PNG ACADEMY AWARDS

Rules & Regulations 

National Cultural Commission — PNG Academy Awards Secretariat

Aligned to the standards and definitions of the 99th Academy Awards® (AMPAS) and updated for the PNG Academy Awards cycle 

Summary of Updates

This edition revises the Rules & Regulations previously published at academyawardspng.org/rules-regulations/. It incorporates current definitions and procedural standards used by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for the 99th Academy Awards, adapted to Papua New Guinea’s eligibility framework, while preserving the PNG-specific theatrical, cultural, and submission requirements already in place. This document is a working draft for Secretariat and National Cultural Commission review and approval before it replaces the current website content.

What has changed

• Awards-year dates rolled forward to the next PNG Academy Awards cycle, timed so PNG’s national selection is completed ahead of the international submission window for the 100th Academy Awards.
• Two new award categories added — Casting, and Makeup and Hairstyling — reflecting categories now recognized at the Academy Awards.
• The Writing award has been split into Adapted Screenplay and Original Screenplay, alongside the existing Best Original Story award, matching current Oscars practice.
• A Generative AI disclosure clause added to Rule Two (Eligibility) and to the Acting and Cinematography rules, clarifying that AI tools neither help nor harm a submission’s chances, provided human creative authorship remains central.
• A new Rule Seventeen (International Submission Liaison) added, setting out how the PNG Academy Awards Secretariat selects and certifies PNG’s official entry to the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category, including the Selection Committee composition and certification requirements.
• Nontheatrical pre-release allowance updated from 10 minutes/10% to up to 15% of running time, matching the current Academy standard.
• Submission signature requirements clarified: all credited producers must sign the entry form, not only the producer or distributor.
• Minor language, formatting, and cross-reference clean-up throughout (e.g. correcting duplicated Rule Nine/Ten text found in the previous version).

Table of Contents

Rule One — Awards Definitions

Rule Two — Eligibility

Rule Three — The Awards Year and Deadlines

Rule Four — Submission

Rule Five — Balloting and Nominations

Rule Six — Special Rules for the Acting Awards

Rule Seven — Special Rules for the Casting Award (New)

Rule Eight — Special Rules for the Cinematography Award

Rule Nine — Special Rules for the Costume Design Award

Rule Ten — Special Rules for the Directing Award

Rule Eleven — Special Rules for the Documentary Awards

Rule Twelve — Special Rules for the Makeup and Hairstyling Award (New)

Rule Thirteen — Special Rules for the Music Awards

Rule Fourteen — Special Rules for the Best Picture Award

Rule Fifteen — Special Rules for the Short Film Awards

Rule Sixteen — Special Rules for the Writing Awards

Rule Seventeen — International Submission Liaison (New)

Rule One — Awards Definitions

1. PNG Academy Awards shall be given annually to honor outstanding artistic and technical achievements in theatrically released feature-length motion pictures, and to honor other achievements as provided for in these rules and approved by the National Cultural Commission and the PNG Academy Awards Secretariat.
2. Awards shall be conferred at annual Awards ceremonies.
3. Awards of Merit, in the form of the statuette trophy of the National Cultural Commission, shall be conferred annually for the following achievements:

Category	Achievement
ACTING	Performance by an actor in a leading role. Performance by an actress in a leading role.
CASTING	Achievement in casting. (New)
CINEMATOGRAPHY	Achievement in cinematography.
COSTUME DESIGN	Achievement in costume design.
DIRECTING	Achievement in directing.
DOCUMENTARY	a. Best documentary feature. b. Cinematography. c. Best narration.
FEATURE FILM / BEST PICTURE	Best motion picture of the year.
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING	Achievement in makeup and hairstyling. (New)
MUSIC	Achievements in music produced for motion pictures: best original soundtrack.
SHORT FILM	Best live action short film.
STORY	Best original story adaptation.
WRITING	a. Adapted screenplay. b. Original screenplay. (Updated — previously a single “Screen Play” category.)

