Thanksgiving has long held a significant position in the world of Oscar campaigns. It serves as a sort of deadline for studios vying for nominations, as it offers a holiday weekend when voters might have free time to catch up on movies. In the past, a steady stream of screener DVDs would arrive in voters' mailboxes before Thanksgiving. However, with the Academy now focusing on its members-only screening platform and imposing restrictions on physical screeners, the push is to get new films into the Academy Screening Room before the holiday.

Uncover the Shifting Dynamics of Oscar Film Screenings

Impact of Thanksgiving on Film Screenings

Thanksgiving has long been a crucial time for studios aiming to secure Oscar nominations. It provides a holiday weekend when voters may have more leisure time to watch movies. In the past, a continuous flow of screener DVDs would reach voters' mailboxes in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. But now, with the Academy emphasizing its members-only screening platform and implementing restrictions on physical screeners, the focus has shifted to getting new films into the Academy Screening Room before the holiday. For example, fifteen new films were added to the room on Wednesday, a departure from the usual weekly additions on Fridays. These newcomers include Best Picture contenders like "Conclave" and "The Piano Lesson," following a November 22 influx that included various other films.

Missing Major Films and Release Timing

Some major films are still absent from the screening room, with Neon's "Anora" and A24's "The Brutalist" being notable omissions. Other contenders that haven't shown up yet include last weekend's big releases like "Wicked" and "Gladiator II," as well as upcoming films like "A Complete Unknown," "Nosferatu," "Maria," and "Nickel Boys." In the case of "Wicked" and "Gladiator II," it makes sense for Universal and Paramount to keep these films off screening platforms while they are generating significant box office revenue. For films that haven't been released, companies may feel they have enough time with voters who don't cast their nomination ballots until the second week of January. For instance, voters for other awards like the Critics Choice Awards, who vote earlier, have already received screeners of "Maria" and others.

Directors' Preferences and Film Formats

Directors who are particular about the formats in which their films are seen often have a strong inclination to wait. Take "The Brutalist" as an example. It is clearly designed as a theatrical experience, with a built-in intermission and a card that appears on the screen during the break while music plays. The film has been screened aggressively for voters and will be added to the Academy Screening Room in December. As of Thanksgiving, there are 144 films in the Academy Screening Room, out of which about 30 to 40 have a realistic chance of receiving an Oscar nomination, and the same number an outside chance. Placement in the room requires a payment of $20,000 to the Academy or $25,000 for forensic watermarking. Films with budgets of less than $10 million are eligible for a reduced rate. Currently, the films in the main screening room include 20 documentaries, 11 animated films, and 15 entries in the Oscars Best International Feature Film race. Films that qualify in these categories are also put in special screening rooms without charge.

Full List of Films in the Academy Screening Room

Here is the full list of films in the Academy Screening Room as of Thanksgiving: "The Absence of Eden," "Albany," "Alien: Romulus," "All We Imagine as Light," "Am I Racist?" (documentary), "American Star," "Americans With No Address" (documentary), "The Apprentice," "Argyle," "Armand" (international), "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," "Between the Temples," "The Bibi Files" (documentary), "The Bikeriders," "Blink Twice," "Blitz," "Bob Marley: One Love," "Cabrini," "Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid" (documentary), "Celebrating Laughter: The Life and Films of Colin Higgins" (documentary), "Challengers," "City of Dreams," "Civil War," "Conclave," "The Count of Monte Cristo," "Daddio," "Dahomey" (documentary, international), "Dandelion," "Daughters" (documentary), "Day of the Fight," "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" (animated), "The Dead Don't Hurt," "Deadpool & Wolverine," "The Deliverance," "The Devil's Bath" (international), "Didi," "A Different Man," "Dune: Part Two," "Elton John: Never Too Late" (documentary), "Emilia Perez" (international), "Everybody Loves Touda" (international), "Exhibiting Forgiveness," "Ezra," "Fall Guy," "Fancy Dance," "Firebrand," "Flipside" (documentary), "Flow" (animated), "Fly Me to the Moon," "Frida" (documentary), "From Embers," "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," "Ghostlight," "The Girl With the Needle" (international), "Good One," "Goodrich," "The Greatest Hits," "Heretic," "His Three Daughters," "Hit Man," "The Hopeful," "Horizon: An America Saga Chapter 1," "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies" (international), "I Am: Celine Dion" (documentary), "I Saw the TV Glow," "The Idea of You," "I'll Be Right There," "I'm Still Here" (international), "The Imaginary," "In the Land of Saints and Sinners," "Inside Out 2" (animation), "The Instigators," "It Ends With Us," "Janet Planet," "Joker: Folie a Deux," "Juror No. 2," "Kinds of Kindness," "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," "Kneecap" (international), "The Last Showgirl," "Late Night With the Devil," "Lee," "The Listeners," "Longlegs," "Lost Ladies" (international), "Love Lies Bleeding," "Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln" (documentary), "Martha" (documentary), "Maxxxine," "Memoir of a Snail" (animated), "Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa" (documentary), "Murderess" (international), "My Old Ass," "My Penguin Friend," "Nightbitch," "The Piano Lesson," "Piece by Piece" (animated, documentary), "One Life," "The Outrun," "Porcelain War" (documentary), "Problemista," "Queens" (international), "A Real Pain," "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" (documentary), "The Room Next Door," "Rumours," "Santosh" (international), "Saturday Night," "Sasquatch Sunset," "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" (international), "Separated" (documentary), "September 5," "Shirley," "Sing Sing," "The Six Triple Eight," "Skincare," "Small Things Like These," "Spellbound" (animated), "The Substance," "Sugarcane" (documentary), "Suncoast," "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" (documentary), "Thelma," "The Thicket," "Touch" (international), "Transformers One" (animated), "Tuesday," "Twisters," "Ultraman: Rising" (animated), "Unstoppable," "Vermiglio" (international), "The Wait," "Waves," "We Grown Now," "We Live in Time," "White Bird," "Wicked Little Letters," "Widow Cliquot," "The Wild Robot" (animated), "Wildcat," "Will & Harper" (documentary), "Wolfs," "The Young Woman and the Sea," "Zurawski vs. Texas"