This is by far the highest number of countries that are vying for an Oscar in the Foreign Language Film category. While in 2007 a total of 63 countries sent in their entries, in 2006 the number was 61 and in 2005 it was 58.
Amongst the 67 entries from various countries, will be the Indian entry – Taare Zameen Par, which is the directorial debut of actor Aamir Khan.
The 2008 submissions for Foreign Language Film category are as follows:
Afghanistan: Opium War, Siddiq Barmak
Albania: The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider, Piro Milkani and Eno Milkanis
Algeria: Masquerades, Lyes Salem
Argentina: Lion’s Den, Pablo Trapero
Austria: Revanche, Gotz Spielmann
Azerbaijan: Fortress, Shamil Nacafzada
Bangladesh: Aha!, Enamul Karim Nirjhar
Belgium: Eldorado, Bouli Lanners
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Snow, Aida Begic
Brazil: Last Stop 174, Bruno Barreto
Bulgaria: Zift, Javor Gardev
Canada: The Necessities of Life, Benoit Pilon
Chile: Tony Manero, Pablo Larrain
China: Dream Weavers, Jun Gu
Colombia: Dog Eat Dog, Carlos Moreno
Croatia: No One’s Son, Arsen Anton Ostojic
Czech Republic: The Karamazovs, Petr Zelenka
Denmark: Worlds Apart, Niels Arden Oplev
Egypt: The Island, Sherif Arafa
Estonia: I Was Here, Rene Vilbre
Finland: The Home of Dark Butterflies, Dome Karukoski
France: The Class, Laurent Cantet
Georgia: Mediator, Dito Tsintsadze
Germany: The Baader Meinhof Complex, Uli Edel
Greece: Correction, Thanos Anastopoulos
Hong Kong: Painted Skin, Gordon Chan
Hungary: Iska’s Journey, Csaba Bollok
Iceland: White Night Wedding, Baltasar Kormakur
India: Taare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan
Iran: The Song of Sparrows, Majid Majidi
Israel: Waltz with Bashir, Ari Folman
Italy: Gomorra, Matteo Garrone
Japan: Departures, Yojiro Takita
Jordan: Captain Abu Raed, Amin Matalqa
Kazakhstan: Tulpan, Sergey Dvortsevoy
Korea: Crossing, Tae-kyun Kim
Kyrgyzstan: Heavens Blue, Marie Jaoul de Poncheville
Latvia: Defenders of Riga, Aigars Grauba
Lebanon: Under the Bombs, Philippe Aractingi
Lithuania: Loss, Maris Martinsons
Luxembourg: Nuits d’Arabie, Paul Kieffer
Macedonia: I’m from Titov Veles, Teona Strugar Mitevska
Mexico: Tear This Heart Out, Roberto Sneider
Morocco: Goodbye Mothers, Mohamed Ismail
The Netherlands: Dunya & Desie, Dana Nechushtan
Norway: O’Horten, Bent Hamer
Palestine: Salt of This Sea, Annemarie Jacir
Philippines: Ploning, Dante Nico Garcia
Poland: Tricks, Andrzej Jakimowski
Portugal: Our Beloved Month of August, Miguel Gomes
Romania: The Rest Is Silence, Nae Caranfil
Russia: Mermaid, Anna Melikyan
Serbia: The Tour, Goran Markovic
Singapore: My Magic, Eric Khoo
Slovakia: Blind Loves, Juraj Lehotsky
Slovenia: Rooster’s Breakfast, Marko Nabersnik
South Africa: Jerusalema, Ralph Ziman
Spain: The Blind Sunflowers, Jose Luis Cuerda
Sweden: Everlasting Moments, Jan Troell
Switzerland: The Friend, Micha Lewinsky
Taiwan: Cape No. 7, Te-Sheng Wei
Thailand: Love of Siam, Chookiat Sakveerakul
Turkey: 3 Monkeys, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Ukraine: Illusion of Fear, Aleksandr Kiriyenko
United Kingdom: Hope Eternal, Karl Francis
Uruguay: Kill Them All, Esteban Schroeder
Venezuela: The Color of Fame, Alejandro Bellame Palacios.
Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards will be announced on 22 January, 2009 in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on 22 February, 2009.
