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Agnes Varnum is a freelance writer, film programmer and communications manager for the Austin Film Society. She is the primary contributor to doc it out and Tribeca Film Institute's Resources.

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Variety: Academy alters documentary rules

October 9th, 2007 • Related Posts • Tags

Great for filmmakers who don’t have their sh*t together; bummer for those who’ve already spent a lot…Thoughts?

“Feature-length documentarians have been given some slack under the rules that determine their films’ eligibility for Oscar.

In a change approved by the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, filmmakers now must unspool their pics for seven days in Los Angeles County and Manhattan only. Previously, films had to be screened in 10 states on 14 screens.

‘By eliminating the multicity rollout requirements, we have significantly simplified the Academy’s rules while still retaining the core intent to ensure that we honor nonfiction work created for theatrical distribution,’ said director Michael Apted, chair of the Documentary Branch Executive Committee.” Read the entire article>>

There Are 6 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Sarah Jo on 10 October 2007:

    I take it this is for 2008 and has no bearing on this year’s films. Right?

  2. Comment by agnes on 10 October 2007:

    Yes, it’s for next year, but how ticked are the people qualifying this year?

  3. Comment by AJ on 10 October 2007:

    You mean the people who paid upwards of $20,000 to attempt to qualify?

  4. Comment by agnes on 10 October 2007:

    $20,000? It’d be a miracle to qualify this year at that price, don’t you think? It’s just too bad they couldn’t have waited until after all the qualifying for this year was through to make this announcement. It’s good news for the long run but dispiriting now… or at least potentially so.

  5. Comment by Bob Alexander on 12 October 2007:

    The big money under this year’s rules goes for the 35mm prints that are required for screening in NY and LA. To make one print from a digital master is easily in the $30k to $35k range — so you spend your money and then, if you’re short listed, you get to spend more!

    My sense is that this is overall a positive step. There is so much great documentary work, and while Danielle is far better qualified to comment on that than I, *even I* can recognize that! It feels to me like these rules for next year will broaden the scope of opportunity for filmmakers.

  6. Comment by Rod Amis on 19 October 2007:

    I recently met Desert Bayou director Alex LeMay at a preview screening of his film in New Orleans. Having lived there, I was interested in seeing his take on the aftermath and the relocation of some 600 African-American evacuees to Salt Lake City, Utah. We talked a bit about the qualifying process (his film does its major multi-state roll-out on October 26 in too many cities to list here. It’s playing at the Village East in NYC, has been since the 5th of October and opens in LA next weekend.” What got my was the hoops he described that small Indy filmmakers like himself have to go through even to qualify. This rule change, it seems to me, is a move at leveling the playing field for the small guys.