Award Central News

Original entry, "The Silent Army," reportedly fell short of the Academy's rules that require films be original works and not new versions of an existing motion picture. "Silent" is the recut, international version of Jean van de Velde's 2008 film "Wit Licht," about child soldiers in Africa.

The Acad officially ruled this week that "Silent" was disqualified. According to the submitting org, Holland Film, the Acad noted that this was the first time a pic submitted to the foreign language category had been disqualified for this reason and that the committee members had had differing views on the decision.

A new pic, Martin Koolhoven's "Oorlogswinter," about a boy who gives an English pilot safe haven during WWII, has now been put forward for the foreign prize. Pic's producers are Isabella Films' Els Vandevorst and Fu Works' San Fu Malta, who was also a producer on Paul Verhoeven's 2006 WWII pic "Black Book."

Holland Film said in a statement that it had worked closely with the Acad while it was deciding the film's fate. Org had also undertaken steps to select a backup pic several weeks ago.