Rule Two — Eligibility

1. General requirements

All eligible motion pictures must be:

• Feature length (defined as over 40 minutes).
• Publicly exhibited by means of 35mm or 70mm film, or in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 by 1080 pixels, conforming to SMPTE ST 428-1:2006 (image), ISO/IEC 15444-1 / JPEG 2000 (compression, if used), and packaged as an SMPTE-format Digital Cinema Package (DCP) per SMPTE ST 429-2 and related specifications. Blu-ray format does not meet Digital Cinema requirements.
• Screened with audio conforming to ST 428-2:2006 and ST 428-12:2013; a Left/Right-only configuration is not acceptable. Immersive audio, if present, must conform to ST 2098-2:2019.
• Given a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days in the same commercial motion picture theater, with screenings at least three times daily, at least one beginning between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
• Advertised and exploited during the qualifying run in a manner normal and customary to theatrical distribution practice.
• Released within the Awards year deadlines specified in Rule Three.

2. Nontheatrical release restriction

Films that, in any version, receive their first public exhibition or distribution other than as a theatrical release are not eligible in any category. This includes broadcast/cable television, PPV/VOD, DVD or streaming distribution, inflight distribution, and internet transmission. Films released nontheatrically on or after the first day of the qualifying run remain eligible.

Updated: up to fifteen percent (15%) of a film’s running time may be shown in a nontheatrical medium prior to the qualifying run — increased from the previous ten minutes/ten percent allowance, matching the current AMPAS standard.

3. Generative AI and digital tools (New)

With regard to generative artificial intelligence and other digital tools used in the making of a film, such tools neither help nor harm a submission’s eligibility. The PNG Academy Awards Secretariat will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship. The Secretariat reserves the right to request further information about the nature of any generative AI use and the human authorship involved.

4. Submission form and credits

Eligibility is contingent on receipt of a completed online Submission Form (General Entry), signed by the film’s producer(s) or distributor (unless waived by the Secretariat). The submission shall include full and authentic screen credits, the name of the qualifying theater, and the dates and times of the qualifying run. DVDs or DCPs are not accepted in lieu of the Submission Form.

5. Credit disputes and alterations

Final determination of credit rests with the Secretariat, which is not bound by any private contract regarding credit-sharing. In the event of a dispute, the Secretariat may declare an achievement ineligible, list credits as being in controversy, or withhold an award until resolved. Altering a picture from the version shown during its qualifying run subjects the achievement to the risk of disqualification.

6. Other eligibility notes

• Submissions that are essentially recordings of performances originally produced for another medium are not eligible.
• Motion pictures must contain accurate, legible English-language subtitles if released in a language other than English.
• Exceptions to these eligibility requirements appear in the special rules for individual categories (Rules Six through Seventeen).
• No appeals are permitted once the Secretariat has made a determination of eligibility, except as expressly provided in a category’s special rules.
• The PNG Academy Awards Secretariat shall resolve all questions of eligibility and rules.

Rule Three — The Awards Year and Deadlines

Dates below are structured to mirror the Academy’s own awards-year cadence and to give PNG’s official selection enough lead time to reach AMPAS ahead of its International Feature Film submission window for the 100th Academy Awards. Final calendar dates should be confirmed and formally adopted by the Secretariat (TBC entries marked below).

Milestone	Date (TBC — Secretariat to confirm)
Qualifying theatrical run window opens	1 June 2026
Qualifying theatrical run window closes	15 October 2026
Awards Submission Form (General Entry) and full screen credits due	By 5 p.m. (PNG time), Thursday 15 October 2026
Last day to withdraw a film from consideration (first window)	Saturday 31 October 2026
Last day to withdraw a film from consideration (final window)	Thursday 10 December 2026
PNG official selection certified to the Secretariat / National Cultural Commission	By 30 August 2027
PNG official selection submitted to AMPAS for the 100th Academy Awards (International Feature Film)	Per AMPAS deadline, typically late September 2027 (TBC — confirm against AMPAS 100th Awards rules once published)

Additional provisions carried forward from the prior rules:

• A motion picture first theatrically exhibited inside PNG prior to the qualifying run remains eligible provided the prior exhibition was a theatrical preview or festival screening, or took place in a commercial theater after 1 January 2025. No nontheatrical exhibition or distribution may occur before the first day of the qualifying run.
• A motion picture not first theatrically exhibited inside PNG is not eligible for the PNG Academy Awards.
• Each picture may have only one theatrical qualifying run; the earliest exhibition meeting the definition is designated as the qualifying run.
• The Submission Form and full screen credits may be submitted prior to the qualifying run but no later than 60 days after opening, and in any case by the final submission deadline above.

