Films from Belgium, Canada, Morocco and Poland will fight it out for a mention at the Oscar nominations reveal later this month (24Jan12) after making it onto the voters' Best Foreign Film shortlist.
Director Asghar Harhadi's red-hot favourite A Separation, which took home the foreign language title at the Golden Globes on Sunday (15Jan12), is also among the nine films selected for consideration as nominees.
The new list of foreign films also features Belgium's Bullhead, Monsieur Lazhar from Canada, Wim Wenders' acclaimed Pina from Germany, Denmark's Superclasico, Israel's Footnote, Omar Killed Me from Morocco, Poland's In Darkness and Taiwan's Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale.
Initially, 63 eligible movies were considered between mid-October (11) and 13 January (12) by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee.
The Best Foreign Film Academy Award will be handed out at the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood on 26 February (12).
The telecast will air live in more than 225 countries.