LUXEMBOURG CITY, Luxembourg, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Luxembourg's Oscar committee says it is "disappointed" that its human trafficking drama, "Your Name Is Justine," is ineligible for an Academy Award.
Joy Hoffmann, the co-head of the European nation's Oscar committee, said the group found the decision by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences disheartening, said Daily Variety.
"We're not outraged or anything like that but it would be fair to say we're disappointed -- it's a good movie about an important topic and we were hoping for a little more flexibility," said Hoffman.
The academy ruled that Venezuelan-born director Franco de Pena's film is not eligible for the foreign language film Oscar because it was not created under the direct control of individuals from within Luxembourg's borders.
"We knew it was a borderline entry but the point is that without Luxembourg the film wouldn't exist," Hoffman said. "Luxembourg put up about 75 percent of the budget."
