HOLLYWOOD—Director Steven Spielberg is fighting to change the eligibility to be nominated for an Academy Award to disqualify streaming services.
Spielberg’s new policy will take consideration at the Academy Board of Governors meeting in April 2019.
The 72-year-old director plans to discuss rules that limit streaming platforms like Netflix to Emmy’s nominations. If the policy passes, the 2020 Academy Awards, also known as the Oscar, will select winners from traditional films released in movie theaters.
Netflix responded to Spielberg’s Oscar criticism via Twitter on March 3 explaining reasons why streaming plays a significant role in film distribution today, and doesn’t take away the theatrical process.
The company didn’t mention Spielberg in their tweet which read: “We love cinema. Here are some things we also love:
-Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theaters
-Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time.
-Giving filmmakers more ways to share art
These things are not mutually exclusive.”
The movie “Roma” which was nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture. Director Alfonso Cuaron who won the Oscar for Best Director for “Roma.” The movie was distributed through Netflix.
The streaming giants films are mostly TV movies, Spielberg indicated last year during a promotional tour for “Ready Player One,” that “streaming giants are mostly known for TV movies and the best of them deserve and Emmy not an Oscar.”
Spielberg’s production company, Amblin, reported to sources that “Steven feels strongly about the difference between streaming and theatrical situation.” Spielberg has been nominated for a total of 17 Oscars, and has won a total of three: Best Director for “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan” and Best Picture for “Schindler’s List.”
