In a new set of rule changes, the Oscars have banned AI in some regard, as well as addressing the international features category, eligible in 2026.
So, what are the new set of rules that the Academy has made for the most prestigious of film award shows? And how well will they work?
Film News Blitz’s Oscar Trinick has more on the most important changes in the new rule book.
The purge of Artificial Intelligence
With the world of AI being seen as more of a threat to the film industry by the industry and fans alike, it was only time before a major awards organisation took to stopping such a thing from becoming too riddled in its framework.
The Academy has laid out a new set of rule changes that will take effect immediately, for the next Oscars in 2027, with a barrier to AI being the biggest implemented change.
From now on, in the acting categories, only roles credited in the film’s billing and performed by humans with their consent will be considered eligible.
This means that AI-generated actors or performances can no longer be nominated in acting categories.
Elsewhere in the writing categories, only screenplays written by a human are now eligible for submission, meaning no AI-generated scripts can be nominated.
The Academy now also holds the right to request more information about the nature of generative AI usage in a film, if it isn’t clear enough.
Acting tweaks
Additionally, in the acting categories, actors can now be nominated for multiple performances in the same category.
This now aligns with all the other award categories at the Oscars.
Before this, actors could only be nominated for one performance per category, leading to snubs from actors who had had more than one award-worthy performance in a year.
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Much-needed international feature reshuffle
The international feature category has long been bugged by a stiff set of rules that only allowed one film to be entered per country, with the winning award not even going to the director, but to its chosen nation.
There are now two ways for a film to be submitted in this category.
On top of an official selection by a country or region, a non-English language film can now be entered for consideration by winning the top award at a qualifying international film festival.
The qualifying film festivals include: Berlin International Film Festival (Golden Bear for Best Film), Busan International Film Festival (Busan Award – Best Film Award), Cannes Film Festival (Palme d’Or), Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize), Toronto International Film Festival (Platform Award) and the Venice International Film Festival (Golden Lion).
On top of that, the films in the category will now be credited as the nominee (e.g. director) rather than the country, with the award being accepted by the director on behalf of the film’s creative team.
The director’s name will also be on the award plaque.
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