I.  DEFINITIONS and CATEGORIES

1.  A short film is defined as a motion picture that is not more than 40 minutes in running time (including all credits).

2.  An award shall be given for the best achievement in each of two categories:

ANIMATED FILMS
An animated film is created by using a frame-by-frame technique, and usually falls into one of the two general fields of animation:  character or abstract.  Some of the techniques of animating films include cel animation, computer animation, stop-motion, clay animation, pixilation, cutouts, pins, camera multiple pass imagery, kaleidoscopic effects and drawing on the film frame itself.

LIVE ACTION FILMS
A live action film uses primarily live action techniques as the basic medium of entertainment.

3.  DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN THE LIVE ACTION CATEGORY.  AN ANIMATED DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT MAY BE SUBMITTED IN EITHER THE ANIMATED SHORT FILM CATEGORY OR THE DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT CATEGORY, BUT NOT BOTH.

4.  Previews and advertising films shall be excluded.  A sequence from a feature-length film (an animated credit sequence, e.g.) may not be excerpted and submitted as a short film.  An unaired episode of an established TV series or an unsold TV series pilot will not be accepted as a short film in the Academy's Short Film competition.

II.  ELIGIBILITY

1.  To be eligible for award consideration for the 2007 Awards year, a short film must fulfill (within two years of the film's completion date) one of the following criteria between October 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007:

(a)  The film must have been publicly exhibited for paid admission in 16mm, 35mm or 70mm film or in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan format with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 by 1080 pixels; source image format conforming to SMPTE 428-1-2006 D-Cinema Distribution Master – Image Characteristics; image compression (if used) conforming to ISO/IEC 15444-1 (JPEG 2000), and image and sound file formats suitable for exhibition in commercial Digital Cinema sites, OR legacy Digital Cinema equipment as previously defined by the Academy, i.e., minimum native resolution 1280 by 1024 pixels with pixel bit depth, color primaries, and image and sound file formats suitable for Digital Cinema sites, in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County for a run of at least three consecutive days (no fewer than two screenings a day).  Student films cannot qualify in this manner.

OR

(b)  The film must have participated in a “recognized” competitive film festival and MUST HAVE WON THE BEST-IN-CATEGORY AWARD as specified in the Academy Festival List.  Proof of award must be submitted with the entry.  “Recognized” competitive film festivals comprise those established film festivals on the Academy's Short Films Awards Festival List, which may be obtained from the Academy. 

2.  Non-theatrical exhibition (including but not limited to broadcast and cable television, home video sales and Internet transmission) anywhere does not disqualify a film, provided such exhibition occurs after its Los Angeles theatrical release, or after receiving its festival award.

3.  A student film may qualify only under II.1.(b) above or by winning a Gold Medal Award in the Academy's Annual Student Academy Awards competition of 2007 (excluding the documentary category), provided it meets the length requirement, and as above, has not had a previous non-theatrical exhibition.  However, any student filmmaker submitting a film for consideration in the Short Films Awards categories may not subsequently enter the same film in the Student Academy Awards competition.

III.  SUBMISSION

1.  Short films in either category must be submitted to the Academy in 16mm, 35mm or 70mm film or in an acceptable digital file formatted in a manner consistent with the digital qualification standards described in II.1.(a).  Please contact the Awards Office for a list of acceptable formats.  Formats requiring special technical presentation that meet the technical specifications above will be given consideration if made available for Academy voting screenings in Los Angeles County. 

2.  The print or copy submitted for Academy Awards consideration must be identical in content and length as used for the qualifying exhibition.  Dialogue or narration must be substantially in English or the film must have English subtitles. 

3.  Prints or copies should be marked “SHORT FILM ENTRY” and shipped PREPAID to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90211.  Those not chosen as nominations for final balloting will be returned to the sender at Academy expense.  PRINTS OR COPIES SUBMITTED WILL BE RETAINED BY THE ACADEMY UNTIL THE VOTING PROCESS IS COMPLETED AND WILL NOT BE LOANED FOR USE BY OTHERS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE VOTING PROCESS.

4.  THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING THE ENTRY FORM, SYNOPSIS, CAST AND CREDITS LIST, FILMOGRAPHIES, STILLS, PROOF OF QUALIFYING EXHIBITION OR AWARD AND FILM PRINT OR COPY IS MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2007.  FOREIGN ENTRIES MUST ALSO COMPLY WITH THIS RULE. 

5.  Works may submit digitally for the first round of judging only.  FOR FILMS THAT REACH THE BRANCH SCREENING ROUND OF VOTING, TWO FILM PRINTS ARE REQUIRED TO FACILITATE FURTHER VOTING.  BOTH FILM PRINTS MUST BE AT THE ACADEMY BY JANUARY 2, 2008.

6.  THE ACADEMY WILL RETAIN FOR ITS ARCHIVES ONE FILM PRINT OF EVERY FILM CHOSEN AS A NOMINATION FOR FINAL BALLOTING IN EACH CATEGORY OF THE SHORT FILMS AWARDS.  If the film is not nominated, all prints will be returned.  Every nomination shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of film prints.  One such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. 

7.  The recipient of the statuette will be the individual person most directly responsible for the concept and the creative execution of the film.  In the event that more than one individual has been directly and importantly involved in creative decisions, a second statuette may be awarded.  However, no more than two awards will be given to a winning production.  In cases where more than two individuals claim major creative contributions, the copyright holder must decide which two will be eligible to receive Oscar statuettes and so inform the Academy.  Companies or organized groups shall not receive nominations or awards.

8.  No film may be submitted more than once for Academy Awards consideration.

IV.  VOTING

1.  A Reviewing Committee, consisting of volunteer active and life members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch, will view all films entered and mark all entries 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or 5 with the guidelines of 10 (excellent), 8 (good), 6 (fair) or 5 (poor).  Not more than ten films in each category receiving the highest average numerical scores above 7.5 shall be considered further.  In the event that fewer than six films receive average numerical scores above 7.5, those with the next highest average numerical scores of 7.5 or less shall be included until six films are selected.

2.  All entries selected by the Reviewing Committee shall be screened by the Branch Nominating Committee consisting of all active and life members of the Academy Short Films and Feature Animation Branch.  Those members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch who served on the Reviewing Committee and who viewed all of the selected films in either or both categories are entitled to receive ballots by mail.  The running order of the films in each classification shall be determined by lot.  The point system of voting from 10 to 6 is to be used at this screening to select nominations.  Those films receiving an average score of 7.5 or more shall be eligible for nomination.  However, there may be not more than five nor fewer than three nominations in each category.

3.  Final voting for the Short Films Awards shall be restricted to active and life Academy members who may vote only for one film in each of the two classifications after official Academy screenings of the nominated achievements.  However, those members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch who served on the Branch Nominating Committee and who viewed all the nominated films are entitled to receive ballots by mail.  When a non-standard format nominated film cannot be included in the official Academy voting screenings for its category, members must submit evidence of having seen that film elsewhere in order to vote in that category.

4.  Excellence of the entries shall be judged on the basis of originality, entertainment and production quality without regard to cost of production or subject matter.