The 2010-2011 Awards Season will be a week shorter than this year's edition. With no Winter Olympics to compete for viewers next year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it would move its annual Academy Awards presentation back to its last-Sunday-in-February slot--February 27, 2011, to be precise. The time period between the nominees announcement and the telecast will actually be the same-four weeks and five days.
Here's the schedule of key dates to mark in your calendars. For more information on the rules for qualifying your documentary for Academy Award consideration, click here.; and check back with IDA over the next few weeks for information about the 2010 DocuWeeks Theatrical Documentary Showcase.
September 1, 2009-August 31, 2010: Eligibility period for qualifying feature and/or short documentaries. An extension of the eligibility period to September 30, 2010, may be granted only if the film has legal contracts with exhibitors guaranteeing that it will complete both qualifying commercial runs before the extension deadline. For feature documentaries to be eligible for 83rd Academy Awards consideration, a documentary feature must complete both a seven-day commercial run in a theater in Los Angeles County, and a seven-day commercial run in a theater in the Borough of Manhattan during the eligibility period. For short documentaries, the film must complete a seven-day commercial run in a theater in either Los Angeles County or in the Borough of Manhattan, between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010: For both shorts and features--All paperwork (including legal contracts if applicable) must be completed and received by the Academy no later than 5 p.m. PT.
2nd Week in October: Short List for Documentary Short Subject
Monday, October 18: In addition to the 30 DVDs required for the first round of balloting, filmmakers whose entries are voted onto the shortlist for Documentary Short Subject must submit another 40 DVDs, without trailers or other extraneous material, capable of playing on Region 1/NTSC DVD players, as well as either two 35mm or 70mm film prints (16mm is not acceptable) or two DCP versions of the documentary by 5 p.m. PT.
2nd or 3rd Week in November: Short List for Documentary Feature
Saturday, November 13, 2010: Governors Awards presentation
Wednesday, December 1, 2010: Official Screen Credits forms due
Wednesday, December 1, 2010: In addition to the 30 DVDs required for the first round of balloting, filmmakers whose entries are voted onto the shortlist for Documentary Feature must submit another 40 DVDs, without trailers or other extraneous material, capable of playing on Region 1/NTSC DVD players, as well as either two 35mm or 70mm film prints (16mm is not acceptable) or two DCP versions of the documentary by 5 p.m. PT.
Monday, December 27, 2010: Nominations ballots mailed
Friday, January 14, 2011: Nominations polls close 5 p.m. PT
Tuesday, January 25, 2011: Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PT, Samuel Goldwyn Theater
Wednesday, February 2, 2011: Final ballots mailed
Monday, February 7, 2011: Nominees Luncheon
Saturday, February 12, 2011: Scientific and Technical Awards presentation
Tuesday, February 22, 2011: Final polls close 5 p.m. PT
Sunday, February 27, 2011: 83rd Annual Academy Awards presentation