Oscar Foreign Film race narrowed to nine films

Nine films have advanced to "Phase II" of the 80th Academy Awards Foreign Language Film race, out of 63 international films entered.

They are:

Austria, The Counterfeiters, Stefan Ruzowitzky, director

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

Canada, Days of Darkness, Denys Arcand, director

Israel, Beaufort, Joseph Cedar, director

Italy, The Unknown, Giuseppe Tornatore, director

Kazakhstan, Mongol, Sergei Bodrov, director

Poland, Katyń, Andrzej Wajda, director

Russia, 12, Nikita Mikhalkov, director

Serbia, The Trap, Srdan Golubovic, director

Several hundred Los Angeles-based members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, which hosts the "Oscars", screened the eligible films to determine the shortlist. The nominees will be decided by 10 random members from the "Phase I" group, and ten Los Angeles and New York members specially invited to participate. They will view the screenings in marathon viewings, from Friday, January 18 to Sunday, January 20, in both cities.

Nominations will be announced Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre at the AMPAS headquarters. The award ceremony, if not interrupted by the WGA writers' strike, will air Sunday, February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre.