Latest news with #AcademyScreeningRoom
Express Tribune
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Even after new rule, Oscar voters admit to hitting play, muting and walking away from screeners app
In an effort to bring more fairness and integrity to the voting process, the Academy has implemented a new rule that requires members to actually watch every film in a category before voting—and fill out a form noting when and where they did it. The policy, which has become informally known as 'the 'Brutalist' Rule,' was inspired by Brady Corbet's 215-minute epic The Brutalist starring Adrien Brody, which managed to sweep major awards despite several voters admitting they hadn't seen it. Now, members must view films via the secure Academy Screening Room platform, which tracks whether a movie was played from start to finish. While this rule is seen by many insiders as a long-overdue step in ensuring informed decision-making, it's also exposed new ways voters are dodging accountability. Some are simply pressing play, muting the sound, switching tabs, or walking away from the screen entirely—knowing that the system doesn't measure attention, just runtime completion. Other voters openly admit that they continue to base votes on personal connections or campaign influence. 'It might just change how people pretend to follow the rules,' one executive quipped. The Academy claims that initial feedback has been mostly positive and that the idea for the rule change came from members themselves. But the concern remains: will this system really elevate the standard of Oscar voting? The new policy mirrors protocols already in place for categories like Best International Feature, where viewers are also expected to watch every entry. Yet, even in those areas, voters have found ways to work around the rules, with practices like speed-watching or passive viewing remaining common. Whether this updated regulation will truly disrupt the old Oscar campaign playbook—or just inspire more clever rule-bending—is still an open question in Hollywood.
NBC News
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Oscars voters didn't have to watch all nominated movies — until now
In a development as surprising as a twist in any good movie, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced April 21 that Academy members must watch every Oscar-nominated film in order to vote for the Academy Awards, a new wrinkle in the system for how Oscar winners are chosen. 'In a procedural change, Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round for the Oscars,' the Academy said in a statement. 'All designated nominees will also be included on the final ballot.' This shift begs the question of enforcement, too, which will be addressed. 'The Academy will monitor viewing activity through its members-only Academy Screening Room streaming platform,' Variety reports. 'For films viewed outside the platform — such as at festivals, screenings or private events — members must submit a form indicating when and where they watched the film. 'This verification process, previously used in preliminary and nomination voting for categories like international feature, animated feature, and the short film races, is now being applied to all categories. The move is intended to reduce so-called 'coattail voting' and encourage more informed decisions from voters.' If you've ever thought your favorite movie may have gotten robbed or an A-list actor won based solely on reputation and popularity, you're not alone. Many X users were taken aback at the notion that voters didn't actually have to see a movie to vote for it. 'GOOD!!!!! If your job is to watch movies, then you watch the damn movies,' one exasperated person wrote. 'What were they voting for until now? Trailers?' pondered another person wondered. 'What? This wasn't a rule? How the heck do you vote for an Oscar if you didn't watch all the films? LOL' someone else commented. 'This should have been the rule from the start. How do you vote on winners without even watching all the films,' another incredulous person asked. 'This honestly makes me question the integrity of previous Oscar wins,' someone else wrote. 'Imagine if Dune: Part Two didn't get an award simply because voters couldn't be bothered to sit through a two-hour film, and the clip they saw felt too boring or confusing without context. There are so many great films that probably lost out this way.' And more than one person was gobsmacked it's taken this long for a rule like this to be instituted. 'We are nearly 100 years into the Oscars timeline and NOW they implement a rule where members HAVE to watch the films before they can vote,' one user remarked. 'The insanity.' 'insane that this wasn't already a rule,' another stunned user wrote. The new rule is part of a series of changes the Academy has made surrounding the Oscars. Next year's ceremony will also feature a new award for achievement in casting, while earlier this month the Academy also revealed it added another new category for achievement in stunt design, which will be handed out for the first time in 2028. The 98th annual Academy Awards will take place March 15, 2026. Conan O'Brien, who hosted this year's ceremony, will return to the stage and host again in 2026.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Academy Members Were Never Required To Watch All Of The Oscar-Nominated Movies Before Voting, And People Are Pissed
The Academy just implemented a few new rules for the Oscars, and people are wondering why one in particular wasn't mandatory in the first place. "Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round for the Oscars," the official press release stated. This rule was confirmed on Monday by the group's Board of Governors. Currently, proof that a film has been watched is tracked on Academy Screening Room — an internal service where voting members can screen titles. "There is also a 'seen elsewhere' form that members will need to submit before finals voting," a statement sent to Entertainment Weekly read. "If you have not viewed a title, the award category will be inaccessible (greyed). For the specialty categories, we will still require viewing in prelims and noms as usual. For this year, we will now require viewing in finals voting for all categories and all voting members." In its 97 years of existence, it was never a requirement for