Originally made up of over sixty-three films, The Academy has narrowed down their contenders for the Best Foreign Oscar to just nine.. It is no surprise that Iran’s A Separation, from Asghar Farhadi made the list, a film that was number two on my best films of the year countdown. Another appearing was Belgium’s Bullhead, a film that made our own Jared Mobarak‘s best of the year, as well as Wim Wender‘s Pina.

Notably missing are Mexico’s Miss Bala, Finland’s Le Havre, as well as the big TIFF winner, Lebanon’s Where Do We Go Now?. Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Once upon a Time in Anatolia from Turkey also got high notices, but was missing from the list. Check out the full thing below in the press release, but my money is on A Separation to pick up the award.

Beverly Hills, CA – Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®. Sixty-three films had originally qualified in the category.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Belgium, “Bullhead,” Michael R. Roskam, director;
Canada, “Monsieur Lazhar,” Philippe Falardeau, director;
Denmark, “Superclásico,” Ole Christian Madsen, director;
Germany, “Pina,” Wim Wenders, director;
Iran, “A Separation,” Asghar Farhadi, director;
Israel, “Footnote,” Joseph Cedar, director;
Morocco, “Omar Killed Me,” Roschdy Zem, director;
Poland, “In Darkness,” Agnieszka Holland, director;
Taiwan, “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale,” Wei Te-sheng, director.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2011 are again being determined in two phases.

The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 63 eligible films between mid-October and January 13. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.

The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles. They will spend Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 22, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Are your favorites on here? Anything missing?

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