Only one 'Asia-focused' entry won at Oscars - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

There were no nominations for 'Made in Asia' films at 82nd Academy Awards given in Hollywood (USA) on March seven, and out of four films nominated with Asia-focused topics, only one (The Cove) was able to win. 'The Cove' (Louie Psihoyos), which won in 'documentary feature' category, is an investigative-journalism style venture about animal abuse and human health issues revolving around dolphins in Japan . Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed has blamed American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for step-motherly treatment towards Asia . ' Asia had produced top class directors like Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Satyajit Ray, etc., but Asian films were mostly ignored as compared to European films and many good Asian films even did not make the nomination, Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, stressed in a statement issued in Nevada (USA) today. None of the four nominated films with Asia-focused topics this year-'Kavi', 'Burma VJ', 'The Cove', and 'China's Unnatural Disaster: The tears of Sichuan Province'-was produced in Asia. Rajan Zed has also asked the Academy to introduce a new award category of "Best Bollywood Film" for films made in India.