Academy Awards: human-authored scripts and human performers

The rules of the Academy Awards cover 3 of the eight items. What the rules ask of AI: screenplays must be human-authored; acting roles must be performed by humans with consent. Not in the rules read: running-time limits, entry costs, screenings, rights terms and prizes. From 1 source page, read 2026-09-25; no maker pays to be listed.

Inclusion rule. All 25 festivals on the register, each with what its rules ask about naming AI tools. Order. Alphabetical by festival name.

AI use

Human authorship rules

Tool disclosure

Details on request

Running time

None in the rules read

Fee

None in the rules read

Deadline

Closed on the reading day

Screening

None in the rules read

Rights

None in the rules read

Prizes

None in the rules read

1The rules in brief

The Academy's rules for the 99th Oscars do not ban generative AI but centre human authorship: screenplays must be human-authored, acting roles count only when performed by humans with their consent, and the Academy may ask for more information about how AI was used. The first submission deadline for the short film categories was August 13, 2026.

2Dates in the rules

Inclusion rule. Dates the rules print in full; months without a day are left to the text above. Order. Earliest first.

What the rules ask of AI: Human authorship rules

In the Writing categories, the rules codify that screenplays must be human-authored to be eligible.

Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release

• Rules summary
  Screenplays must be human-authored; acting roles must be performed by humans with consentAcademy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25
• Acting category
  Acting roles count only when performed by humans with their consentAcademy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25

Academy Awards on this rule · What the rules ask of AI at every festival

Saying which tools were used: Details on request

the Academy reserves the right to request more information about the nature of the use and human authorship.

Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release

• Rule Two
  The Academy may ask for more information about generative AI use and human authorshipAcademy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25

Academy Awards on this rule · Saying which tools were used at every festival · What marks the tools leave in the file

Running time allowed: None in the rules read

• Rules read; not stated
  None in the rules read (2026-09-25)Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25

Running time allowed at every festival · How long a clip the tools make

Cost of entry: None in the rules read

• Rules read; not stated
  None in the rules read (2026-09-25)Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25

Cost of entry at every festival

Latest deadline: Closed on the reading day

Thursday, August 13, 2026: First submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories

Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release

• Key dates
  First submission deadline for the short film categories August 13, 2026Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25

Academy Awards on this rule · Latest deadline at every festival

Where winners are shown: None in the rules read

• Rules read; not stated
  None in the rules read (2026-09-25)Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25

Where winners are shown at every festival

What the entrant keeps or grants: None in the rules read

• Rules read; not stated
  None in the rules read (2026-09-25)Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25

What the entrant keeps or grants at every festival · What the tools' terms say about owning the output

Prizes: None in the rules read

• Rules read; not stated
  None in the rules read (2026-09-25)Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release / recorded 2026-09-25

Prizes at every festival

3Producing the entry with AI

For an entrant reading “Academy Awards”, this is what SceneMixer publishes about the film its pipeline hands over:

SceneMixer writes dialogue into the script analysis, assigns each line to a shot with a speaker and a short delivery note, and the video model performs it — picture and audio generated together, so the mouth forms that sentence in the language you chose.

SceneMixer, AI Dialogue Generator (read 2026-10-13)

An AI short drama is a serialized show of 60–120 second vertical episodes whose cast, sets and footage are generated by AI. Making one takes six steps: analyze the script into episodes, lock a consistent cast with reference art, localize for your market, write and edit storyboards, generate each 4–15 second shot, then composite and publish.

SceneMixer, How to Make an AI Short Drama, Step by Step (read 2026-10-13)

4Related festivals

• AI Cinema Festival NYC next to Academy Awards
• Bochnia International AI Film Festival next to Academy Awards
• World AI Film Festival USA
• 1 Billion AI Film Award
• African AI Film Festival
• AI Cinema Festival NYC

The organiser's current rules always govern; this is a dated reading, not advice. Method: how rules are read.

5Rules documents read

• Academy Press Office, 99th Oscars rules release, read 2026-09-25