LOS ANGELES (AP) - Competition for the best foreign language film is stiffer than ever this year, with movies from a record 54 countries vying for an Oscar.
Three countries, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Chad, entered films for the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday.
The Academy's foreign language film awards committee will begin screening the entries Wednesday, eventually nominating five finalists.
Those and other nominations for the 75th annual Academy Awards will be made public on Feb. 11, and the awards show will take place March 23 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
Just five films have won the foreign language film Oscar and at least one other Academy Award.
The most recent was Life is Beautiful, which also garnered Oscars for best original dramatic score and for best actor for Roberto Benigni in 1998.
Other multiple winners were Fanny and Alexander (1983), Z (1969), A Man and a Woman (1966) and 8 1/2.
© 2002 Associated Press