members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to watch all of the nominated films in a category before casting their vote. According to the Hollywood Reporter, members were asked not to vote if they hadn't reviewed all of the nominees. The process ultimately followed an "honor system." Unfortunately, this isn't the first time we've heard similar rumblings about their unorthodox voting system. Anonymous voters have broken their silence in recent years, revealing their reason for leaving some films unwatched or even ignored completely. "I'm bummed because I haven't seen The Substance or I'm Still Here yet. The first Dune, I couldn't get through; I'm not rushing for another three hours of Dune. There's still time to re-evaluate, but I really struggled," one director told Entertainment Weekly. While a casting director added, "I haven't seen The Brutalist yet. I'm planning to see it, and from what little I saw [already], it's similar to The Pianist, and [Adrien Brody] already got his Oscar for that. So, maybe someone else deserves a chance [for Best Actor]." This is really disturbing, and I'm really surprised their voting system has been able to thrive for so long without causing a stir in Hollywood. The bias and disregard in those anonymous quotes is alarming. It also makes me wonder if actors were fully aware of what was happening behind the scenes before attending the Oscars every year. I'm sorry, if I put my blood, sweat, and tears into a project, submitted it for consideration for an Academy Award, attended the prestigious ceremony, lost in the category, and then ultimately found out that the people in charge of voting didn't even watch my project, I'd be pissed. But I'm not alone in this. People online had a lot to say about this new rule as well: You can read more about the new rules here. What are your thoughts on this? Is it making you rethink past winners? Let me know in the comments!
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Oscars tighten voting rules for 2026 Academy Awards: Watch all nominees or lose the vote
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled new rules for the 98th Academy Awards, including a major shift in voting procedures: members must now watch all nominated films in a category to vote for its winner. The change is aimed at reducing uninformed or 'coattail' voting and ensuring more thoughtful choices from Academy members. Voting will now be restricted through the Academy Screening Room, the organisation's official platform. Members will only access ballots for categories where they've verified they've seen every nominee. For viewings outside the platform — such as at festivals or private screenings — members must submit a form documenting when and where the film was watched. This policy, previously limited to categories like international feature and short films, now applies across the board. ALSO READ:Oscars 2025: Two Oscar voters didn't choose Ralph Fiennes for 'Conclave' over a nonexistent win Another landmark update is the addition of a new competitive category: Achievement in Casting. For the first time, casting directors will be officially recognised for their work assembling a film's ensemble. The Casting Directors Branch will shortlist up to ten films, which will then go through a 'Bake-Off' screening and Q&A process. Five nominees will be selected, and the entire Academy will vote on the winner. Additional rules announced include earlier submission deadlines for original song and score categories, broader eligibility for international films from directors with refugee or asylum status, and formal guidelines for the use of generative AI in filmmaking. The Academy emphasized that AI tools will 'neither help nor harm' a film's chances, with the focus remaining on human creative authorship. The Best Cinematography category will now also include a shortlist phase, joining a dozen artisan categories already using this format. The Oscars are scheduled for March 15, 2026, with nominations voting beginning January 12. Final ballots will close March 5.
Express Tribune
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Academy tightens voting rules and breaks silence on AI in films ahead of 2026 Oscars
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has implemented a significant change for the 98th Academy Awards: Oscar voters will only be able to vote in categories where they have watched all the nominated films. Announced on Monday, the new rule marks a move away from the previous honour system that allowed members to vote without verifying full viewership. This update, set to be enforced for the March 2026 ceremony, aims to ensure more informed voting across all categories. Previously, this requirement was limited to specific categories like Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature. Now, the rule will be applied category-by-category, permitting voters to participate only in those they are fully familiar with. Although the regulation does not apply during the shortlist and nomination phases, it is expected to encourage greater engagement from Academy members. With approximately 40 feature films and 15 shorts typically nominated each year, the Academy Screening Room platform will serve as the primary hub for members to access eligible content. A new "seen elsewhere" option will also allow members to confirm viewings done outside the platform. In a further revision, all final ballots will now include the names of the designated nominees, not just film titles, aligning the entire voting process with the transparency previously reserved for acting categories. The Academy has also addressed the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence in filmmaking. A statement from the Science and Technology Council clarified that generative AI tools do not affect a film's eligibility for nomination, emphasising that creative authorship must remain driven by human input. Other updates include adjustments to campaigning rules, specifically prohibiting negative comments or social media activity aimed at discrediting other nominees. Offenders could face penalties for breaching these revised guidelines. The 2026 Oscars will also debut a new category: Achievement in Casting. A shortlist and detailed 'bake-off' presentations will precede the final nominations. Earlier, the Academy also introduced another new category, Best Stunt Design set to be awarded 2027 onwards.
