Inside Oscars' 'Kanye' Moment

Arguably the biggest watercooler moment at last night’s Oscars: Elinor Burkett “pulling a Kanye” on Roger Ross Williams as he accepted their best documentary short for Music by Prudence. Kerry Lauerman got both sides of the story for Salon: Burkett and Williams have been fighting over the direction of the film (a lawsuit was involved), and she claims to have been shut out from Oscar events—to the point that “his mother took her cane and blocked me” from walking up to accept the award.

Burkett also alleges “Roger had never even heard of Zimbabwe before I” gave him the idea for the film. For his part, Williams claims Burkett was taken off the project a year ago, but was still an official nominee. With only one person permitted to speak per the Academy, "I just expected her to stand there. I had a speech prepared," he says. As for his mom and her cane, “My mother got up to hug me. And my mother is 87 years old. She was excited."
(More Roger Ross Williams stories.)