In advance of what is expected to be a record year for entries in the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film category, the Academy has made significant changes in the voting process used to select nominees.
In a Thursday afternoon email to all Southern California-based members of the Academy, the organization used the subject line “Come see the world with us!” and invited the members to “help us choose the next foreign language film award nominees,” also linking to a page that described the new voting system.
In the biggest change, the color-coded screening groups have been eliminated. In the past, Oscar voters who volunteered to vote in the category were separated into three or four different groups, named for colors; screenings of the eligible films were divided among the groups, and voters had to see at least 65 percent of the films in their group to be eligible to vote.
Also Read: Oscar Foreign Language Film Race 2017: The Contenders (So Far)
They were free to see films outside their group — but in an attempt to spread out the viewing evenly, every three films seen outside the group only counted as two films to satisfy the 65 percent requirement.
Under the new system, by contrast, all the films will be screened at the Academy’s theaters in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, tentatively beginning on Oct. 16 and running through Dec. 9. But these will not be “blue group,” “white group” and “red group” screenings. Instead, voters will be free to attend whatever screenings they desire.
Each member will, however, be given a “Required Viewing List” of films he or she must see in order to qualify to vote. (The Academy says that members must see each of the films “in full or in part,” which apparently opens the possibility of only watching a portion of the film.)
Voters are also encouraged to see as many films not on their list as possible.
Also Read: Angelina Jolie Joins Oscar Foreign-Language Race as Entries Near 50
The Academy has also eliminated the conflict-of-interest rule that in the past has barred members from voting if they are involved in the production or promotion of a film in competition.
The voting changes have the potential of increasing the number of voters in the category. They also raise many additional questions, including how many films will be assigned to each voter, whether screeners or links will now be allowed (or provided) and whether the process will accommodate the increasingly large number of Academy members who live outside the United States.
The Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AMPAS president John Bailey, who has taken a particular interest in the process, or from longtime Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee head Mark Johnson.
The link from the Academy email said only, “More information will be available after the October 2nd film submission deadline.”
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Nearly 70 countries have already announced their entries in the Oscars race, putting the category on pace to break its record of 85 submissions two years ago.
Top contenders so far include Sweden’s Palme d’Or winner, “The Square,” Germany’s “In the Fade,” France’s “120 Beats Per Minute,” Austria’s “Happy End,” Russia’s “Loveless,” Israel’s “Foxtrot” and Cambodia’s “First They Killed My Father,” directed by Angelina Jolie.
TheWrap has a complete list of submitted films, with links to trailers, here .
117 Amazing Portraits From TheWrap's Toronto Studio, From Angelina Jolie to Jim Carrey (Photos)
Actors Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney and director Craig Gillespie, "I, Tonya"
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Actress-producer Margot Robbie, "I, Tonya"
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Margot Robbie, "I, Tonya"
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Actress Allison Janney, "I, Tonya"
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Sebastian Stan, "I, Tonya"
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Helen Mirren, "The Leisure Seeker"
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Helen Mirren, "The Leisure Seeker"
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"Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond" Jim Carrey
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Jim Carrey, "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond"
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Director Chris Smith, "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond"
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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Current War"
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Michael Shannon, "The Current War"
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Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon with actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon and Nicholas Hoult, "The Current War"
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Director Angelina Jolie, "First They Killed My Father"
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Director Angelina Jolie with producer Rithy Panh, stars Kimhak Mun, Sareum Srey Moch and co-writer Luong Ung, "First They Killed My Father"
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Writer-director Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
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Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
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Actress Laurie Metcalf, "Lady Bird"
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Actor Tracy Letts, "Lady Bird"
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Brie Larson, "Unicorn Store"
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Actor Sam Rockwell, "Woman Walks Ahead"
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Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci, "The Children Act"
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Writer Ian McEwan, actor Stanley Tucci, director Richard Eyre and actors Emma Thompson and Duncan Kenworthy, "The Children Act"
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Stanley Tucci, "The Children Act"
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"Outside In" director Lynn Shelton with her cast Jay Duplass, Kaitlyn Dever and Edie Falco
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Jay Duplass, "Outside In"
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Edie Falco, "Outside In"
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Kaitlyn Dever, "Outside In"
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Director Lynn Shelton, "Outside In"
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Jake Gyllenhaal, "Stronger"
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Tatiana Maslany, "Stronger"
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Miranda Richardson, "Stronger"
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"Stronger" star Jake Gyllenhaal with Jeff Bauman, the Boston Marathon bombing survivor he plays in the fiilm
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Writer Jeff Bauman, "Stronger"
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Actor Cedric the Entertainer, "First Reformed"
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Cedric the Entertainer, "First Reformed"
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Cedric the Entertainer and director Paul Schrader "First Reformed"
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Director Paul Schrader, "First Reformed"
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Actors Aaron Pederson, Abbey Lee, Matt Nable, Simone Kessell, Josh McConville and Ryan Corr, "1%"
Abbey Lee, "1%"
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Actress Simone Kessel, "1%"
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Actor Ed Harris, "Kodachrome"
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Actor Ed Harris and director Mark Raso, "Kodachrome"
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Mark Raso, "Kodachrome"
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Writer-producer Jeremy Chilnick, writer-director-producer Morgan Spurlock and producer Matthew Galkin, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
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Producer Matthew Galkin, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
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Writer-producer Jeremy Chilnick, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
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Writer-director-producer-star Morgan Spurlock, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
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Morgan Spurlock, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
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Director Joseph Kahn, "Bodied"
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Actress Rory Uphold, "Bodied"
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Actor Calum Worthy, "Bodied"
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Director Armando Iannucci, "The Death of Stalin"
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Director Darren Aronofsky, "mother!"
