Forever Enthralled

China’s Film Bureau released yesterday that the People’s Republic of China has elected the film Forever Enthralled, directed by Chen Kaige, to be China’s Academy Award nominee for the Best Foreign Language Film category. The film is a biopic of China’s most famous Peking opera performers, with Beijing-born pop star Leon Lai in the title role as Mei Lanfang. Kaige has directed two other Oscar nominated films from China (Farewell My Concubine and The Promise).

Austria has also submitted their candidate for Best Foreign Language Film category, For a Moment Freedom. Directed by Iranian-Austrian filmmaker

Arash T. Riahi, the movie tells the story of Iranian refugees and their journey to Austria through Turkey. It has garnered a lot of critical momentum on the festival circuit, earning honors like Best Austrian Film at the Vienna Film Festival and first feature kudos in Montreal and Zurich.

Sources: Variety and Hollywood Reporter