Does anybody know why the Oscar nominations for Best Picture are always movies that have just come out/ new at the cinema?

Question

They always forget about the movies earlier in the year like the Planet of the apes movie or Interstellar, etc. Why?!?Every year it is the same if you look at the nominations. 2013 was the same. Django, Argo, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook. 2014: Dallas Buyers Clubs, Captain Phillips, Her, 12 Years A Slave, American Hustle. All these movies came out around xmas time. I don't get it.

Answer 1

Fall/winter time is what's known as oscar season. The films that are expected to be oscar contenders are usually released in that time frame. And let me be clear there is times when a film that is released earlier in the year are forgotten because they lose momentum. But in the case of Dawn and interstellar, they just didn't deserve it according to the award shows. They just simply weren't as good as the other films up for contention. Plus, look at Boyhood which was released months ago and will still probably win the oscar for best picture.



That's what makes the oscars so difficult. It's not just about how good the film was, but it's also a question of was that film better than the other films up that year. And that's just not the case for apes and interstellar.

Answer 2

Directors and producers already know they are coming up with an Oscar contender. They save these movies to be released at the end of the year, because they don't want their competitor film producers to know what they have.



If the movie was released in June, then the competitors would release a movie to compete with that one for the Oscar race.



All the movies are produced and are in queue to be released. It's up to the producer to ok the release date.



Some movies are designed to compete for the Best Picture Oscar. So they are released during key periods.

Answer 3

All the above is false in terms of who has seen the film. Every film this year was released at a film festival - a first, I believe. Boyhood and Whiplash were both released in January 2014, for example, but at film festivals. Boyhood, notably, is the frontrunner for Best Picture (deservedly so, I should add). Whiplash deserves honorable mention as perhaps the least seen of the 8, but in my opinion, one of the top three (behind Boyhood and Birdman). Since the Academy changed it's rules (from 5 to 10 nominees, then from 5 tom 5-10 nominees) the traditional release date for an Oscar film has changed - in the early 2000's it was clearly a race between movies released between December and January, but now that more movies are nominated and that the Oscar dates have shifted from April to February (before all the precursor critics' and guilds' awards have a chance to affect voters' decisions), it is clear that earlier films (Imitation Game, Theory of Everything) are prevailing over later entries like Selma (unless that entry is directed by someone like Clint Eastwood a la American Sniper) and festival entries like Boyhood are benefitting.



As regards to wide release dates? Not sure how to answer that yet except to say that late wide-release dates like Selma's are definitely not a plus.

Answer 4

It's the political strategy of the producers. When they sense they have a potential Oscar winner, they withhold releasing the film until the last month of the year. They assume that the more recently viewed the movie is by Academy members, the fresher it is in their minds and the more apt they are to nominate the film.



That peeves Woody Allen, who purposely releases his movies in the Spring just on principal.



FYI - to qualify for that year's Oscars, a movie only has to be shown in Los Angeles during that calendar year. Likewise, it MUST be shown in LA that year.

Answer 5

No, there's a date range within which the movie must have been released, and I'm sure they consider all eligible movies, but certain types of movies are never going to be nominated. Notice the films that are nominated every time--usually dramas, not usually the most popular films, almost never comedies. It's like book awards--the really serious books people say they read but really don't are the ones that get the awards.

Answer 6

Well possible Oscar contenders would usually release their films around that time, but look at The Grand Budapest Hotel. I think it came out in February but it still got 9 nominations (which I am very happy about btw) so it's all about which films are best. Besides, I notice the Academy doesn't really take blockbuster action movies into consideration... so yeah.

Answer 7

I've been told, by someone who was apart of the academy, and had voting authority in association with the academy that it's mostly a popularity contest. If they like you as a person you're more likely to get votes. That's straight from the horses mouth.



All you have to do is produce a movie that glorifies war and you're a shoe in for best picture. Period. That's how it works in America. Hurt Locker for example, what a terrible boring movie but some said it's the best movie ever made.

Answer 8

Mainly because when voting begins in January and February , people would tend to vote for films that are still fresh in their minds. That is why many potential Oscar contender films are released between October and December.



However, for the 2014 Golden Globes, Boyhood (July 2014) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (February 2014) won best picture awards, and both films were released outside the Oct-Dec window.

Answer 9

Because the distributors are smart.



They release the movie at the latest time possible for the Oscar season (the end of the previous year), so that it'll be fresh in people's minds and they'll remember it faster for consideration. Movies released early in the year are forgotten about by then.

Answer 10

Because studios wait until the end of the year to release the movies they think have a shot at the Oscars. They do this so Oscar voters will have those movies fresh in their heads and hearing a lot of buzz about them.

Answer 11

What it has to do with is where the film gets screened. I has to appear in a number of LA theaters in order to be reconnized and be eligable for an oscar. TIming has nothing to do with it other than the year released. The Oscars is the film industry giving themselves an award. Which any Bozo with $50 can do.

