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The 2021 Oscar ceremony is just over three months away, but that does not mean that we will not see any more pandemic-related changes in this year’s award season until then. According to Hollywood news reporter, the Academy recently decided to change the selection process to its list of Best International Outstanding due to “concerns about its ability to protect the safety of the process”, now that it must happen online. They are also expanding the finalist list from ten to 15 films.
In short, the selection process usually involves a voluntary preliminary committee that personally chooses seven films, to which the international executive committee adds three films, or “salvo”, usually films that they think have been overlooked and deserve a chance to win the award. Which films are chosen by which committee is never publicly revealed.
However, according to THR, the Academy decided that “carrying out the executive committee’s online deliberations through Zoom or a similar platform would leave them open to leaks or hacks.” Rather than risk having your debate exposed, this year’s process will allow the preliminary committee to choose virtually the entire list of candidates, which again will have 15 seats instead of ten.
The list of finalists for the Best International Film, and many of this year’s other Oscar finalists, will be announced on February 9, with nominees to be announced on March 15.