MOVIES - March 11, 1992

What’s Up, Doc?: Miramax Films is calling for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to overhaul its process of nominating documentaries for Oscars. An open letter from Miramax’s top executives, Harvey and Bob Weinstein and Russell Schwartz, to the academy’s executive director, Bruce Davis, suggests specific changes. Miramax would like to see the name of the best documentary category changed to best nonfiction film, the nominating committee membership enlarged from 60 to 200 people and the voting process to be based on a point system. Miramax would also like to have films shown primarily on TV in the United States disqualified from Oscar competition and reserved for the Emmys.