BREAKING: Hurt Locker Producer Banned From Oscars for ‘Aggressive’ Campaigning

Hurt Locker co-producer and ill-advised e-mail campaigner Nicolas Chartier was banned this afternoon from attending the 82nd Academy Awards. His revoked invitation was the result of a note sent to friends and peers in the Academy urging them to vote for his tiny indie Locker and avoid the “$500M film” better known as Avatar. If the Academy wanted to make an example, mission accomplished; a few of its official comments follow the jump.

In a press release issued just a while ago (subtly headlined, “Academy Penalizes Aggressive Campaigner”), the disciplinary decree was made:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that, should The Hurt Locker be announced as the recipient of the Best Picture award at Sunday’s ceremonies, only three of the picture’s producers will be present for the celebration. The fourth of the film’s credited producers, Nicolas Chartier, has been denied attendance at the 82nd Academy Awards as a penalty for violating Academy campaigning standards.

Chartier had recently disseminated an email to certain Academy voters and other film industry figures in which he solicited votes for his own picture and disparaged one of the other contending films. Academy rules prohibit “casting a negative or derogatory light on a competing film.” The executive committee of the Academy’s Producers Branch, at a special session late Monday, ruled that the ethical lapse merited the revocation of Chartier’s invitation to the Awards.

The group stopped short of recommending that the Academy governors rescind Chartier’s nomination. If The Hurt Locker were to be selected as Best Picture, Chartier would receive his Oscar statuette at some point subsequent to the March 7 ceremonies.

So that settles it: Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal and Greg Shapiro will represent The Hurt Locker on Sunday. But! Psst! Mr. Chartier! I can get you on the list at Movieline’s Oscar Viewing Party if you need alternate plans. Just say the word, we’d have you any day. Oh, and sorry.

· Academy Penalizes Aggressive Campaigner [AMPAS]