Oscar Bits: International Voting Changes & Luncheon News

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences dropped two newsworthy bits of information on Halloween to spook its membership.  The first involves an opportunity to expand the voting pool for the Best International Film category (formerly known as the Foreign Language Film Oscar).  The second is in regards to a potentially temporary new home for the Oscars Luncheon.

The International Film Oscar race is well underway as screenings for submitted contenders have been held for the first phase of voting since the middle of October.  These members in Los Angeles, and overseas, are required to watch 15 of this year’s record 93 international submissions.  Seven films will be determined by member votes and another 3 will be chosen by the International Executive Committee to make up the 10 shortlisted nominees. Today the Academy invited all members across the globe to participate in selecting the final five nominees from that shortlist.  Members will be able to watch all 10 films on the Academy’s new screening site and/or attend screenings in Los Angeles, New York and London.  Previously, It is assumed members will have to prove they have seen all 10 films to participate, but it has not been explicitly spelled out by the Academy as of yet.

Whether this change affects the results for the five nominees remains to be seen.  It’s unlikely The Academy will reveal how many international members participated but in theory, non-European members could be inclined to join in to help Asian, African, Central Amerian and South American films crack the top five.  European nations have landed three of the five slots for a majority of the decade.

In other news, the Academy revealed today that the fame Oscar Luncheon will be held this season at the Ray Dolby Ballroom instead of its traditional venue, The Beverly Hilton.  A favorite among nominees, the event is where the famed Oscar class photo is taken and many nominees get to mingle with each other without the pressure to “campaign” for the first time.  The luncheon is scheduled for Monday, January 27.  That is less than two weeks from this year’s very early Oscar telecast set for Sunday, February 9.  With production already underway at The Dolby Theater, AMPAS felt it just made more sense to tease the actual show and hold the luncheon at the same time.  With the Oscars returning to its familiar end of February date in 2021 and 2022, it’s likely the event will return to the Beverly Hilton or, perhaps, make its way to the Academy museum.  Assuming its open by then.

It should be noted with the Academy Awards a little over three months away, AMPAS has not officially announced who is producing the show.