Oscar made some adjustments to the category of best international feature film.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has posed many challenges, both in showing films for awards and in voting. To ensure that the integrity of the process remains intact, the preliminary international feature film committee will vote by secret ballot that will produce a list of 15 films from different countries, from the previous 10. In previous years, the preliminary vote would take place in person. This year, the process would need to be conducted in a virtual environment, which raised security concerns. As a result, the International Executive Committee will not meet to increase the vote with additional selections. The Board approved this change of governors at a recent meeting.
Since 2008, the voting system for the international feature film business would take place in Los Angeles with representatives from PricewaterhouseCoopers revealing the films that received the most votes at a closed-door meeting for the International Executive Committee. In a lively debate, the committee would select the films to complete the list, making it known in the awards industry as the “saved”. Films like “The Great Beauty” are rumors, but they were never verified by the Academy as saved by the committee years ago. This process was adopted after Romania’s “4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days” failed to make the finalists list during 2007.
The new rule change removes the “save”, and the top 15 films that receive the most votes will complete the list, which will be announced on February 9th. This is expanded from the 10 films originally announced. This leaves no safety net to correct any glaring omissions during the preliminary voting process.
Unlike other Oscar categories, the best international film does not have a specific branch of the Academy. Several filmmakers from different disciplines serve on the executive committee that includes Susanne Bier and Larry Karaszewski. The International Feature Film Executive Committee is responsible for administering the category rules and determining the eligibility of a film.
Candidates are numerous this year, including “Another Round” from Denmark, “Two of Us” from France and “I’m No Longer Here” from Mexico. Variety reported some of the campaign’s challenges by filmmakers and strategists. “It gives more films a chance to fight,” says an award publicist. “But there are some incredible films that are made to be saved, and we just have to pray that members who have chosen to watch as many entries as they can.”
After an unofficial record of 93 entries in the Academy’s screening room, members who chose to vote for the international short film list will take place from 1 to 5 February.
The 93rd Oscar nominations will be announced on March 15, with broadcast scheduled for April 25.