Bloody Sunday drama banned from Oscars

Award-winning drama Bloody Sunday has been banned from competing for the Oscars, it was announced today.

Academy Award organisers ruled the film is ineligible because it was aired on television before it was released in cinemas.

James Nesbitt starred in the documentary style drama that won critical acclaim for its recreation of the events of January 1972 in Derry, when British troops shot dead 13 unarmed civilians.

United States distributors Paramount Pictures had appealed to the Academy’s president, Frank Pierson, for a waiver, insisting that the film was an exceptional case.

But the board denied the request at a meeting on Tuesday night, an Academy spokesman said.

A feature film screened on television within six months of its release is ineligible for an Oscar, under Academy rules.

Bloody Sunday, directed and written by Paul Greengrass, was shown on British and Irish TV to mark the 30th anniversary of the event.

In its letter, Paramount said it would be “an incredible injustice” for the film to be barred from the Oscars.

It pointed out that Laurence Olivier was nominated for best actor in 1957 for his role in Richard III, which had previously been shown on TV.

Bloody Sunday has already won the world cinema audience award at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States and a Golden Bear in Berlin.

Nesbitt had been tipped for a best actor Oscar for his performance as Protestant civil rights leader Ivan Cooper.