The Motion Picture Academy has turned down an appeal from producers Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Sarah Anthony regarding the Oscar eligibility of their documentary Kiss the Future.
Although the film had a broad release in 139 AMC theaters, including major markets like Los Angeles and New York, the Academy determined that it did not fulfill the specific screening criteria necessary for documentary features.
As reported by Deadline, producers Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Sarah Anthony contended that their film's release in 139 AMC theaters, including key markets like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta, should qualify it for Oscar eligibility.
The documentary branch executive committee responded by stating that Kiss the Future was screened only twice a day in a qualifying market, falling short of the three screenings per day required by Rule 12 of the Oscar guidelines.
Academy sources also stated that the requirement for a film to qualify for Oscar consideration by screening “in the same commercial motion picture theater” three times a day for a week has been established since the 93rd Academy Awards. This stipulation is included in Rule Two, section 2d, which outlines eligibility for “All eligible motion pictures, unless otherwise specified.” Additionally, similar wording has been introduced this year in “Rule Twelve: Special Rules for the Documentary Feature Film Award,” ensuring that the guideline is now referenced in two sections of the Academy’s rules.
Director Nenad Cicin-Sain contended that the stipulation is a recent addition, implemented after the film's qualifying run concluded in February 2023. He emphasized that this rule is generally applicable to feature films rather than documentaries, suggesting that it has led to confusion regarding the eligibility of the documentary.
Cicin-Sain expressed with a hint of irony, “This feels like a game of rule whack-a-mole. I’m seriously thinking about making a documentary about this experience—though it might turn out to be more of a comedy, which is often more financially rewarding.”
Kiss The Future is a documentary that chronicles the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, focusing on how U2’s music uplifted and inspired the city’s struggling inhabitants. The film debuted at the Berlin Film Festival last year and made its U.S. premiere at the Tribeca Festival.
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