According to the latest short-list for the 80th Academy Awards no Chinese-language films will compete for this year's best foreign-language Oscar.

Organizers of the 80th Academy Awards recently announced the preliminary winners, narrowing the candidates from 63 to nine.

The Chinese mainland submission "The Knot," Hong Kong's "Exiled" and Taiwan's "Island Etude" all failed to impress Oscar voters in the first selection round.

Films still in contention include Italy's "The Unknown Woman," Poland's "Katyn," and Kazakhstan's "Mongol."

Five final nominees will be announced on January 22. The awards night is scheduled for February 24.

The nine nominees left are:

Austria - "The Counterfeiters"
Brazil - "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation"|
Canada - "Days of Darkness"
Israel - "Beaufort"
Italy - "The Unknown Woman"
Kazakhstan - "Mongol"
Poland - "Katyn"
Russia - "12"
Serbia - "The Trap"
?
(CRI January 18, 2008)