Academy President Sid Ganis (R) and actress Kathy Bates announce the nominees in the best actress category for the 80th Academy Awards at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California January 22, 2008. [Agencies]
Nominated for best foreign language film were "Beaufort" from Israel, "The Counterfeiters" from Austria, "Katyn" from Poland, "Mongol" from Kazakhstan and "12" from Russia. The Academy Awards show are scheduled for Feb. 24 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Organizers have said the ceremony will be held as scheduled even if the current writers strike is not settled by then.
In the absence of a settlement between the writers and Hollywood studios, actors would probably boycott the Oscars to avoid crossing picket lines, making the ceremony a dreary affair, rather than the movie industry's most glamorous night.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA), which organized the strike, has rejected Academy requests for waivers to use writers and clips from motion pictures and past Oscar shows.
However, it was reported that WGA leaders and entertainment industry moguls were holding informal talks that could set the groundwork for resumed negotiations, leading to a possible settlement.