Nine contenders on Oscar shortlist for Foreign Language Films

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Nine films have been voted into the Foreign Language Film category for the 82nd Academy Awards from 65 that qualified in the category. The frontrunners are France's Un Prophete ( A Prophet) and the Golden Globe winner, Germany's The White Ribbon, which have received the bulk of the critical acclaim.

The films are (listed alphabetically by country):

- Argentina, El Secreto de Sus Ojos, directed by Juan Jose Campanella
- Australia, Samson & Delilah, directed by Warwick Thornton
- Bulgaria, The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner, directed by Stephan Komandarev
- France, Un Prophete, directed by Jacques Audiard
- Germany, The White Ribbon, directed by Michael Haneke
- Israel, Ajami, directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani
- Kazakhstan, Kelin, directed by Ermek Tursunov
- The Netherlands, Winter in Wartime, directed by Martin Koolhoven
- Peru, The Milk of Sorrow, directed by Claudia Llosa

Surprise omissions include Pedro Almodovar's Broken Embraces, which was eliminated when the Spanish film board submitted The Dancer and the Thief for consideration instead, and the critically acclaimed Romanian entry, Police, Adjective.

Five finalists will be determined by invitation-only special committees in New York and Los Angeles, to be announced with other category nominees, February 2 at 5:30 am PST.

The 82nd Academy Awards will be televised on March 7 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, airing in more than 200 countries worldwide.

RC