The award-winning historical drama 'Bloody Sunday' has been ruled out for consideration for next year's Oscars because of a television broadcast earlier this year.
The Paul Greengrass directed film had its first public screening in a commercial theatre in London on 20 January 2002 and was then broadcast on television in the UK and Ireland before playing for 12 weeks in cinemas from 25 January.
Academy rules state that in order for a film first screened outside the US to be considered for the Oscars it cannot be shown publicly in any other medium for six months after the start of its theatrical run.
'Bloody Sunday' recreates the events of 30 January 1972, when British troops shot dead civil rights protesters in Derry, Northern Ireland.
It shared the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival this year and won the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Festival.
The 2003 Oscars ceremony will take place on 23 March.
