"Paprika" Still in the Oscar Race

From The Envelope:

A lot depends on whether "Paprika" is in this Oscar running or not. A while ago the academy cited it as being among the 16 films potentially eligible for the category of best animated feature. Sixteen is a crucial number. If any of those potential contenders falls out, Oscar rules say that the number of nominees in the category must drop from 5 to 3.

Reports abound that "Paprika's" release has been bumped from 2006 to next March, April or — the latest rumor — May. Sony Pictures Classics' own awards site feeds the misconception by not citing it as a kudos contender (CLICK HERE). It wasn't mentioned at the Golden Globes where the new category for animated fare only listed three titles.

However, a studio rep insists that Satoshi Kon's anime feature about a dream machine has already had its qualifying run, so the rumors are wrong and the issue is settled. The reason "Paprika" wasn't in the running for a Globe was simply because foreign films with English subtitles aren't eligible.