The North American anime distributor Funimation has confirmed with ANN that Hideaki Anno and Khara's Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone (Evangelion Shin Gekijōban: Jo)anime film is not eligible for the Best Animated Feature category in this year's Oscar Awards. The third section of the Academy Award Rules states that a foreign film is eligible for this year's awards if it was first exhibited outside the U.S. after January 1, 2008. However, Evangelion 1.0 opened in Japan on September 1, 2007.

Another anime film, Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo, is still eligible since it opened on July 19, 2008 in Japan. The Los Angeles Times newspaper's Golden Derby blog counts only 15 eligible films without Evangelion 1.0 this year — which would mean that only three films can be nominated this year. Ponyo, Peter Docter and Bob Peterson's Up, and Henry Selick'sCoraline are among the top contenders for the Best Animated Feature award this year.

Source : Anime News Network