274 films qualify for Oscar consideration

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Two hundred seventy-four feature films are eligible for the Academy Award for best picture of 2009, it was announced Friday in Beverly Hills, Calif.

To be eligible for consideration for the 82nd Academy Awards, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days, said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category.

Nominations for Academy Awards, also known as Oscars, are to be announced Feb. 2. The prized statuettes are to be handed out March 7.