No screeners for Oscar voters

Posted Wednesday, October 1, 2003 at 2:08 PM Central

by John Couture

While the presenters at the Academy Awards continue to get lavish gifts, one aspect that will be missing form this year's Oscars is screening copies of nominated movies. Each year, studios send out thousands of copies of their movies on DVD or VHS to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to insure that they see their nominated film.

The problem with this tradition is that a recent report indicates that 80% of the pirated movies found online come from industry sources. So, the studios are doing away with Oscar screeners in the guise of preventing their movies from appearing on the Internet.

Smaller, independent studios see things a little differently. They feel that with the end of the year push during the awards season, screeners remain the best way to get their product in front of the voters. Independent director John Waters offered his condemnation of this new policy, "I think the studios are sick of the independents winning every award. I think the piracy thing is a smokescreen."

Miramax, who initially supported the new plan then did a 180, is leading a meeting of studio "art-house" labels to discuss their options.