Rule Four — Submission

1. Entrants must complete the online submission form at the PNG Academy Awards Submission site (academyawardspng.org) and submit the digital upload of the film for streaming purposes, together with all other required material and signatures.
2. Updated: all credited individuals with a “producer” or “produced by” credit are required to sign the entry form, to ensure every party is properly informed of the eligibility criteria and deadlines — not the producer or distributor alone, as previously stated.
3. The filmmakers of shortlisted documentaries must submit two DCP versions of the film after the shortlist is announced. Following the nominations screenings, one copy becomes the property of the PNG Academy Awards Secretariat Film Archive. By submitting a film, the filmmaker agrees the Secretariat may make copies and distribute them for voting purposes only.
4. The digital upload submitted for consideration must be identical in content and length to the version that qualified.

Rule Five — Balloting and Nominations

1. Voting on all achievements shall be restricted to active and life PNG Academy Awards Secretariat members.
2. All eligible films will be listed on Reminder Lists of Eligible Releases for specific categories. Before the Reminder Lists are made available to voters, releasing companies may be required to check their productions and assume responsibility for errors or omissions.
3. Individual Reminder Lists refer only to the film in which an achievement was made, not to any individual responsible, except for Acting nominations, which name both the individual and the picture.
4. Nominations balloting shall use the preferential, weighted average, or reweighted range voting system. Votes for films not on the Reminder List will not be counted. Final balloting shall use the plurality or preferential system. No “write-in” votes shall be counted on the final ballot.
5. Not more than five nominations shall be made for each award, except Best Picture, which shall have up to ten nominations.
6. If a nominated achievement is declared ineligible, it shall not be replaced; the category proceeds with one fewer nomination.
7. Where an award-winning achievement was a collaboration, each eligible collaborator shall receive an award, unless a category’s special rules limit the number of awards. Ties for first place shall result in awards for both achievements.
8. The Secretariat shall provide for such screenings or special meetings as may be desirable to ensure full and fair consideration of all eligible achievements.
9. Each branch or designated committee may formulate its own special rules, provided the final ballot presents no more than five achievements per category and nominations/final voting remain restricted to active and life members. All such rules require Secretariat approval before implementation.

Rule Six — Special Rules for the Acting Awards

1. A Reminder List including up to ten eligible actresses and up to ten eligible actors per eligible film shall be made available to all active members, who vote in order of preference for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
2. The acting achievements in each category receiving the highest number of votes become the nominations for final voting.
3. A performance may be nominated in either the leading or supporting category. If all dialogue has been dubbed by another actor, the performance is not eligible; dubbed singing does not affect eligibility unless it constitutes the entire performance. Whether a role is leading or supporting is determined individually by members at the time of balloting.
4. Leading and supporting categories are tabulated simultaneously; a performance receiving votes in both is placed only in the category where it first reaches the required nomination threshold, or, if simultaneous, the category with the greater percentage of total votes.
5. If two achievements by the same actor or actress would both qualify in the same category, only one shall be nominated, using preferential tabulation.
6. If an actor or actress qualifies for one achievement in each category, both are eligible.
7. Updated: only roles credited in the film’s legal billing and demonstrably performed by humans, with their consent, will be considered eligible. Uncredited performances are not eligible.
8. The Secretariat has the right and responsibility to resolve all questions of eligibility, rules, and the designation of award recipients.
9. Final voting for the Acting awards is restricted to active and life members.

Rule Seven — Special Rules for the Casting Award (New)

1. Definition

Casting refers to the process by which a casting director collaborates with a film’s director and producers on the creative consideration and selection of the actors comprising a film’s ensemble.

