Canadian writer and director Sarah Polley was told to return her Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay after the award was described as a “mistake” in an April Fools' Day joke by her 11-year-old child.
Polley, 44, won her Academy Award for Women Talking, starring Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw and Frances McDormand, in Los Angeles last month.
She shared a letter on Twitter that she had received on April Fools' Day purportedly from the academy, which read: “We say this to you with the deepest regrets: the Oscar you received was given by mistake, you must return it.”
The letter said Polley had “one more week to enjoy it”, but then she must “mail it back to LA where we will give it to the rightful best adapted screenplay: All Quiet On The Western Front”.
“We are sorry for your loss, but it is only fair that the play with the real best adapted screenplay gets the Oscar.”
The letter also said the film academy had realised its mistake on the night of the ceremony but wanted to avoid another “fiasco”, referencing La La Land being named winner of Best Picture during the 2017 ceremony instead of Moonlight.
It was signed in a childish hand purporting to be David Rubin, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Polley tweeted a photo of the letter, captioning it: “My 11-year-old swung low for April Fools Day this year.”
Edward Berger, director of All Quiet On The Western Front, also played along with the joke on Twitter.
He wrote: “Dear Sarah, to save on mailing costs as I live overseas the academy has asked me to provide you with my address so you can ship the Oscar directly. I will follow up shortly. Ok with you? All best, Edward.”
Polley replied: “My kid says to tell you that it’s already packaged and on its way.”
Berger added: “Thank you. Tracking number please. Would hate for it to get lost.”
All Quiet On The Western Front won four Oscars in March, including Best International Feature Film, from nine nominations.
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
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10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
