The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that, should The Hurt Locker be announced as the recipient of the Best Picture award at Sunday's ceremonies, only three of the picture's producers will be present for the celebration. The fourth of the film's credited producers, Nicolas Chartier, has been denied attendance at the 82nd Academy Awards as a penalty for violating Academy campaigning standards.

Chartier had recently disseminated an email to certain Academy voters and other film industry figures in which he solicited votes for his own picture and disparaged one of the other contending films. Academy rules prohibit "casting a negative or derogatory light on a competing film." The executive committee of the Academy's Producers Branch, at a special session late Monday, ruled that the ethical lapse merited the revocation of Chartier's invitation to the Awards.

The group stopped short of recommending that the Academy governors rescind Chartier's nomination. If The Hurt Locker were to be selected as Best Picture, Chartier would receive his Oscar statuette at some point subsequent to the March 7 ceremonies.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Hurt Locker was released June 26th, 2009 and stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly, Christian Camargo. The film is directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

The Academy Awards episode 82.1, "The 82nd Annual Academy Awards"