Film Academy Passes Vote to Rename ‘Best Foreign Language Film' Category to ‘Best International Feature Film'; Allows Netflix Eligibility.

Amid the notion that Steven Spielberg was supposed be Netflix’s arch nemesis in his war against streaming films being eligible for Oscars, which turned into the “Spielberg vs. Netflix” debate, last night’s AMPAS board meeting that would exclude Netflix from Oscar consideration completely fizzled. Spielberg didn’t show up (he was in New York, working on “West Side Story” rehearsals). “Motion pictures released in nontheatrical media on or after the first day of their Los Angeles County theatrical qualifying run remain eligible,” the AMPAS said in a statement.

More intriguingly, came the film Academy passing a vote to rename the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category to 'Best International Feature Film.’ Good stuff, brah. Except, the category still excludes any foreign films in English. If they aren't changing the rules to let actual international films that happen to be in English to enter, why even bother with a name change? That means that a Canadian, South African, Irish, Zimbabwean, Belizean or Indian film in English can't be submitted. So...not really a category for international film, just non-English films. I was a big fan of German film “Victoria” back in 2015, which was shot in a single breathlessly realized take, but, because the film was in English, it was ineligible for this category.

“We have noted that the reference to ‘Foreign’ is outdated within the global filmmaking community,” commented Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann, co-chairs of the International Feature Film Committee. “We believe that International Feature Film better represents this category, and promotes a positive and inclusive view of filmmaking, and the art of film as a universal experience.”