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Netflix films to maintain Oscar eligibility

By Karen Butler
Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron won the Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography Oscars for Netflix film "Roma" on February 24. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron won the Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography Oscars for Netflix film "Roma" on February 24. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

April 24 (UPI) -- Films from streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon or Hulu that meet theatrical release requirements will continue to be eligible for Oscar consideration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced.

The Oscars -- also known as the Academy Awards -- honor excellence in cinema.

"We support the theatrical experience as integral to the art of motion pictures, and this weighed heavily in our discussions," Academy President John Bailey said in a statement Tuesday.

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Bailey added: "Our rules currently require theatrical exhibition, and also allow for a broad selection of films to be submitted for Oscars consideration. We plan to further study the profound changes occurring in our industry and continue discussions with our members about these issues."

Netflix's Roma was a Best Picture contender last year, but some academy members such as filmmaker Steven Spielberg have said they think streaming movies should be considered television and not cinema because they are originally seen primarily on small screens as opposed to in theaters.

The academy also said it has changed the name of its Foreign Language Film category to International Feature Film.

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Nominees for this award will continue to be films produced outside of the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.

"We have noted that the reference to 'foreign' is outdated within the global filmmaking community," Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann, co-chairs of the International Feature Film Committee, said in a joint statement. "We believe that International Feature Film better represents this category, and promotes a positive and inclusive view of filmmaking, and the art of film as a universal experience."

Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron's Spanish-language drama Roma lost its Best Picture bid to Green Book, but won in the category formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film. Cuaron also won the awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography.

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