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Director Darren Aronofsky, "mother!"
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Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince and Sean Baker, "The Florida Project"
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Willem Dafoe, "The Florida Project"
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Director-star James Franco, "The Disaster Artist"
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Director-star James Franco, "The Disaster Artist"
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Actor Dave Franco, "The Disaster Artist"
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Actor Dave Franco, "The Disaster Artist"
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Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, "The Disaster Artist"
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Alison Brie, "The Disaster Artist"
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Alison Brie, "The Disaster Artist"
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Ari Graynor, "The Disaster Artist"
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Actress Jessica Chastain, "Molly's Game" and "Woman Walks Ahead"
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Actress Jessica Chastain, director Susanna White and Michael Greyeyes, "Woman Walks Ahead"
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Actress Julianne Nicholson, "Who We Are Now"
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Zachary Quinto, "Who We Are Now"
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Actor Josh Lucas, "Mark Felt"
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Selma Blair, "Mom and Dad"
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Selma Blair and Nicolas Cage, "Mom and Dad"
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Co-directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, "One of Us"
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Director Kyle Rideout, "Public Schooled"
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Judy Greer "Public Schooled"
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Actor Eddie Izzard, "Victoria & Abdul"
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Actor Ali Fazal, "Victoria & Abdul"
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Actress Elisabeth Moss, "The Square"
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Actor Terry Notary, "The Square"
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Director Ruben Ostland, "The Square"
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Actor Claes Bang, "The Square"
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Screenwriter Anthony McCarten, "Darkest Hour"
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Writer Anthony McCarten, stars Ben Mendelsohn, Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas with director Joe Wright, "Darkest Hour"
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Actor Ben Mendelsohn, "Darkest Hour"
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Actor Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"
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Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"
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Actress Kristin Scott Thomas, "Darkest Hour"
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Director Joe Wright, "Darkest Hour"
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Actor Nahuel Peres Biscayar, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"
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Actor Arnaud Valois, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"
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Director John Curran with actors Jim Gaffigan, Ed Helms and Kate Mara, writers Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, "Chappaquiddick"
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"Chappaquiddick" director John Curran
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Kate Mara, "Chappaquiddick"
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Kate Mara, "Chappaquiddick"
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Jim Gaffigan, "Chappaquiddick"
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Ed Helms, "Chappaquiddick"
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Director Dan Gilroy, "Roman J. Israel, Esq."
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Actress Diane Kruger, "In the Fade"
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Actress Diane Kruger, "In the Fade"
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Director Alexander Payne, "Downsizing"
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Actors Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and director Alexander Payne, "Downsizing"
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Actor Christoph Waltz, "Downsizing"
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Actress Hong Chau, "Downsizing"
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Actors Wes Studi, Rosamund Pike, direcor Scott Cooper, Christian Bale and Jonathan Majors, "Hostiles"
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Actor Simon Baker, "Breath"
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Simon Baker, "Breath"
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Director Neil Burger, "The Upside"
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Writer-director Martin McDonagh, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"
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Director and co-writer Dee Rees, "Mudbound"
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Actor Jason Mitchell, "Mudbound"
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Rob Morgan, "Mudbound"
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Jason Mitchell and Rob Morgan, "Mudbound"
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Actors Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, director Dee Rees, actors Rob Morgan and Carey Mulligan, "Mudbound"
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Garrett Hedlund, "Mudbound"
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Writer-director Robin Campillo, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"
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Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, "Battle of the Sexes"
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Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, "Battle of the Sexes"
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Brady Jandreau, "The Rider"
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TIFF 2017: Jake Gyllenhaal, Helen Mirren, Benedict Cumberbatch and more sit down to talk about their latest projects
Actors Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney and director Craig Gillespie, "I, Tonya"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
