Ukrainian film 20 Days in Mariupol cut from international TV broadcast of Oscars due to time constraints

The presentation of the award for the film 20 Days in Mariupol was not included in the shortened international TV broadcast of the Academy Awards. Disney Entertainment explained that this was due to time limits provided for the short version of the show.

Source: Ukrainian Service of Voice of America with a link to the response to the request

Details: It is reported that the international version of the Oscar lasts 90 minutes, meaning certain categories and parts of the show could not be included in it due to time constraints. Disney Entertainment explained that the choice of nominations for the shortened version was determined a few weeks ago during the planning process for the broadcast of the ceremony.

"However, the summary of all missed winners, including 20 Days in Mariupol, is included in the abbreviated version," Disney Entertainment said in its response to the request.

The company said that the licence to show both the full live ceremony and an abridged 90-minute version of the show in Ukraine was granted to the public broadcaster Suspilne, and said that they contacted the organisation about the format in which the ceremony was broadcast in Ukraine.

Previously, Suspilne stated that the organisers cut out the Best Documentary Feature Film Nomination, which was won by the Ukrainian film 20 Days in Mariupol, from the shortened international TV version of the Academy Awards.

The Suspilne team was outraged by this decision by the organisers of the current award, The Walt Disney Company.

Quote from Lukian Halkin, executive producer of Suspilne. Culture: "Mstyslav Chernov's powerful speech underscored the unity between Ukraine and the world - it is all the more disappointing to see this segment full of truth and power excluded from the version distributed to Oscar's global licensees."

Details: Last year the same nomination, which was won by a documentary about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was included in the abridged version. Moreover, it also found a place for the political speech of his wife Yulia Navalnaya, who accepted this award.

"We hope that the organisers of the award will listen to our protest," Halkin summed up.

Background:

• On the night of 10-11 March, the world's most prestigious film award ceremony, the Oscars 2024, took place in Los Angeles.
• The winner in the Best Documentary Feature Film category was the Ukrainian film 20 Days in Mariupol. The documentary film directed by Mstyslav Chernov became the third Ukrainian film nominated for the Academy Award in 96 years of its existence.

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