Nine International Movies Compete for Best Foreign Language Oscar

Javier Bardem's Biutiful is one of nine finalists for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar

Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards. Sixty-six films had originally qualified in the category.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Algeria, Hors la Loi (Outside the Law), Rachid Bouchareb, director
Canada, Incendies, Denis Villeneuve, director
Denmark, In a Better World, Susanne Bier, director
Greece, Dogtooth, Giorgos Lanthimos, director
Japan, Confessions, Tetsuya Nakashima, director
Mexico, Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu, director
South Africa, Life, above All, Oliver Schmitz, director
Spain, Tambien la Lluvia (Even the Rain), Icíar Bollaín, director
Sweden, Simple Simon, Andreas Ohman, director

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2010 are again being determined in two phases.

The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 66 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 21, through Sunday, January 23, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.

The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, 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 200 countries worldwide.

The Academy Awards episode 83.1, "The 83rd Annual Academy Awards" stars Anne Hathaway, James Franco, Jeff Bridges, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Pattinson, Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and is directed by Don Mischer.

Outside the Law was released November 3rd, 2010 and stars Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila, Chafia Boudraa, Bernard Blancan, Sabrina Seyvecou, Assaad Bouab, Thibault de Montalembert. The film is directed by Rachid Bouchareb.

Incendies was released April 22nd, 2011 and stars Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Rémy Girard, Abdelghafour Elaaziz, Allen Altman, Mohamed Majd, Nabil Sawalha. The film is directed by Denis Villeneuve.

In a Better World was released April 1st, 2011 and stars Mikael Persbrandt, Wil Johnson, Eddy Kimani, Emily Mulaya, Gabriel Muli, June Waweru, Mary Ndoku Mbai, Dynah Bereket. The film is directed by Susanne Bier.

Dogtooth was released June 25th, 2010 and stars Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Hristos Passalis, Anna Kalaitzidou, Alexander Voulgaris. The film is directed by Giorgos Lanthimos.

Biutiful was released December 29th, 2010 and stars Javier Bardem, Maricel Álvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Eduard Fernández, Cheikh Ndiaye, Diaryatou Daff, Cheng Tai Shen. The film is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Sources: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences