The deadline to submit your film to next year’s Oscar’s is October 10th and if you’ve not booked in your Oscar Qualifying theatrical release this will need to be completed by Sept 30th for shorts and Dec 31st for features. Below I share 5 tips to help you complete your submission with ease. Still stuck? Drop me an email to set up a 1-2-1 session to help guide you through the process and solve any last minute problems you are having.
1. Don’t leave the submission until last minute
Submitting a film to the Oscar’s is a time consuming process and can’t be completed in a few minutes such as a submission on Film Freeway which is all set up and ready to go. This submission takes time as there is alot to prepare including creating closed captions and a specific ‘clean’ landscape poster that has to match the Academy’s precise specifications. You also need to compile a cast and crew credit list complete with their full contact information. The golden rule – get all of the deliverables that you’ll be required to submit at least a month before the submission deadline.
2. Ensure you get your proof of eligibility documents delivered ahead of the deadline
If you win an Oscar qualifying award at a festival which is Oscar qualifying the first thing you’ll need to do after you receive the great news is get a proof of your win letter from the festival. It won’t take them long to put this together and should be delivered to you way ahead of the deadline.
If you qualify to submit by doing a theatrical release of your film in an Oscar qualifying theatre you’ll need to get your proof of eligibility document from the theatre manager as soon as your release has finished on day 7. This letter confirms all of the dates and times that the film screened and that it complied with the Oscar’s technical specs. Theatres get very busy during the peak Oscar qualifying months (July-September) therefore it’s important to always plan ahead and stay on top of receiving the letter and to give the theatre plenty of time to deliver it to you.
3. Always refer to the Academy’s guidelines and specifications when creating your artwork & deliverables
It’s temping to create the deliverables that you’ll need to complete your submission without checking the guidelines first but always do so as the academy are very precise with what they want and also when it comes to making your DCP if you’re doing a theatrical run. You’ll need to create a DCP to send to the Academy members if you get shortlisted as this is a requirement. You can download the technical specs list from their website; everything is clearly laid out and organised very methodically.
4. Take a screenshot of your screening times at the theatre (if qualifying via a theatrical release) so you know the dates and times
Although you won’t be required to upload this picture when you submit it’s useful to have a screenshot of the dates and times of the screenings to hand and on your phone so you can check that the information is accurate and correct when you receive the confirmation letter from the theatre.
5. Assign who you want to be the designated nominees ahead of time so that you are organised and can get the administration done in advance
This part can sometimes cause a headache if left too late during the process. Decide early on at the start of the submission who you and the Production team want to allocate as the designated nominees so that you can get all of their information ready to input into the submission. Make it clear to all of your team what this involves and what you’ll need from them. The instructions can be found on the rules and regulations page of their website.