Answer 12

Budapest is often defined since the "Little Paris of Middle Europe" and if you intend to see that city you will need to have a look with hotelbye . Budapest is popular not merely for the monuments reflecting its 1,000-year-old tradition, but also for the relics of others who settled here. Remains from both Roman occupation and much later ruled by the Turks may however be observed in the city. Budapest has two factors, Buda and Pest, stretching along the banks of the Danube, and they are addressing two various characters of the city. Suburban Buda and their old fort area provide medieval roads and houses, museums, caves and Roman ruins. The energetic Pest part delivers the largest parliament creating in Europe, riverside promenades, flea areas, bookstores, classic shops and café houses.

Answer 13

Your theory is a coincidence, but it has roots in fact because many filmmakers who believe they have made Oscar-worthy movies want to release them late in the year to 1) be in the minds of Oscar voters and 2) make more money at the box office in winter/holidays when more folk go to the movies.

Answer 14

It is a known strategy to release Oscar hopefuls very late in the year, in hopes of creating Oscar Buzz. Most are de facto January/February releases.



This is also handy for the business, because January-February-March is a slow time at the box office, and an Oscar hopeful or winner do good business without having to worry about competing with summer or holiday blockbusters.

Answer 15

oscars arent about recognizing the best. it's about promoting their viewpoint, while making it look enough like they were recognizing the best.



'them' includes a lot of politically inclined L!brals (gay Jewish) who want to shove their beliefs down your throat because thats what gives them meaning in life - and that 'shoving it down your throat' is often the only reason they went to hollywood in the first place or ended up owning the studio.



look at the kind of movies that win. argo. brokeback. crash. shindlers list. titanic (which was really about having an affair -- if it didnt have an affair it doesnt win). better, look at the kind of movies that don't win. family oriented movies. yeah that includes interstellar. they dont like the director...but theyll give the gay brokback joker an oscar even though his voice was manipulated and his face hidden with paint and he stuck a pencil in a guys eye. maconoghey? they frigging ignored him until he played that gay thing in a previous movie. they ignored hanks until he played that gay thing. etc. btw Leo dicaprio will get a lifetim eachievement award in about 30 years. hey what about michael keaton this year? where has he been and then suddenly...



'Best Picture' doesnt mean best movie. it mean 'best picture that ______" and the L!bral fills in the blank. whil being reminded, the actor directos or producers didnt get the job until they started playing the gaym.



why do they wait to release the ones that will get nominated? maybe because if the public hasnt seen it, they cant judge the list of movies, and it better gives the the whole promotion legitimacy.

Answer 16

Well the movies that got released the past few months are awesome! I mean look at Gone girls, Fury, American Sniper, The Judge, Big Hero 6 all these movies are awesome! Modern day movies are getting better aswell as acting and camera work. They get new ways of shooting movies which is nice!

Answer 17

All awards shows whether movies, tv, or music, are driven by money. Who scratches who's back. More and more also politics comes in to play with more agendas to be championed. That's why science fiction and paranormal don't usually stand a chance.

Answer 18

Yes, i agree with you. The films that are expected to be oscar contenders are usually released in that time frame. And let me be clear there is times when a film that is released earlier in the year are forgotten because they lose momentum

Answer 19

Oscar nomination are only for the previous year

Answer 20

Timing and mainly Hollywood studio strategy . The studio needs to make money on the film and get loads of free p/r- all at the same time . A win/win situation for the studio.

Answer 21

The movie makers know when to release their films so that they will be fresh in the minds of the voters for such awards. They are just playing the game, and it often works.

Answer 22

people have short memories, and the film studios know it.



if an unexpectedly good movie comes out early in the year they will often re-release it late in the year to remind the academy.

Answer 23

This is old news and its obvious why. Who cares, it's just the Oscars.

Answer 24

Google "Oscar Bait."

Answer 25

I feel & or think that it may be because after seeing some of the best that are sure to be picked to be in the line up to be a choice for "BEST" !?! They'd have just the right amount of time to RE`do & or cut up & out some undesirable scene/TWEAK them !?! if you will !?! In time for it to submitted !?! [just a guess] !?! r"R"r.,.

Answer 26

Yes, i agree this happens because the movie which has a fresh effect always wins.

Answer 27

most the best movies are going to be on theater most in this period of time because of importance to be close to holding golden globe Oscar and bafta.

Answer 28

All that alcohol at the award ceremony's, they can hardly remember last night, let alone the past year

Answer 29

Hmmmm i guess it's out with old and in with the new

Answer 30

I think film distributors release films at a certain time for this purpose.

Answer 31

Oscars is no popular in my country(china),so i can't answer your question

Answer 32

It is always involved in big money and politics,

Nothing to do with people popularity.......!!

Answer 33

ya

Answer 34

YES

Answer 35

Not sure, but thanks for asking, kind of interesting.