Invitation for South African filmmakers to submit films for the 94th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) International Feature Film category

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, is extending a call to all South African producers to submit their films for entry into the 94th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars). The Academy has opened a call for entry for International Feature Film Award, inviting South Africans to submit their feature films for consideration.

The NFVF is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to make submissions on behalf of the South African Film industry.

The closing date for submissions is 17 September 2021, 17h00. The South African Academy Selection Committee will choose one film as the country's official submission for the International Feature Film Award.

The unprecedented coronavirus/COVID-19 global pandemic mandated the closure of commercial motion picture theatres worldwide. Country selected films that had a previously planned theatrical release but are initially made available through a reputable commercial streaming distribution service or video on demand may qualify for award consideration. Submissions however are to be made under the following conditions:

Provide to the Academy, documentation (original document(s) and an English translation) of government mandated theatre/cinema closure dates, previously planned theatrical release, and steaming distribution or video on demand agreements.

The film will be made available on the secure Academy Screening Room member site within 60 days of the film being officially selected.

That it meets all other eligibility requirements.

For films to meet theatrical exhibition requirements more easily, the Academy will allow films to qualify outside the country of origin, provided the film is theatrically exhibited outside of the United States and its territories for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre for paid admission. When theatres reopen in accordance with national and local specified guidelines and criteria, as well as on a date to be determined by the Academy, this exemption will no longer apply. All films released thereafter will be expected to comply with the standard International Feature Film category theatrical qualifying requirements.

Film festival participation does not qualify a film in the International Feature Film category. Films must comply with all other eligibility requirements for the 94th Academy Awards.

To be eligible, films must be first released in the country of origin no earlier than January 1 ,2021, and no later than December 31, 2021, and be first publicly exhibited for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre for the profit of the producer and exhibitor.

To be eligible for entry:

A. DEFINITION

An international film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the United States of America and its territories with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Animated and documentary feature films are permitted.

B. ELIGIBILITY

1. The film must be first released in the country of origin no earlier than January 1, 2021, and no later than December 31, 2021, and be first publicly exhibited for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre for profit of the producer and exhibitor.

Submissions must be in 35mm or 70mm film, or in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 by 1080 pixels, source image format conforming to ST 428-1:2006 D-Cinema Distribution Master Image Characteristics; image compression (if used) conforming to ISO/IEC 15444-1 (JPEG 2000); and image and sound files packaged as Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) in the SMPTE DCP format. SMPTE DCP refers to SMPTE ST 429-2 and related specifications. (Blu-ray format does not meet Digital Cinema requirements.)

The audio in a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) is typically 5.1 or 7.1 channels of discrete audio. The minimum for a non-mono configuration of the audio shall be three channels as Left, Centre, Right (a Left/Right configuration is not acceptable in a theatrical environment). In addition to channel-based audio, object-based audio may also be present as an immersive audio bitstream. The audio data shall be formatted in conformance with ST 428-2:2006 D-Cinema Distribution Master Audio Characteristics and ST 428-12:2013 D-Cinema Distribution Master Common Audio Channels and Soundfield Groups. Immersive audio, if present, shall be formatted in conformance with ST 2098-2:2019 Immersive Audio Bitstream Specification.

2. The film must be advertised and exploited during its qualifying theatrical release in a manner considered normal and customary to theatrical feature distribution practices. The film need not have been released in the United States.

3. Films that, in any version, receive a nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution before their first qualifying theatrical release will not be eligible for Academy Awards consideration. Nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution includes but is not limited to:

Broadcast and cable television

PPV/VOD

DVD distribution

Inflight airline distribution

Internet transmission

4. The recording of the original dialogue track as well as the completed picture must be predominantly

(More than 50%) in a language or languages other than English. ACCURATE, LEGIBLE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SUBTITLES ARE REQUIRED. Assets need burned-in subtitles.

5. The submitting country must confirm that creative control of the film was largely in the hands of citizens or residents of the submitting country.

6. The International Feature Film Award Executive Committee shall resolve all questions of eligibility and rules.

C. SUBMISSION

1. Each country shall be invited to submit its best film to the Academy. Selection of that film shall be made by

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