December 12, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: John Pavlik - (310)247-3000

Beverly Hills, CA - The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has toughened theatrical exhibition requirements for both Documentary Features and Short Subjects for the 76th Awards, which will honor achievements for the year 2003.

In addition to the seven-day theatrical run in Los Angeles County or the Borough of Manhattan, in order to qualify a documentary must have a theatrical run in at least four additional cities. If this requirement cannot be met, then, if the film is nominated, it must be withheld from television and internet transmission for the nine months following the day nominations are announced in January 2004 for the 2003 Awards year.

Documentary short subjects which qualify via a competitive film festival also must fulfill one of these two options.

Freida Lee Mock, chair of the Documentary Branch Executive Committee, said this change was recommended unanimously to the Board by the members of her committee. "We are trying to encourage a legitimate theatrical rollout," she said.

The three Documentary Branch governors, Mock, Michael Apted and Arthur Dong, said in a written joint statement: "These changes help to ensure that an Academy Award^® nomination and the Oscar^® itself honor films that have enjoyed bona fide commercial theatrical runs.

"They will also allow and encourage those films which have not yet rolled out widely in theaters to utilize the Oscar or a nomination as a start to pursue healthy theatrical engagements and distribution."

This rule is now in effect. To be eligible for Award consideration for the 2003 Awards year, a documentary film must qualify between October 1, 2002, and August 31, 2003.

The eligibility year also was pushed forward in the Live Action and Animated Short Films categories. Films hoping to compete in those categories now must qualify between November 1, 2002, and September 30, 2003.

"Because of the earlier telecast date of February 29 in 2004, the eligibility year in these categories had to be pushed up to allow time for voting screenings next fall," Academy Executive Director Bruce Davis said. "There literally wouldn't be enough days to see all the films that need to be seen if this were not done."