Oscars Overhaul Expands Acting Noms, Festival Route for Intl Feature, Human-Only AI Rules

AMPAS unveiled sweeping Oscar rule changes: actors can be nominated for multiple performances in the same acting category if those performances finish in the top five, the International Feature Film submission path now includes festival-qualifying wins (Berlin, Cannes, Busan, Toronto, Venice, Sundance) in addition to official country entries, and the director’s name will appear on the statuette plaque for International Feature. The rules also require performances to be human-authored for acting and writing categories, with other adjustments like increasing the number of Casting statuettes and tweaks to the Cinematography shortlist and campaign rules, plus important deadlines to note.