SAG awards change the film’s eligibility rules
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Official film rules for this year’s SAG Awards won’t be announced until next month, but an email sent to studios on Thursday morning said the company would follow up on a temporary qualifying change for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars.
The email reads, “We are still revising our film release criteria but will follow the Academy’s rules to allow titles to be streamed to VOD or first published in VOD with planned release.” “The full language will be announced in June, along with the rest of our rules.”
The academy announced on April 26 that a seven-day theatrical performance of a film in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County is required to qualify for the Oscars if the board of governors approves a temporary hold if necessary.
Instead, movies will be allowed to be released digitally without being played in theaters. However, the streamed film must have already released a planned drama to qualify for the Oscars. The film should also be made available on the member-streaming site of the Academy Screenroom only within 60 days of the film’s streaming or VOD release.
The 2020 FYC guidelines for the film for the SAG Awards and the new fee structure were also sent to the studios this morning.
The one-page memo reads, “The SAG Award Nomination Committee will be finalized in early July.” “In light of the epidemic, personal notices have been suspended until further notice. When we initially moved to virtual events and digital screeners (although limited mailing is still allowed) we moved our members forward with new rules around the FYC campaign – and a new fee structure.
It continues, “The epidemic is a growing situation and as the situation changes we will develop with it and inform you of any updates to our guidelines and rules during the summer and fall.”
Also, in the past, studios had to provide DVDs of eligible films for committee members to nominate. However, according to the memo, “Digital screeners are now allowed in the pre-nomination voting phase. All digital screening platforms and streaming sites must be approved by the SAG Awards.
