The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced rules changes for the 2026 Oscars covering AI and the International Film category.

The announcement marks the Academy's pre-season rule reset for the next award cycle. The 2026 Oscars ceremony will follow, with submissions, nominations voting, and final voting working backward from that date.

What does the rule package cover?

Two headline areas:

• AI — generative AI tools in film production, and how their use intersects with Academy eligibility, credit, and disclosure rules
• International Film — submission rules, eligibility criteria, and country-selection mechanics for the International Feature Film category

Both categories have prompted debate across the Academy's branches and membership. AI has drawn attention as production tools and post-production workflows evolve; the International Film category has long operated a separate submission track, with eligibility questions frequently resurfacing at the rules-and-eligibility committee.

How will the rules change the race?

Academy rule updates typically do one of three things: tighten the language on an existing rule, expand eligibility to cover a new production reality, or replace an old rule with a new framework. Filmmakers, distributors, and publicity teams read each cycle's package carefully because the language directly affects submissions.

The AI rules govern how films and their campaigns interact with voters on AI-assisted work, and what those films must disclose during Academy voting. The International Film rules govern how countries participate in the annual category and how submissions are reviewed. Changes in either area can alter who ends up nominated.

How will campaigns adjust?

A rule update published this far ahead of the ceremony leaves time for the field to recalibrate. Distributors handling films with AI elements will review how the new rules affect eligibility filings. National film bodies will update their selection processes if qualifying criteria change. Academy members will receive the explanatory memoranda published alongside the rule package.

Campaigns typically begin Oscar planning more than a year before the ceremony — particularly in technical and international categories, where eligibility, submission paperwork, and Academy-branch outreach must align with current rules.

When does this fit in the awards calendar?

The Academy typically opens its rules review during the spring and approves final language months before nominations voting begins. A rules announcement ahead of the 2026 ceremony is standard practice, falling between the prior cycle's close and the next cycle's submission window.

The full rule memoranda, once posted, will specify submission deadlines, voting calendars, and any changes to qualifying criteria for the year.

Where can the full text be read?

The full text of the rule memoranda, including any updated FAQ documents, will be published by the Academy in the weeks ahead. Awards desks and campaigns often treat the first 24 hours after a rule announcement as a working period to translate the language into campaign decisions.