Iran official urges boycott of 2013 Oscars

TEHERAN, Iran (AP) - An Iranian official said on Monday his country should boycott the 2013 Oscars and not field a candidate for the foreign film category in the wake of the anti-Islam video that was made in the United States (US) and that denigrates the Prophet Muhammad.

Mr Javad Shamaghdari, head of the government-controlled cinema agency, said Iran should "avoid" the Hollywood festival. He is quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency as urging the committee in charge of selecting Iran's choice to take a step back.

The committee, which works under the cinema agency, already picked Ye Habbeh Ghand, or A Cube Of Sugar - a film about a family wedding turning into a funeral when the groom's relative dies - to run for best foreign film.

The government has still to endorse the selection for it to become official.