1. Eligibility and voting

• The individual(s) eligible for consideration must hold on-screen credit of “Casting Director” or “Casting.” No more than three individuals will be considered eligible per film.
• A Reminder List of eligible films shall be circulated to the relevant Secretariat committee, which shall vote by secret ballot, in order of preference, to select a shortlist of films for further consideration.
• The casting director(s) of each shortlisted film shall provide the Secretariat with a short reel (not exceeding five minutes) of excerpts emblematic of the film’s casting achievements, together with the right to use the excerpts for voting and non-commercial promotional purposes.
• The films receiving the highest number of votes from the shortlist become the nominations for final voting.
• Final voting for the Casting award is restricted to active and life members who have viewed the excerpt reels or the nominated films.
• The Secretariat shall resolve all questions of eligibility and rules for this award.

Rule Eight — Special Rules for the Cinematography Award

1. A Reminder List of all eligible motion pictures shall be made available with a nominations ballot to all members, who vote in order of preference for not more than five motion pictures.
2. The five productions receiving the highest number of votes become the nominations for final voting.
3. Updated: the relevant Secretariat committee may request disclosure of any known use of generative AI or other AI tools in the creation of the cinematographer’s own work, to encourage transparency and ensure submissions are evaluated fairly and in context.
4. Final voting for the Cinematography award is restricted to active and life members.

Rule Nine — Special Rules for the Costume Design Award

1. A Reminder List of all eligible motion pictures shall be made available with a nominations ballot to all relevant members, who vote in order of preference for not more than five motion pictures.
2. To be eligible, the costumes for the picture must have been conceived by a costume designer; the rule is intended to recognize the design of costumes for their special use in narrative motion pictures. Eligibility is determined at a meeting called specifically for that purpose.
3. The motion pictures receiving the highest number of votes become the nominations for final voting.
4. Final voting for the Costume Design award is restricted to active and life members.

Rule Ten — Special Rules for the Directing Award

Corrected: the previous published version repeated the Costume Design text under this heading in error. The text below restores the Directing award’s own rules.

1. A Reminder List of all eligible motion pictures shall be made available with a nominations ballot to all members of the relevant branch, who vote in order of preference for not more than five productions.
2. The five motion pictures receiving the highest number of votes become the nominations for final voting for the Directing award.
3. Final voting for the Directing award is restricted to active and life members.

Rule Eleven — Special Rules for the Documentary Awards

1. Definition

An eligible documentary film is a theatrically released nonfiction motion picture dealing creatively with cultural, artistic, historical, social, scientific, economic, or other subjects. It may employ partial reenactment, stock footage, stills, animation, stop-motion, or other techniques, provided the emphasis remains on fact rather than fiction.

1. Categories

Documentary Feature (running time over 40 minutes); Best Narration; Cinematography.

III. Eligibility

A documentary feature must meet one of the following:

• Complete a theatrical release of at least seven consecutive days in Papua New Guinea, with screenings at least three times daily (one between 6–10 p.m.), for paid admission and advertised as normal and customary; OR
• Have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival, regardless of prior nontheatrical exhibition, with proof of the award submitted with the entry; OR
• Be exhibited in 35mm/70mm film or DCP format meeting the technical specifications in Rule Two.

Works that are essentially promotional, instructional, or unfiltered records of performances are not eligible. Only individual documentary works are eligible — multi-part or limited series, extracted episodes, and composite-program segments are excluded. Significant dialogue or narration must be in English or carry English subtitles.

1. Submission and other rules

Entrants complete the online submission form and submit a digital upload for streaming. Shortlisted documentary filmmakers must submit two DCP versions after the shortlist is announced; one copy becomes the property of the PNG Academy Awards Secretariat Film Archive. Documentaries submitted in this category may also qualify for the Narration and Cinematography awards if requirements and deadlines are met. The Secretariat resolves all questions of eligibility and rules.

Rule Twelve — Special Rules for the Makeup and Hairstyling Award (New)

1. Definition

Makeup refers to any change in the appearance of a human performer’s face, head, or body created through the practical, physical application of cosmetics, three-dimensional materials, prosthetic appliances, or facial hair. Hairstyling refers to any practical, physical change in appearance achieved through hairstyling, wigs, or hairpieces applied directly to the performer.

