Academy alters documentary rules

In a major reversal of the Oscar rule changes created last year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Board of Governors announced today that the controversial multi-city theatrical rollout requirements for the feature and short documentary Oscars will be eliminated for the 81st Academy Awards.

Rule changes for documentary consideration are as follows:

• The branch eliminated multi-city theatrical rollout requirements for feature and short docs.

• A doc feature must run for a minimum of seven days in both Los Angeles County and the Borough of Manhattan.

• A doc short subject must run for a minimum of seven days in either Los Angeles County or the Borough of Manhattan.

• Seven-day runs must include at least two screenings per day and those screenings must begin between noon and 10 p.m.

• A picture must be exhibited for paid admission and the film must be advertised and listed during its run in local newspapers and/or magazines.

• The branch eliminated the requirement that filmmakers who make it to the semifinal round of voting are obliged to provide two film prints to the academy if they are subsequently selected as nominees.

• The 81st Awards rules will allow the two copies to be submitted either on film or in digital format.

Previously:

• Documentary features were required to be screened in theaters for a minimum of 14 exhibitions in 10 states.

• Documentary short subjects had to be screened for single exhibitions in at least four cities.

• Filmmakers were required to provide two film prints.

The rule changes effectively cut in half the rollout requirement mandated for this year's competition.

"By eliminating the multi-city rollout requirements, we have significantly simplified the Academy rules while still retaining the core intent to ensure we honor nonfiction work created for theatrical distribution," said Michael Apted, chairman of the Documentary Branch Executive Committee, in a statement released by the academy.

The eligibility year for documentary categories runs Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, so rule changes for these categories are addressed earlier than categories that follow the calendar year.