Bloody Sunday film excluded from Oscar nominations

THE Irish film, Bloody Sunday, has been banned from competing for the Oscars because it was shown on Irish and British television on the same night it was premiered in London.

The Academy Award organisers phoned the film’s distributors, Paramount Classics, Wednesday to say the film has been disqualified because it was in breach of rule 3, which says a film cannot be shown on foreign television stations for six months after it is released in cinemas.

Paramount had hoped for Oscar nominations for Northern Ireland actor James Nesbitt, who played civil right campaigner, Ivan Cooper, and for director, Paul Greengrass.