Waltz with Bashir Got the Shaft

Reuters reports on a move to change the Academy’s rules to allow Waltz with Bashir into the race:

Because of the change — which required a one-week qualifying run in New York by August 31 — one of the year’s most buzzed-about documentaries, the Israeli animated film “Waltz With Bashir,” won’t be eligible for consideration. A host of executives and festival veterans are calling on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to revise the rule.

“I can’t understand why the Academy is making it even more difficult for documentaries by saying you need some kind of shadow release,” New York Film Festival programer Richard Pena said. “I don’t see how this policy helps the greater good of cinema.”

The Academy’s old rule:

Under the previous rules, that meant a doc had to be screened for one week in either Los Angeles or New York, while also logging 14 three-day bookings in at least 10 states.

Has been changed to just New York and LA. But though there is a movement under way to change the new rule it won’t take effect until after this year. Waltz with Bashir, then, won’t be in the doc race but it is eligible for the other categories, like Animated Feature, where it will give Wall-E a legitimate fight; there isn’t any other animated feature that can take Wall-E but the timing of Bashir could make the difference. Also, it is eligible in the foreign language category where it would have a much better chance of winning probably.