Golden Globes Updates Film Eligibility Rules

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is making more changes to its film eligibility rules for the 2021 Golden Globes in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The organization implemented new rules last month that are in effect until April 30. However, the HFPA announced on Tuesday morning that the date has been extended indefinitely because of theater closures.

Since movie theaters and screening rooms are closed due to the global health crisis, the organization has suspended the rule that a film had to be screened for HFPA members at a third-party facility in the greater Los Angeles area.

The new guidelines state that distributors must contact the HFPA to arrange a screening date on the official HFPA calendar that meets the timing requirements of the Golden Globes eligibility rules. Distributors must provide all HFPA members with a screening link or a DVD copy of the film on the date the screening is scheduled so that members may view it at home.

Rules for a film’s release have also been altered. Instead of only considering a movie that was released in theaters or made available on pay-per-view cable or pay-per-view digital delivery (not subscription cable or digital delivery) in the greater Los Angeles area for a minimum seven days before Dec. 31, the HFPA will now consider titles that had a theatrical release planned to begin in Los Angeles starting March 15, with no cut-off date.

“The HFPA will continue to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on motion picture distribution and exhibition and may make other temporary variations to those rules as it considers appropriate in the future,” the group said in a statement.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences may announce changes to Oscar eligibility rules as early as Tuesday following a meeting of its board of governors that is taking place this morning.