by Alison James
PARIS (Variety) - Francois Ozon's 8 Women is this year's French foreign-language contender for the Academy Awards.
The $10 million whodunit, with a lineup of actresses including Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart and Fanny Ardant, was widely tipped to get the vote ahead of the nature documentary Travelling Birds and sleeper hit L'auberge espagnole.
8 Women is one of France's biggest critical and commercial hits this year, grossing $33 million worldwide, including $1.7 million in the U.S. since its release Sept. 27. Focus Features is distributing Stateside.
Ozon is in post-production with his next picture, Swimming Pool, which stars Charlotte Rampling, who appeared in his 2001 arthouse picture Under the Sand, and Ludivine Sagnier, the youngest of his 8 Women.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has invited 85 countries to submit their top films for consideration in the foreign-language category, which was won last year by Bosnia-Herzogovina's No Man's Land. The dedaline is Nov. 15. Nominations in all categories will be announced Feb. 11 with the 75th annual awards ceremony taking place March 23.© 2002 Reuters/Variety