9 Foreign Films Advance to the Next Stage of the Oscars

9, out of 65, films have advanced in the Academy's Oscar race. Out of these choices only 5 will make it to the final cut.

The nominees are:

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

I'm absolutely floored that Almodovar's 'Broken Embraces' didn't even make the shortlist and had hoped it would at least become an augmented choice. But Spain has won 4 times now so I suppose I can understand cutting them out but I can't believe there are no Asian countries in the final round. South Korean Bong Joon-Ho's 'Mother' certainly deserved a final spot as did the Vietnamese director Nhat Minh Dang's 'Don't Burn It.' But alas....

I think it's safe to say that 'White Ribbon' will come away with the win but I can't decide which 4 movies will get dropped from the final round though I do believe both 'Ajami,' and 'Kelin' will make the cut.