The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has pushed its 2021 Film Awards ceremony to April 11, exactly two weeks before the Oscars, which will now be held on April 25 in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Along with this announcement, BAFTA outlined some temporary changes to the eligibility requirements for the upcoming 2021 edition of the annual Film Awards, in recognition of the closure of UK cinemas, and subsequent studio delays in theatrical release calendars.
We are announcing temporary changes to our film eligibility rules for the 2021 #EEBAFTAs in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic which resulted in UK cinemas closing on 20 March. Next year’s Film Awards will now be held on Sunday 11 April. https://t.co/oOKkyf9b5e
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) June 16, 2020
The new rules establish that any titles that were on theatrical release when cinemas closed and therefore had their theatrical release curtailed, will be eligible regardless of the number of qualifying screenings that they had during that period.
Furthermore, titles whose confirmed theatrical release date would have fallen during the global cinema shutdown will be eligible for entry if their release shifted to an approved commercial VOD platform since several studios offered titles to consumers on-demand.
A complete list of the temporary changes for the 2021 ceremony, can be found here.
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BAFTA confirmed that these adjustments have been implemented to “ensure that titles which had an intended theatrical release are not penalised due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cinemas.”
Marc Samuelson, Chair of the Film Committee, said in a statement: “We have pushed back by two months to give all films the best possible chance to be released and considered properly. As cinemas gradually re-open we know that the major releases will dominate screens. Relaxing the scale of theatrical release required, including releases on VOD in some cases, and pushing back the date of the Awards should help the smaller, independent, documentary, foreign language and particularly the British films to be seen in good time for EE British Academy Film Awards in 2021.”
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This announcement comes shortly after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially confirmed that the 93rd Academy Awards had been postponed two months, shifting from February 28, 2021, to April 25, 2021.
To relive the current year’s awards season, check out our complete list of 2020 Oscar Winners and BAFTA Film Award Winners.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com BAFTA 2021: Film Awards Postponed to April 11, Temporarily Changes Eligibility Rules