Yari
Producer Bob Yari's going to have to stay on the sidelines for the rest of the awards season.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has turned down Yari's appeal of the Producers Guild of America's credit determination, which excluded Yari and three others as producers of "Crash." The PGA awarded producer credits to Cathy Schulman and writer/director Paul Haggis.
The decision came down Thursday afternoon; AMPAS and the PGA refused to comment.
For the first time, AMPAS is following the PGA's determination on producer credits, which means four of the six "Crash" producers listed in the credits -- Yari, Mark Harris, co-writer Bobby Moresco and Don Cheadle -- aren't eligible to win the Best Picture Oscar. The PGA process attaches specific weight to various producer functions in determining who's a producer.
Yari alleged in a lawsuit alleging financial improprieties by former partners Schulman and Tom Nunan that Schulman wrongly claimed that she and not Yari made the decision to produce "Crash." Schulman's denied the allegations.
Contact Dave McNary at
dave.mcnary@variety.com