Beverly Hills, Calif. - Two
hundred seventy-four feature films are eligible for the Academy Award
for Best Picture of 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences announced. To be eligible for 82nd Academy Awards
consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture
theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a
minimum run of seven consecutive days.
Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format. Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category.
The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.