language has been introduced into the rules for film eligibility, at the recommendation of the Academy’s Science and Technology Council: “With regard to Generative Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools used in the making of the film, the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination. The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award.”
So, human authorship is at the forefront here. That makes sense. We haven't had a fully AI movie made, so we'll just have to keep an eye on it.
Summing It All Up
The Academy is a living force that picks and chooses its rules based on the way the world is changing. I am pretty happy there's some safeguard telling people to watch the movies. And the rest of the rules seem practical as well.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
