While the Academy is still debating how to settle the debate over whether streaming movies should be eligible at the Oscars, the Directors Guild of America is taking a step against direct-to-streaming films. It was announced today that the DGA has decided to ban day-and-date releases from eligibility for its top award, which has been renamed “Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film.” This means that movies from streamers like Netflix for Amazon that are released on streaming the same day they’re released in theaters will be ineligible for the top DGA award.
“The DGA proudly affirms that a first-run theatrical release is a distinctive element of our feature film award,” said DGA PresidentThomas Schlammein a statement. “We celebrate the important role that theatrical cinema has played in bringing together audiences as they collectively experience films as the filmmakers intended them to be viewed. We also take great pride in recognizing all of the work created by our members through the many categories and formats that are part of the DGA Awards.”
This new rule does not, however, apply to the First-Time Feature category, which will be open to all types of exhibition for feature-length films.
Netflix is said to be mulling a similar release strategy forMartin Scorsese’sThe Irishmanlater this year, which would make it eligible for the top DGA award. Really the only films that are edged out by this rule change are day-and-date Netflix movies likeAlways Be My MaybeandThe Perfection, which aren’t exactly being positioned as awards contenders in the first place.
Instead, this feels more like a statement by the DGA to bolster its support for theatrical exhibition. Which I’m fine with—Ialsothink Netflix should be releasing its major films in theaters in addition to on the streaming service, to give people the option of seeing the new Scorsese film in a theater. But this rule change by the DGA is largely symbolic. Case in point: last year’s top DGA award, without this rule, went to…Alfonso CuaronforRoma.
