As the deadline for Oscar applications approaches, it is finally clear that the three Chinese blockbusters Lust, Caution, Warlords, and The Sun Also Rises will all bid for the upcoming race for a Best Foreign Film golden statuette.

Fresh Golden Lion winner Lust, Caution, as critics comment, perhaps weighs more as a result of Ang Lee's directorial talent than for Tony Leung and Tang Wei's acting. It is possible that Ang Lee will also pick up a second win for Best Foreign Film or Best Director.

Hong Kong director Peter Chan's ancient Kung Fu epic The Warlords, starring Andy Lau and Jet Li, is now under final production and will be screened for seven days at the end of September, to meet the Oscar requirements. Venice Film Festival president Marco Muller spoke highly of the film after watching its 6-minute trailer during the festival.

Mainland director Jiang Wen's third directorial work also boasts a stellar cast, including Joan Chen, Anthony Wong and Jaycee Chan. Despite receiving no awards in Venice, promotion for the film has never ceased, and it will be in Chinese theaters this Friday.

Among their Asian competitors, one of the most noteworthy is South Korea's Milyang, or Secret Sunshine. The Korean Film Council announced on Tuesday that the romance beat May 18 and Breath to join the selection. Actress Jeon Do-yeon won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival this May, for her role in the film.

This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will investigate a new method of choosing nominees for best foreign language film. A shortlist of films from nine countries will be chosen by a Los Angeles-based screening committee that has traditionally viewed the approximately-60 submissions. That shortlist will then be screened by a second committee for a final nominee list.

(CRI.cn September 12, 2007)