In the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic shutting down public gathering places like movie theaters, films like Disney/Pixar's Onward have been releasing digitally early or even exclusively, and that has led to questions about how the annual Oscars will be handled. Today the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences put out an announcement detailing how eligibility rules for the 93rd Academy Awards will be changed.
The major change pertains to the rule that a film typically needs to have a seven-day consecutive run in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County to be eligible. Until theaters, like the currently struggling AMC chain, are allowed to reopen via federal, state, and local guidelines, films intended for a live release will be eligible if they are available on "the secure Academy Screening Room member-only streaming site" within 60 days of being on streaming or video on demand.
The Academy's Board of Governors also approved new rules for sound and international film categories, as well as campaign regulations such as requiring movie screeners to include closed captioning.
Following the wide acclaim of movies like Netflix's The Irishman last year, these new coronavirus-inspired rules for the 93rd Academy Awards open up an avenue for streaming movies to potentially gain more recognition.
Source: The Oscars