If you’ve been thinking that there has been an extreme lack of new movies lately, you’re not alone. 2020 has hit the film industry hard. So much so that it has just been announced that the 2021 Academy Awards ceremony has been delayed an extra two months to April 25, 2021. The ceremony typically takes place in late February but due to the pandemic and its impact on the film industry, the Oscars will be delayed. This has caused shifts in film eligibility and member voting.
The most major aspect of this effects the eligibility period of certain films hoping to be up for Oscar consideration. Usually, the Academy only considers films that are released from January to December. This year, they have made an exception to extend the deadline to February 28th, 2021. This means that film’s released up until that date can be eligible for Oscar consideration. On the one hand, this will help out many filmmakers who have been unable to shoot and finish their films that were supposed to come out by the end of the year. On the other hand, it’s going to cause a lot of confusion for the 2021 awards season if a movie released in January/February 2021 is competing against a movie released in 2020.
Here is a chart that helps explain the situation and key dates for the 2021 Academy awards. One thing’s for sure, we’ve got a long way to go before the next Academy Awards take place!
