The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled multiple rule changes for the 97th Annual Academy Awards; among them, international feature films can now also be considered in the animated feature film category if they meet eligibility requirements.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently unveiled multiple rule changes for the 97th Annual Academy Awards in 2025, including the allowance of international feature films to also be considered in the animated feature film category, according to Deadline. Now, if the international film passes eligibility requirements to be considered “animation,” the film can qualify in both categories.
“Previously, animated movies selected as a country’s international feature selection [which do not require U.S. theatrical distribution] were not qualified to enter for animated feature consideration unless they also met the qualifying standards for general entry [which require U.S. theatrical distribution],” an Academy insider recently told IndieWire.
“This consisted of separate submission forms,” the insider continued. “Submitters will still need to complete different forms, but now animated movies selected as a country’s international feature selection no longer need to meet general entry standards to be considered for the Animated Feature award. They would, however, still need to be ruled eligible under the Academy’s definition of ‘animation.'”
The international feature film category was also shifted to the period of November 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
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