1. Eligibility and voting

• Artists from eligible films may submit a portfolio (no more than eight pages, digital PDF preferred) demonstrating their makeup and hairstyling achievements in the qualifying theatrical version of the film. Portfolios are optional but encouraged.
• The relevant Secretariat committee shall review a Reminder List of eligible films and vote by secret ballot, in order of preference, to shortlist films for further consideration.
• Shortlisted films’ credited makeup artists and/or hairstylists shall be requested to provide a short excerpt reel (not exceeding five minutes) focused on the achievements under consideration.
• The films receiving the highest number of votes from the shortlist become the nominations for final voting.
• A maximum of three nominees per film may be designated where there are three primary and essential contributors to the achievement.
• Final voting for the Makeup and Hairstyling award is restricted to active and life members.
• The Secretariat shall resolve all questions of eligibility and rules for this award.

Rule Thirteen — Special Rules for the Music Awards

1. Definitions

Original Score: a substantial body of music serving as original dramatic underscoring, written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer(s).

Original Song: words and music, both original and written specifically for the motion picture, with a clearly audible, intelligible rendition of both lyric and melody used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits.

Original Musical: not fewer than five original songs by the same writer or team, substantively rendered and furthering the storyline; an arbitrary group of songs unessential to the storyline is not eligible.

1. Eligibility

• The work must result from creative interaction between the filmmaker(s) and composer(s)/songwriter(s) engaged to work directly on the film.
• The score must consist of more than 80% newly composed music, with no themes borrowed from previous scores in a franchise.
• The work must be recorded for use in the motion picture prior to any other usage.
• Only the principal composer(s) or songwriter(s) responsible for the conception and execution of the work as a whole are eligible. Partial contributors, speculative contributors, producers/arrangers not responsible for the original creation, and music supervisors are excluded.
• A score is not eligible if diluted by pre-existing music, diminished by predominant use of non-original music, or assembled from the music of more than one composer.
• No more than one statuette is normally given for Original Score; a second may be awarded for two equal collaborating composers. Three or more equal collaborators may receive a single group statuette by signed agreement.
• No more than two statuettes are normally given for Original Song; a third may be awarded for three essentially equal writers, and in rare, extraordinary circumstances the Secretariat may award a fourth.

III. Submission

Submission must be initiated by the songwriter/composer, an authorized representative, or an authorized representative of the distributing studio, and signed by all submitting writers with a complete final music cue sheet. Original Song submissions require a vocal lead sheet, a digital video clip (up to three minutes) of the song as used in the film, and a completed Original Song Contribution Form. No more than five songs from any one film may be submitted for Original Song. Original Score submissions require a completed Music Breakdown Form and final cue sheet.

Rule Fourteen — Special Rules for the Best Picture Award

1. The picture must have been publicly exhibited for paid admission in a commercial motion picture theater in Papua New Guinea for a run of at least seven consecutive days, with screenings at least three times daily (one between 6–10 p.m.), and must fulfill all General Entry requirements under Rule Two.
2. A Reminder List of all eligible motion pictures shall be made available online with a nominations ballot to all active and life members.
3. All active and life members shall vote in order of preference for not more than ten motion pictures. The ten pictures receiving the highest number of votes become the nominations for final voting.
4. The individual(s) credited for awards purposes must hold screen credit of “producer” or “produced by.” Persons credited as executive producer, co-producer, associate producer, line producer, or similar shall not receive nominations or statuettes.
5. Final voting for the Best Picture award is restricted to active and life members.

Rule Fifteen — Special Rules for the Short Film Awards

1. Definition

A short film is an original motion picture with a running time of 40 minutes or less, including credits. Previews, advertising films, credit sequences from feature-length films, and unaired or unsold TV pilots/episodes are excluded.

1. Category

Live Action Short Film — imagery created primarily through practical photographic techniques capturing physical actors, props, sets, and locations. Documentary short subjects are not accepted in this category unless the filmmaker(s) also demonstrate the work is substantially fiction rather than documentary.

