Hurt Locker Producer Apologizes for Anti-Avatar E-Mails

A producer of The Hurt Locker has apologized for sending e-mails urging Academy Award voters to cast a ballot for his film rather than "a $500 million film" — meaning the other leading best-picture contender, Avatar.

The e-mails sent by Nicolas Chartier, one of the four producers nominated for best-picture nominee The Hurt Locker, violated the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rule against sending mailings that "attempt to promote any film or achievement by casting a negative light on a competing film or achievement," academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger told The Associated Press. The academy is considering taking action against Chartier.

In one of the e-mails, Chartier encouraged voters to rank The Hurt Locker No. 1 and Avatar at No. 10 in the preferential ballot, which contains 10 films this year. After the academy alerted the film's distributor, Summit Pictures, Chartier apologized.

"My naivet, ignorance of the rules and plain stupidity as a first-time nominee is not an excuse for this behavior and I strongly regret it," Chartier said in an e-mail obtained by the AP. "Being nominated for anacademy Awardis the ultimate honor and I should have taken the time to read the rules."