The Oscar countdown continues as AMPAS announced today that nine films have advanced in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Annual Academy Awards. Early favorite A Separation (Iran) made the cut, as did the modern dance documentary Pina (Germany). Shockingly, Zhang Yimou’s period epic The Flowers of War starring Christian Bale was left off the shortlist. The Chinese entry was the most expensive film in the country’s history, and many had pegged it as a shoo-in for a nomination. Also missing the cut were Mexico’s Miss Bala and the Finland dramedy Le Havre.
Voters will screen the nine shortlisted films this weekend, after which they’ll make their official selection. The five nominees will be announced alongside all the other Oscar nominees on Tuesday morning. The 84th Annual Academy Awards will be held on February 26th. Hit the jump to read the full press release.
Here’s the press release:
Beverly Hills, CA – Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®. Sixty-three films had originally qualified in the category.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
* Belgium, “Bullhead,” Michael R. Roskam, director;
* Canada, “Monsieur Lazhar,” Philippe Falardeau, director;
* Denmark, “Superclásico,” Ole Christian Madsen, director;
* Germany, “Pina,” Wim Wenders, director;
* Iran, “A Separation,” Asghar Farhadi, director;
* Israel, “Footnote,” Joseph Cedar, director;
* Morocco, “Omar Killed Me,” Roschdy Zem, director;
* Poland, “In Darkness,” Agnieszka Holland, director;
* Taiwan, “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale,” Wei Te-sheng, director.
Foreign Language Film nominations for 2011 are again being determined in two phases.
The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 63 eligible films between mid-October and January 13. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.
The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles. They will spend Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 22, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.
The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.