Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin during the "82nd Annual Academy Awards" ©The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

248 feature films are eligible for the 2010 Academy Award® for Best Picture, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

To be eligible for 83rd Academy Awards® consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category.

The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011.