CRASH - CRASH PRODUCER'S OSCAR FIGHT KILLED AT APPEAL

A Los Angeles appeals court has ruled CRASH producer BOB YARI cannot sue the Producers Guild Of America (PGA) and the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences (AMPAS) in an effort to be awarded an Oscar retroactively. Yari was one of six producers on Crash, but only two producers are eligible to be nominated in the Best Picture category - an Academy Award the movie won in March 2006. The PGA selected writer/director/producer Haggis and Cathy Shulman for Crash, a decision approved by Oscar bosses at AMPAS. Yari, who helped finance the film, was furious when he learned he and three other producers had been left out, and took legal action in February 2006. A court ruled that same year (06) that private organisations can make their own decisions regarding awards, a decision upheld by the 2nd District Court Of Appeals on Tuesday (25Mar08). Yari describes the ruling as "unfortunate". As well as Best Picture, Crash also won Oscars for Best Screenplay (Haggis) and Best Editing (Hughes Winborne).