Oscars 2021 Officially Postponed
Also extending the deadline for submissions.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the 2021 Oscars will officially be postponed by two months to April 25, 2021. The news arrives about a month after the Academy was supposedly considering rescheduling the 93rd Academy Awards due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control,” Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement. “This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark a historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema.”
The format of the ceremony, usually held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and its ABC telecast is yet to be resolved. ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke added, “We find ourselves in uncharted territory this year and will continue to work with our partners at the Academy to ensure next year’s show is a safe and celebratory event that also captures the excitement of the opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.”
With the two-month postponement, the Academy also announced that films released on or before February 28, 2021 will be eligible. Deadline for specialty categories such as animated feature film, documentary feature, documentary short subject, international feature film, animated short film and live-action short film is now December 1, while general entry categories is now January 15, 2021.
In related news, the Oscars will have new diversity requirements for eligibility.
