A Record 63 Countries Vying For Best Foreign-Language Oscar Nod

A record 63 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 80th Academy Awards, AMPAS President Sid Ganis announced Wednesday. Among the entries released by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences are Israel’s “Beaufort,” after “The Band’s Visit“‘s controversial disqualification (as indieWIRE’s Anthony Kaufman discusses here), and Taiwan’s “Island Etude.” Sources had suggested that Ang Lee‘s “Lust, Caution” would be that country’s pick, but the Academy decided there was not enough Tawianese particpation, despite Lee’s similarly produced “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon winning the award in 2001. Nominations for the 80th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, at 5:30 a.m. PT and the Oscars will be presented Sunday, February 24, 2008 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

The 2007 Foreign Language Film submissions are:

Argentina, “XXY,” Lucia Puenzo, director

Australia, “The Home Song Stories,” Tony Ayres, director

Austria, “The Counterfeiters,” Stefan Ruzowitzky, director

Azerbaijan, “Caucasia,” Farid Gumbatov, director

Bangladesh, “On the Wings of Dreams,” Golam Rabbany Biplob, director

Belgium, “Ben X,” Nic Balthazar, director

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “It’s Hard to Be Nice,” Srdan Vuletic, director

Brazil, “The Year My Parents Went on Vacation,” Cao Hamburger, director

Bulgaria, “Warden of the Dead,” Ilian Simeonov, director

Canada, “Days of Darkness,” Denys Arcand, director

Chile, “Padre Nuestro,” Rodrigo Sepulveda, director

China, “The Knot,” Yin Li, director

Colombia, “Satanas,” Andi Baiz, director

Croatia, “Armin,” Ognjen Svilicic, director

Cuba, “The Silly Age,” Pavel Giroud, director

Czech Republic, “I Served the King of England,” Jiri Menzel, director

Denmark, “The Art of Crying,” Peter Schonau Fog, director

Egypt, “In the Heliopolis Flat,” Mohamed Khan, director

Estonia, “The Class,” Ilmar Raag, director

Finland, “A Man’s Job,” Aleksi Salmenpera, director

France, “Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud, directors

Georgia, “The Russian Triangle,” Aleko Tsabadze, director

Germany, “The Edge of Heaven,” Fatih Akin, director

Greece, “Eduart,” Angeliki Antoniou, director

Hong Kong, “Exiled,” Johnnie To, director

Hungary, “Taxidermia,” Gyorgy Palfi, director

Iceland, “Jar City,” Baltasar Kormakur, director

India, “Eklavya – The Royal Guard,” Vidhu Vinod Chopra, director

Indonesia, “Denias, Singing on the Cloud,” John De Rantau, director

Iran, “M for Mother,” Rasoul Mollagholipour, director

Iraq, “Jani Gal,” Jamil Rostami, director

Ireland, “Kings,” Tom Collins, director

Israel, “Beaufort,” Joseph Cedar, director

Italy, “The Unknown,” Giuseppe Tornatore, director

Japan, “I Just Didn’t Do It,” Masayuki Suo, director

Kazakhstan, “Mongol,” Sergei Bodrov, director

Korea, “Secret Sunshine,” Chang-dong Lee, director

Lebanon, “Caramel,” Nadine Labaki, director

Luxembourg, “Little Secrets,” Pol Cruchten, director

Macedonia, “Shadows,” Milcho Manchevski, director

Mexico, “Silent Light,” Carlos Reygadas, director

The Netherlands, “Duska,” Jos Stelling, director

Norway, “Gone with the Woman,” Petter Naess, director

Peru, “Crossing a Shadow,” Augusto Tamayo, director

Philippines, “Donsol,” Adolfo Alix, Jr., director

Poland, “Katyn,” Andrzej Wajda, director

Portugal, “Belle Toujours,” Manoel de Oliveira, director

Puerto Rico, “Love Sickness,” Carlitos Ruiz, Mariem Perez, directors

Romania, “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” Cristian Mungiu, director

Russia, “12,” Nikita Mikhalkov, director

Serbia, “The Trap,” Srdan Golubovic, director

Singapore, “881,” Royston Tan, director

Slovakia, “Return of the Storks,” Martin Repka, director

Slovenia, “Short Circuits,” Janez Lapajne, director

Spain, “The Orphanage,” J.A. Bayona, director

Sweden, “You, the Living,” Roy Andersson, director

Switzerland, “Late Bloomers,” Bettina Oberli, director

Taiwan, “Island Etude,” Chen Huai-En, director

Thailand, “King of Fire,” Chatrichalerm Yukol, director

Turkey, “A Man’s Fear of God,” Ozer Kiziltan, director

Uruguay, “The Pope’s Toilet,” Enrique Fernandez, Cesar Charlone, directors

Venezuela, “Postcards from Leningrad,” Mariana Rondon, director

Vietnam, “The White Silk Dress,” Luu Huynh, director

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