Oscars 2027: BIG Changes Announced In Acting, International Film Categories; Academy Bans AI

For

the 99th edition of the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has updated its rules in several major categories, including acting, writing and international film. Actors can now be nominated for multiple films in the same category. Additionally, non-English-language films can now qualify by winning a designated top prize at one of six approved festivals. Moreover, the director’s name will appear on the trophy instead of the country. Finally, the AMPAS is also taking a major stand against AI by banning it from the writing categories and performances enhanced with AI in the acting categories will not be considered.

Oscar rules changed in acting, international film categories

The newly updated rules for Oscars 2027 reveal any actor can be nominated twice in the same category for two different films, as long as both performances receive enough votes. For example, under the new rules, Paul Mescal, who had two leading rules with The History of Sound and Hamnet, could have been nominated for both. In previous years, actors like Sebastian Stan, Kate Winslet, Jessica Chastain and Leonardo DiCaprio were snubbed for their second performance in the same year because only one film could be selected.

This will also deter certain instances of category fraud when an actor submits a leading performance in a supporting category to be nominated for two awards potential features. Furthermore, performances of late actors such as Val Kilmer's As Deep as the Grave will not be eligible, as the new rule states, "Only roles credited in the film’s legal billing and demonstrably performed by humans with their consent will be considered."There are major changes in the international film category, which can greatly benefit India in the future. First off, more than one film from the same country can now qualify for a nomination. Now if a non-English-language film wins a top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival, it can automatically qualify for a nomination. If an international film is not selected by their countries’ submission committees, it still allows them a chance to qualify. For filmmakers like Jafar Panahi, who has defied his government's ruling by continuing to make his features.

One more big change in the international film category changes the name of the recipient, as now the director's name will appear on the trophy. In most cases, the country's name is not needed to appear, as the film will be nominated, not just the country or the region

Academy bans AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) was another topic of concern, as the AMPAS indicated that it would reserve the right to request more information about the "use and the extent of human authorship on any submitted film." For the writing categories, the screenplays must be written by humans in order to qualify.

For the newly announced casting category, the AMPAS will now increase the trophy count to three from two. For cinematography, the preliminary voting round will now have a fixed shortlist of 20 films instead of the earlier 10 to 20. For the makeup and hairstyling category, the branch members must attend at least one of the two final branch meetings, also known as roundtables, to be eligible to vote in the preliminary round. For Original Song, a clarification in the rules bases its eligibility on its placement in the end credits. A video clip must include the last 15 seconds of the feature before the end credits for songs submitted as new music once the film ends. Finally, for VFX, all Academy members should watch the three-minute before and after reels from the Visual Effects Bake-Off to be eligible to vote in the final round. And for the honorary Governors Awards recipients, a minimum of three disciplines must be represented in a given awards year. The 99th Oscars will be held in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027.