Almodóvar quits Spanish Film Academy

Out Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, whose latest film, Bad Education, was snubbed at Spain's version of the Oscars last month, has quit the organization that holds the event. Almodovar--and his producer brother Agustin--cited disagreement with the Spanish Film Academy's voting procedures for the annual Goya Awards as well as the way it selects the film to represent Spain for foreign-language Oscar consideration. The Almodovar production house, El Deseo, released a statement Monday saying the brothers quit the academy in December because of "disagreement with the voting system as well as other aspects with respect to the functioning of the academy, such as the lack of information as far as the number of participants in each vote." Bad Education lost to out director Alejandro Amenabar's The Sea Inside for the right to represent Spain as a contender for a foreign-language Oscar nomination. Amenabar's film also set records when it snagged 14 Goyas, including best film and director nods, while Bad Education went home empty-handed.