Ben Affleck and Matt Damon-produced documentary ruled ineligible for Oscars… though filmmakers insist it qualified

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As a seasoned film enthusiast and connoisseur with decades of experience under my belt, I find myself deeply disheartened by the recent turn of events surrounding the documentary “Kiss the Future.” Having witnessed countless films navigate the intricate labyrinth that is Hollywood’s award circuit, I must admit that this situation strikes a peculiar chord.

The upcoming Oscars have determined that a recently-made documentary co-produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will not be eligible to contest in the Best Documentary category.

In a total of 139 AMC Theaters across the country, the movie “Kiss the Future” was shown, even in significant cities that qualify for Oscars such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta.

Yet, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ documentary division, the movie was screened twice daily instead of the thrice-daily schedule as outlined in the Oscar guidelines.

According to Deadline, Affleck, Damon, and producer Sarah Anthony appealed to the Academy, but their appeal was turned down.

Currently, the film’s director, Nenad Cicin-Sain, is advocating for the Academy to abide by their own rules, as they theoretically wouldn’t disqualify the movie.

Following the initial story’s release on Monday, I recognized that the rules didn’t explicitly require the film to be screened only once on a single screen in the qualifying market.

If we consider the total number of places where Kiss the Future performed (and met the required criteria), they would have qualified.

On Monday, Cicin-Sain penned a letter to the Academy, expressing that there’s no particular regulation that makes his movie unsuitable for consideration.

In a message sent to Natalie Wade, the Academy’s Senior Director of Member Relations and Awards Administration, Cicin-Sain clarified that there isn’t any particular rule requiring the three daily screenings needed for Oscar qualification to be held in the same theater within a specific city, each one could potentially be in different theaters.

The regulation underscores that the movie should be screened at least three times daily for a continuous seven-day span in one of the eligible American metropolitan regions. Cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay Area are among those that qualify, as clarified by the director.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I’m thrilled to share that my latest recommendation, “Kiss the Future,” was screened extensively in multiple markets for a fortnight, and the daily viewings surpassed our initial expectations by a substantial margin. In fact, it was exhibited more than three times a day, which is truly remarkable!

Cicin-Sain commented, ‘The guidelines you gave mention that a movie needs to be shown **three times a day** in a qualifying city, however, they do not clearly indicate that all these screenings must happen in the **same cinema** within the qualifying city… Could you point out where it is specified “3 times a day in the same theater?”‘

According to the director, the rulebook they received for the alleged 96th Oscars contains no stipulation that a documentary must screen in a single location three times daily.

Instead, the Academy asserts that a new rule has been introduced for the 97th Academy Awards, specifying that a film’s initial seven-day release period must take place within a single cinema.

The Academy hasn’t explained why they implemented a new rule that actually limits, rather than expands, the criteria for qualification. This is surprising because the majority of documentary films that qualify typically receive a minimal, single-theater release, often referred to as a “one-theater” or “four wall” release.

It’s unclear why the Academy decided to set such a strict criterion for the 97th Oscars, and whether this rule exists or not doesn’t affect the main point made by the filmmakers – that Kiss the Future exceeded expectations if the goal of the Academy is to encourage theater attendance. Unlike most qualifying documentaries which get a minimal “four wall” release, Kiss the Future received a broader distribution for a non-fiction film.

On Monday, Cicin-Sain stated that what they are doing is strictly adhering to the written law rather than the intent or essence of the law.

If the intention behind the rule is to show movies in cinemas, then by displaying it in multiple theaters as intended, you should meet the criteria… but if that’s not the case, there seems to be a misunderstanding or error.

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2024-09-25 06:23