Ballast pretty much only played at a handful of film festivals so I think it should be considered a 2009 film.
Define "pretty much". I believe it opened at the Music Box in Chicago on October 31, 2008; at the Sundance Kabuki in San Francisco on October 17, 2008; in Boston on October 31, 2008...
That said, I'm personally still in favor of changing the rules. Just need someone to propose a standard.
pixote