Academy Awards to narrow documentary field

And just like that-the film critics of the New York Times and Los Angeles Times have suddenly become the gatekeepers of the Academy Awards' documentary nominations.

The rules of the Oscars have changed to limit the amount of nominated productions by shrinking the pool to include only documentary films that have played in a theater for at least a one-week run and been reviewed by the NY or LA Times.

Apparently tired of dealing with the annual deluge of documentary entries, the Academy hopes that this change in policy will make selecting the nominees more manageable, particularly by excluding documentaries that only appear in a theater for a few days in an attempt to qualify.

For an organization that prides itself on its own intricate selection process, it's strange that the Academy is now willing to let unaffiliated publications play such a crucial role. Though sifting through the many documentaries that appear in a year is undoubtedly challenging, this new edict clearly makes it tougher for potentially deserving films without a well-oiled publicity machine.

What will this new rule mean in the long term? Well, most likely that the people behind these productions will become a whole lot friendlier with the renowned Times of both coasts.