TORONTO - Canadian filmmakers have been shut out of this year's Oscar nominations.
Montreal's "The Necessities of Life" had been on a short list of nine films in line for a foreign-language Oscar but did not make the final cut of five nominees. Leading up to the announcement from Los Angeles, the film's director, Benoit Pilon, said he was just happy to have been nominated.
Meanwhile, the National Film Board of Canada - which usually does well in the animated short category - didn't expect a strong showing at the Oscars this year, but says it has a couple of promising projects in the works.
The outcome is in stark contrast to last year's awards, when Canadian actress Ellen Page, director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Sarah Polley were all in the running for trophies.
The Brad Pitt film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" leads the nominations with 13, while the sleeper hit "Slumdog Millionaire" follows close behind with 10 nods. The awards are handed out in Los Angeles on Feb. 22.
