Starting to work on my ballot, so I have questions.
Is a film like The Salesman, which played only in festivals in 2016 (as far as the US are concerned I mean) and will be released in late January, eligible ? Seems like it shouldn't, if I'm understanding the general rules correctly.
It's probably worth clarifying anyway because it's pretty likely to be nominated at the Oscars... I think the Foreign category plays by different rules, with films sometimes being eligible for the main categories a year ater being nominated there.
Then there's Ma vie de Courgette / My Life as a Zucchini, in a somewhat similar situation (US release in February), also present in the Foreign Language shortlist, which confusingly seems to be eligible for the Animated Oscar despite not even having played festivals in the US yet (IMDB lists the upcoming Sundance festival as its first US date). What do we do with that ?