According to Rules 2 and 3 of the official Academy Awards Rules, a film must open in the previous calendar year, from midnight at the start of January 1 to midnight at the end of December 31, in Los Angeles County, California, and play for seven consecutive days, to qualify (except for the Best International Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature, and awards in short film categories).
ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə ɹˈuːlz tˈuː ænd θɹˈiː ʌvðɪ əfˈɪʃəl ɐkˈædəmi ɐwˈɔːɹdz ɹˈuːlz, ɐ fˈɪlm mˈʌst ˈoʊpən ɪnðə pɹˈiːviəs kˈæləndɚ jˈɪɹ, fɹʌm mˈɪdnaɪt æt ðə stˈɑːɹt ʌv dʒˈænjuːˌɛɹi wˈʌn tə mˈɪdnaɪt æt ðɪ ˈɛnd ʌv dᵻsˈɛmbɚ θˈɜːɾi wˈʌn, ɪn lˌɑːs ˈændʒəlɪs kˈaʊnti, kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə, ænd plˈeɪ fɔːɹ sˈɛvən kənsˈɛkjuːtˌɪv dˈeɪz, tə kwˈɔlᵻfˌaɪ ɛksˈɛpt fɚðə bˈɛst ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl fˈiːtʃɚ fˈɪlm, bˈɛst dˌɑːkjuːmˈɛntɚɹi fˈiːtʃɚ, ænd ɐwˈɔːɹdz ɪn ʃˈɔːɹt fˈɪlm kˈæɾɪɡɚɹiz.