III. Eligibility

A short film must have been publicly exhibited in a commercial motion picture theater in Papua New Guinea, or otherwise meet the technical exhibition standards of Rule Two. A short film qualifying by theatrical exhibition may not be exhibited nontheatrically until after its qualifying run, subject to the same 15% pre-release exemption described in Rule Two.

1. Submission and recipients

• Short films must be submitted as specified format film/DCP along with a digital upload for streaming; encrypted files are not accepted.
• Dialogue or narration must be substantially in English or carry English subtitles.
• Shortlisted films must have the necessary clearances for commercial theatrical exhibition.
• The recipient of the award (the Wantok statuette) is the individual most directly responsible for the concept and creative execution of the film. Where more than one individual has been directly and importantly involved, a second statuette may be awarded; no more than two awards will be given to a winning production.
• A short film must be submitted in the same Awards year in which it qualifies.
• Entries are judged on originality, entertainment value, and production quality, without regard to cost or subject matter.
• Final voting is restricted to members who have viewed all the nominated short films.

Rule Sixteen — Special Rules for the Writing Awards

Updated: the previous “Screen Play” category has been split into Adapted Screenplay and Original Screenplay, in line with current Academy practice; Best Original Story Adaptation remains a distinct award.

1. Adapted Screenplay and Original Screenplay

• To be eligible, an explicit screenwriting credit must be present in the film’s legal billing, and the screenplay must be human-authored. Credited production companies or entities of any kind are not eligible.
• Reminder Lists of all eligible screenplays in each category shall be made available with nominations ballots to all relevant members, who vote in order of preference for not more than five screenplays per category.
• The five screenplays in each category receiving the highest number of votes become the nominations for final voting.
• The Secretariat shall resolve all questions of eligibility and rules.
• Final voting for the Writing awards is restricted to active and life members.

1. Best Original Story Adaptation

• To be eligible, an explicit original story adaptation credit must be present.
• The original story adaptation receiving the highest number of votes becomes the nomination for final voting.
• The Secretariat shall resolve all questions of eligibility and rules.
• Final voting is restricted to active and life members.

Rule Seventeen — International Submission Liaison (New)

This rule governs how the PNG Academy Awards Secretariat identifies, certifies, and submits Papua New Guinea’s official entry to international competitions — including the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category — consistent with the requirements of the receiving body (e.g. AMPAS Rule Sixteen for the Academy Awards).

1. Selection Committee

• PNG’s submission shall be selected by a single Academy-approved Selection Committee, at least 50% of whose members are artists and/or craftspeople from the field of motion pictures.
• A list of the Selection Committee’s members must be submitted to the receiving body by the deadline it publishes for new or lapsed-submitting countries.
• Only one film will be put forward from Papua New Guinea as the official selection in a given awards year.
• The Selection Committee must confirm that creative control of the film was largely in the hands of PNG citizens, residents, or individuals with refugee or asylum status in Papua New Guinea, consistent with the receiving body’s eligibility rules.

1. Domestic qualification

A film considered for PNG’s official selection must first satisfy the domestic eligibility requirements of Rules Two, Three, and Fourteen of these Rules & Regulations (theatrical qualifying run, submission form, and — where relevant — Best Picture criteria), in addition to any format, language, and creative-control requirements imposed by the receiving international body.

III. Certification and handover

• Once selected, the Secretariat shall certify the selection to the National Cultural Commission and prepare the full submission package required by the receiving body (completed forms, digital upload, full cast and credit list, director’s biography and photograph, key artwork, and proof of qualifying theatrical release).
• The Secretariat shall transmit the certified selection to the receiving body ahead of its published deadline for that awards cycle.
• Should the receiving body’s selection-committee disclosure or crew-eligibility requirements not be met, the Secretariat shall work with the production to remedy the deficiency ahead of the deadline; failure to do so may result in the film being deemed ineligible by the receiving body.

This rule is a domestic liaison procedure; it does not alter, and is subordinate to, the eligibility rules published by AMPAS or any other receiving international body for its own awards.