Gary Dretzka
Leonard Klady
David Poland
Ray Pride

Press Release
For Immediate Release
October 21, 2004
Corrected: October 22, 2004

Please note the following changes in bold

49 Countries in Competition for Oscar®

Beverly Hills, CA — Forty-nine countries have submitted films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Academy Award® consideration in the Foreign Language Film Award category, Academy President Frank Pierson announced today.

The submissions for 2004 are:

Afghanistan, "Earth and Ashes," Atiq Rahimi, director;
Argentina, "A Lost Embrace," Daniel Burman, director;
Austria, "Antares," Gotz Spielmann, director;
Belgium, "The Alzheimer Case," Erik Van Looy, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Days and Hours," Pjer Žalica, director;
Brazil, "Olga," Jayme Monjardim, director;
Bulgaria, "Mila from Mars," Zornitsa Sophia, director;
Canada, "Far Side of the Moon," Robert Lapage, director;
Chile, "Machuca," Andrés Wood, director;
China, "House of Flying Daggers," Zhang Yimou, director;
Croatia, "Long Dark Night," Antun Vrdoljak, director;
Czech Republic, "Up and Down," Jan Hrebejk, director;
Denmark, "The Five Obstructions," Jørgen Leth & Lars von Trier, directors;
Ecuador, "Chronicles," Sebastián Cordero, director;
Egypt, "I Love Cinema," Osama Fawzy, director;
Estonia, "Revolution of Pigs," Jaak Kilmi, René Reinumägi, directors
Finland, "Producing Adults," Aleksi Salmenperä, director;
France, "The Chorus," Christophe Barratier, director;
Germany, "Downfall," Oliver Hirschbiegel, director;
Greece, "A Touch of Spice," Tassos Boulmetis, director;
Hungary, "Kontroll," Nimród Antal, director;
Iceland, "Cold Light," Hilmar Oddsson, director;
India, "Shwaas," Sandeep Sawant, director;
Iran, "Turtles Can Fly," Bahman Ghobadi, director;
Israel, "Campfire," Joseph Cedar, director;
Italy, "The Keys to the House," Gianni Amelio, director;
Japan, "Nobody Knows," Hirokazu Kore-eda, director;
Korea, "Tae Guk Gi," Kang Je-gyu, director;
Macedonia, "The Great Water," Ivo Trajikov, director;
Malaysia, "A Legendary Love," Saw Teong Hin, director;
Mexico, "Innocent Voices," Luis Mandoki, director;
The Netherlands, "Simon," Eddy Terstall, director;
Norway, "Hawaii, Oslo," Erik Poppe, director;
Palestine, "The Olive Harvest," Hanna Elias, director;
Philippines, "Crying Ladies," Mark Meily, director;
Poland, "The Welts," Magdalena Piekorz, director;
Portugal, "The Miracle According to Salomé," Mário Barroso, director;
Romania, "Orient-Express," Sergiu Nicolaescu, director;
Russia, "Night Watch," Timolir Bekmambetov, director;
Serbia and Montenegro, "Goose Feather," Ljubiša Samardžic, director;
Slovenia, "Beneath Her Window," Metod Pevec, director;
South Africa, "Yesterday," Darrell Roodt, director;
Spain, "The Sea Inside," Alejandro Amenabar, director;
Sweden, "As in Heaven," Kay Pollak, director;
Switzerland, "Mein Name Ist Bach," Dominique de Rivaz, director;
Taiwan, "20 : 30 : 40," Sylvia Chang, director;
Thailand, "The Overture," Itthisoontorn Vichailak, director;
Uruguay, "Whisky," Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll, directors;
Venezuela, "Punto y Raya," Elia Schneider, director.

Six films have won both the Foreign Language Film Oscar and another award from the Academy as well: the winner in 2000, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” also won Oscars® for Art Direction, Cinematography and Best Original Score; 1998’s winner, "Life Is Beautiful," also received both the Best Actor Award for its star Roberto Benigni and the Oscar for Best Original Dramatic Score; "Fanny and Alexander," which won in 1983, also won Oscars for Costume Design, Cinematography and Art Direction; "Z," the 1969 winner, also won for Film Editing; "A Man and a Woman," which won in 1966, also won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar; and the 1963 winner, "8 1/2," also won an Oscar for Costume Design.

The 77th Academy Award nominations will be announced at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Tuesday, January 25, 2005.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2004 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland® and televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST, beginning with a half-hour arrival segment.