Some big news out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ladies and gentlemen. The board of governors for AMPAS, had a meeting and a vote earlier today, one which resulted in some major changes for the upcoming Academy Award ceremony. Two in particular stick out, especially in terms of how the next Oscar telecast will look, though some of the changes are just due to the Coronavirus situation and are seen as temporary. Not all of these bits of tinkering are COVID-19 related, however, so, for example, say goodbye to Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. However, the big news is definitely related to how the virus has impacted the industry. Read on for more… Basically, a film no longer needs to screen for a week in an LA based movie theater. Now, at least until the Coronavirus pandemic is over, titles that go directly to streaming will still be Oscar eligible. This is good news for The King of Staten Island (which just), for example. As for the two Sound categories merging into one, that seemed inevitable, considering how few Academy members seem to understand the difference. Now, it’ll just be Best Sound at the ceremony. Here’s some of The Hollywood Reporter’s take on the changes: The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony is still slated to take place on Feb. 27, 2021, but the road to it is going to look considerably different than it did for any of the prior 92. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 54-person board of governors, acting on the recommendation of its awards rules committee, voted on Tuesday morning — during a secure Zoom session that started at 9am and lasted for more than two hours — to significantly ease Oscar-eligibility requirements in response to the ongoing pandemic that has largely shut down the global film industry, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. This season, and until further notice, films can qualify for the competition without screening for at least one week in a Los Angeles-area theater, the longstanding barrier for entry; after all, all movie theaters in LA and most of the country remain shuttered indefinitely. Instead, films that were scheduled for theatrical release, that meet the other eligibility requirements and that are made available for Academy members to view on the organization’s members-only streaming service, Academy Screening Room, within 60 days of being made available on a […]