The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is making big changes ahead of next year’s award season. As of this week, The Oscars enforces new rules for voters, including a major one: voters must now watch every single nominated film in a category before casting their vote.
According to NBCDFW, the move is designed to improve integrity and fairness in the voting process. In recent years, anonymous voters have admitted to skipping films or voting based on buzz rather than merit. That changes now.
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The updated rules come after years of criticism about how nominees are selected and judged, and the Academy is trying to modernize.
The Oscars Enforces New Rules for Voters, Refugee Filmmakers, and Artificial Intelligence
But that’s not all. In addition to the new watch-every-film rule, the Academy also introduced guidelines that affect refugee filmmakers and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in productions. For the Best International Feature Film category, a new policy will allow refugee or asylum-seeking directors to submit films on behalf of a country they don’t originate from — if that country confirms that creative control was led by their own residents or citizens.
“The submitting country must confirm that creative control of the film was largely in the hands of citizens, residents, or individuals with refugee or asylum status in the submitting country,”
The Oscars is also responding to the rise of AI in Hollywood. While generative tools like ChatGPT and AI video editors have sparked concern among creatives, the Academy clarified that AI usage won’t automatically disqualify a film. However, the focus remains on human-driven creativity.
“The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship.”
Why The Oscars Enforcing New Rules for Voters Is a Big Deal for the Future of Film
These new rules are not just about tightening processes. They’re about protecting the value of storytelling and ensuring that every nominated work is judged fairly.
For too long, voters have admitted to skipping lesser-known or international films in favor of watching only what’s trending. That undermines the whole point of the awards. Now, with this accountability in place, the Oscars may finally see more diverse winners and authentic recognition for underdog films.
The AI clause is also a step toward balancing innovation and tradition, ensuring that artists still lead the creative charge, even when new tools are involved.
And for refugee filmmakers, the new rules open doors for voices that have often been overlooked on the world stage. It’s a quiet but powerful shift in global representation.
Social media users were stunned at the latest changes that the Academy made in order to make the Oscars more fair and equitable for all. They were shocked that voters were previously not required to watch all films that were nominated.
We did it, film Twitter. The Oscars just made it mandatory for voters to actually watch all the nominated films in a category before voting. pic.twitter.com/0wAAL52Cn6
— Nicole Alicia Xavier
(sha•vee•er) (@nicoleaxavier) April 21, 2025
Conclusion: The Oscars Enforces New Rules for Voters — A Step Toward Fairer Recognition
With the announcement that The Oscars enforces new rules for voters, the Academy is making it clear: they’re listening, adapting, and ready to modernize. By requiring voters to fully engage with every nominee, opening the door for refugee filmmakers, and addressing AI’s role in storytelling, the Oscars are pushing forward.
