Oscar Nods for Best Picture Easier to Pick -- only 305 Films to Choose From

Choosing the Oscar nominees for best picture should be a little easier this year, since there are a mere 305 contenders, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday.

That’s down from 323 last year.

To be eligible, films must open in a commercial movie theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31 to begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules require films to be more than 40 minutes and be shown in 35 mm or 75 mm film, or in a digital format.

Oscar nominations will be announced Jan. 14, with the ceremony scheduled for Feb. 28.

--City News Service, photo courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences