The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organizer of Oscars, is putting up consideration on postponing the 93rd edition of the big, according to various sources.
The different sources claiming anonymity, said there is yet to be a certainty as to whether the event will take shape in February 28, 2021, on ABC as earlier scheduled.
There has been contradictory views on the feasibility of the award-studded event early next year. “It’s likely they’ll be postponed,” one of the sources familiar with the matter told Variety News.
At the meantime, caution of further details was thrown with actual dates not fully proposed yet.
As at the time the temporary rule changes for Oscar eligibility were announced in April amid the COVID-19 concerns, Academy president David Rubin told Variety News it was rather too soon to know how the 2021 Oscar telecast could change in the wake of the pandemic.
Rubin said:
“It’s impossible to know what the landscape will be, We know we want to celebrate film but we do not know exactly what form it will take.”
Under the usual rules, a film must have a seven-day theatrical release in Los Angeles County to qualify for Oscar eligibility. But for this year, films released digitally can qualify if the studio had originally planned a theatrical release. “I think everyone is sympathetic to the filmmakers’ plight and we’re here to support our members and the film community,”. “It makes sense when we don’t really know what’s to come in terms of the availability of theatrical exhibition. … We need to make allowances for this year only and during this time when theaters are not open so great film work can be seen and celebrated.”
However, a statement on the Awards website read: “Until further notice, and for the 93rd Awards year only, films that had a previously planned theatrical release but are initially made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service may qualify in the Best Picture, general entry and speciality categories for the 93rd Academy Awards under these provisions:
“The film must be made available on the secure Academy Screening Room member-only streaming site within 60 days of the film’s streaming or VOD release [and] The film must meet all other eligibility requirements.”
