BAFTA’s best film category contenders face major rule change for awards consideration

BAFTA’s best film category contenders are facing a requirement for their movies to have had an expanded theatrical release.

From the 2025 awards, films must be theatrically exhibited publicly for the first time to a paying audience on at least 50 commercial screens in Britain for at least seven days across 50 sites at the widest point of release – or the equivalent of at least 350 screenings.

Current rules say movies must have a minimum of 10 screenings per day for seven days or 70 in total.

BAFTA said in a statement: “The update ensures BAFTA is in step with release patterns in the UK and that British cinema audiences have access to best film contenders on the big screen.”

Anna Higgs, chair of BAFTA’s film committee, added: “Our expanded theatrical screenings requirement will ensure film fans up and down the country have more opportunities to see best film contenders on the big screen, so they can join in the discussion and awards excitement along with BAFTA voters. “Developed in consultation with a wide range of industry stakeholders, we’re pleased to confirm this update ahead of the eligibility window for the 2025 BAFTAs opening on 1 January 2024.”

The rule change is being implemented after BAFTA bosses consulted with UK distributors, heads of studios across Britain, as well as exhibitors, streamers, programmers, stakeholders, industry representative bodies and production funding bodies.

Its change aligns with the expanded theatrical exhibition rules for the Oscars, which were revealed in June this year.

Critics of the existing BAFTA criteria had highlighted the lack of guards in the awards to ensure awards-qualifying screenings aren’t limited to London.

The example of Netflix’s ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ has been part of the debate over the rule change as it opened in a limited number of cinemas in the UK – with the majority of them in London.

Data seen by Variety suggested the film only screened an average of one show per day, across two weeks, before it launched on Netflix on 28 October 2022.

The film is believed to have eventually played in more than 200 individual cinemas across the UK and Ireland, but these were mainly held after the 19 January BAFTA nominations in 2023.