Sarah Polley told to return mistakenly won Oscar in family April Fools’ prank

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The internet is praising one of Oscar-winning filmmaker Sarah Polley’s children for an award-worthy performance after they played an April Fools’ prank on their mother over the weekend.

On Saturday, Ms. Polley received a letter that was addressed to her from former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president David Rubin - later revealed to have actually been sent by Ms. Polley’s 11-year-old child, Eve.

“We say this to you with the deepest regrets: the Oscar you received was given by mistake,” the letter began. “You must return it.”

The Toronto-born director is best known for her most recent film, Women Talking, which won the best adapted screenplay Oscar last month. But according to the letter, the Oscar should have gone to the “rightful” best adapted screenplay: All Quiet on the Western Front.

“In hindsight, we should have told you when we realized it, on the night on which the Oscar was given, but you must understand that we did not want another ‘Year of the Moonlight’,” the letter read. “We also did not want it to get all over your local news.”

Ms. Polley’s child also repeatedly insisted the letter was “not a joke,” despite it being received on April 1, stating that “another letter will be sent, probably in this week or the next, assuring you that this is not a joke.”

Ms. Polley took to Twitter to announce the news, saying that her 11-year-old “swung low” for April Fool’s day this year.

Edward Berger, the director behind All Quiet on the Western Front, was quick to get in on the joke, offering to send over his address to help Ms. Polley save some bucks on shipping. “Dear Sarah, to save on mailing costs as I live overseas the Academy has asked me to provide you with my address so you can ship the Oscar directly. I will follow up shortly. Ok with you? All best, Edward,” he tweeted.

But according to Ms. Polley, the Oscar was “already packaged and on its way.”