CANADIAN OSCAR BID REJECTED BY ACADEMY

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has rejected Canada's submission for best international feature film because it has too much English dialogue. Funny Boy, by director Deepa Mehta, pictured, is based on Shyam Selvadurai's 1994 coming-of-age novel of the same name and was submitted for the category, previously known as best foreign language film, since both Tamil and Sinhalese are spoken throughout the picture, which was shot on location in Sri Lanka. Telefilm Canada, which made the selection, is now submitting Funny Boy for other awards, including best picture and best international feature film. Oscar nominations will be announced in March, with the ceremony slated for April 25. Postmedia News