Oscar blues for Bloody Sunday film

Actor James Nesbitt (L) with director Paul Greengrass

Oscar hopes for an award-winning film about Bloody Sunday have been dashed by the Academy's rules.

The Paul Greengrass film has been banned from the Hollywood awards because it has already been screened on television.

The film - Bloody Sunday - had its first public screening in London in January this year and was broadcast on television in the UK and Ireland. It was then screened in cinemas worldwide.

On 30 January 1972, paratroops opened fire on civilians at a civil rights march in the Bogside in Londonderry killing 13 civilians. Another man died later.

Golden Bear

The rules of the Academy say in order for a film first screened outside the United States to be considered for the Oscars it cannot be shown publicly in any other medium for six months after the start of its theatrical run.

The film has already won the coveted Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival.

It shared the prize with Japanese animated feature Spirited Away.

Bloody Sunday has already won the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States.

The Greengrass movie won the Hitchcock d'Or best film prize at the Dinard British Film Festival.

Alfred Hitchcock once lived in the Brittany town where the festival is held.

The film, starring Northern Ireland actor James Nesbitt, has been criticised for its stance on the Derry killings, and for the fact it received National Lottery funds, distributed by the Film Council.