The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued new guidance to its more than 10,000 voting members, instructing them to watch every nominated film before casting their ballots for the Oscars.
According to NBC News, it obtained a copy of an email sent to members on October 30, outlining the steps required to comply with the policy ahead of the final voting deadline on March 5.
Previously, members were only required to confirm that they had seen films in certain preliminary rounds, such as those for international features. The updated rule now mandates that voters watch all five films in each category and all 10 films in the Best Picture category to be eligible to vote.
Films watched via the Academy Screening Room, the organisation’s streaming platform, will be automatically verified, while movies seen elsewhere, such as at festivals or private screenings, must be manually marked as watched.
“Keep an eye out for eligibility notifications prior to finals voting,” the Academy advised. “Members will be notified of the categories in which they still need to watch films to be eligible to vote.”
The measure is intended to prevent voters from favouring a single film across multiple categories without seeing all the other contenders. The Academy has collected more data on viewing habits since 2019, when it made Best Picture nominees available on its streaming service, revealing that not all voters watch all films before voting.
Critics of the system have noted that starting a film does not guarantee members actually watch it, underscoring the challenges in enforcing the rule. This move coincides with additional changes to the Oscars
