Former Tucsonan Kirby Dick's documentary "The Invisible War" received an Oscar nomination Thursday, marking the second time one of Dick's films has been up for Oscar gold.
The film, about the low rate of prosecution of sexual assaults in the U.S. military, is among five nominees for best feature-length documentary.
"We're thrilled and gratified by this honor. However, if we want to honor our service members, we need to put a stop to this epidemic of rape," Dick said via email.
"What's different about this film, in comparison to my other films, is that this is still a burning issue. According to the Department of Defense estimates, Thursday, on the day Oscar nominations were announced, 50 more men and women were sexually assaulted in the military. We hope the attention this nomination brings will help to send a message to the Department of Defense to do more to protect our women and men in uniform."
According to Oscars.com, nominees for the movie had yet to be determined as of Friday. It's certain that Dick will receive one of the nominations - if not the only one - because he wrote and directed the movie.
"It's a formality," Dick said. "They have to vet the producers - not the director - to make sure they actually produced the film. That vetting should take place on Monday, and they will announce all the names on Tuesday."
This is not Dick's first recognition from the Academy Awards.
His 2004 film, "Twist of Faith" - about a man who comes to terms with trauma from his sexual abuse by a Catholic priest - was nominated for a best documentary Oscar in January 2005.
Dick, 60, graduated from Palo Verde High School. He lives in Los Angeles.
He has also drawn widespread attention and praise for his documentaries "This Film is Not Yet Rated" (2006), which attacked the movie ratings system, and "Outrage" (2009), which exposed closeted gay politicians who supported anti-gay legislation.
Another former Tucsonan, 26-year-old University High School grad Tim Reckart, received a best short animated film Oscar nomination Thursday for "Head Over Heels."
Both former Tucsonans will find out if they'll win an Oscar at the Feb. 24 Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood.
On StarNet: See a trailer for Kirby Dick's documentary at azstarnet.com/video
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
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