Oscars Tweak Eligibility Rules; Netflix Still In

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The Motion Picture Academy of America tweaked its rules for next year's Oscars, but the biggest change is one they didn't make. Netflix films will still be held to the same standards as other movies, meaning they have to premiere in a single theater with three or more paid admissions per day in Los Angeles for seven days during the year to be eligible (they usually make deals with independent theaters to qualify; Roma played at the local arthouse here for a couple of months). Films may appear on "nontheatrical" media (e.g., Netflix) on or after the day they premiere in Los Angeles. Since Martin Scorsese's new film The Irishman is expected to be a major contender, disqualifying it under some of the stricter standards proposed by some would have had a big impact on the race.

Among the actual changes you may notice:

-- The Foreign Language Film award will be renamed the International Feature Film award.
-- Nominees in the Makeup and Hairstyling category will increase from three to five.
-- Short films (live or animated) can now qualify by premiering in either New York or Los Angeles