A Good Day for Woody Allen and Sony Pictures Classics January 24, 2012, 11:22 am LOS ANGELES - Is this the year Woody Allen warms up to the Oscars? The Academy certainly showed its love for the director and his "Midnight in Paris" on Tuesday, nominating him for best director (for the seventh time in his career) and his film for best picture. It also picked up nods for best screenplay and best art direction, a particularly tricky category for smaller-budget films to crack. Will Mr. Allen, who has routinely skipped the ceremony over the years, attend? "Who knows?" said Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, which released "Midnight in Paris." I do know he's really happy this morning. He added, "For Woody to be 76 and working at the peak of his form is simply terrific. There's a lot of love for the movie and him. With "Midnight in Paris," which cost about $17 million to make, Mr. Allen is experiencing some of the biggest ticket sales of his career. The movie is still playing specialty theaters after nine months - astounding staying power - and Mr. Barker said he expected North American ticket revenue to pass $60 million. It's currently at about $56 million. It was a good morning all around for Mr. Barker and his co-president, Tom Bernard. Among their other films receiving nominations was "A Separation," an Iranian family drama. It received two nods, including one for original screenplay - an extremely hard category for a foreign film to elbow into. "It's proof positive that the Academy does what it promises, and that is honor the best," Mr. Barker said.