Oscars international broadcast cuts '20 Days in Mariupol' win, sparking criticism in Ukraine

abcnews.go.com:

The shortened version of the international broadcast of the 96th Oscars has faced harsh criticism in Ukraine for omitting the segment announcing the documentary feature category, which went to Mstyslav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol.”

KYIV, Ukraine — The shortened version of the international broadcast of the 96th Oscars faced harsh criticism in Ukraine for omitting the segment announcing the documentary feature award, which went to Mstyslav Chernov's “20 Days in Mariupol.”

The documentary, a collaboration between The Associated Press and PBS' “Frontline,” is a harrowing first-person account set in the Ukrainian port city during the early days of Russia's invasion in 2022.

Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne, the exclusive broadcaster of the Oscars in the country, published a statement of indignation on Monday.

“Our team was shocked and deeply disappointed when we did not see the category for Best Feature Documentary in the international version, where 20 Days in Mariupol was justly awarded,” said Lukian Halkin, executive producer of the Suspilne Kultura TV channel.

According to Disney, the official international licensing agent for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, decisions were made weeks in advance of Sunday's telecast on which portions and categories to omit for the condensed version of the show.

International licensees receive two versions of the broadcast: the live version and a 90-minute version, produced by the film academy. The truncated version — which does include a recap of the cut winners, including “20 Days in Mariupol” — is often preferred by international broadcasters, Disney says. Suspilne said that instead of the shortened version, it is broadcasting Ukrainian viewers the unedited