International Film Race Gets Thrown A Curve With Shortlist Expansion1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteUsually, the twists and turns during awards season are prompted by scandals, public relations goofs, or films that simply didn’t play as expected. This year, the ongoing pandemic has created changes in the process itself that continue to surprise longtime observers. The latest was the revelation last week that the International Film Oscar’s shortlist, a crucial part of paring down the usual 90+ submissions to an eventual five nominees, was being severely tinkered with.
Since 2008, the International Film committee has helped determine the 9-10 films on the shortlist beyond the traditional voting process. Volunteer members in numerous cities (ie, usually retired members no longer working regularly) would vote for a majority of the shortlist, but the committee would have the option of selecting three committee “saves” to make sure the Academy wasn’t embarrassed by any potential snubs. This safety valve put into motion after the omission of 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days caused an uproar during the 80th Oscars. Already into the same process this season, the Academy decided to drop the “saves” and expand the shortlist to 15 films via popular vote, effectively doubling the number of member selections up for consideration.
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