'The Great Buddha+' among 87 foreign language films up for Oscar

Los Angeles, Oct. 8 (CNA) "The Great Buddha+," a 2017 Taiwanese dark comedy, is among 87 submissions from around the world accepted to be considered for best foreign language film at the 91st Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) said Monday.

A total of 89 countries submitted a film and 87 were accepted, with two African countries -- Malawi and Niger -- submitting a film for the first time, according to the AMPAS.

"The Great Buddha+," the first feature film directed by Taiwanese documentary director Huang Hsin-yao (黃信堯), tells a story that underlines the gulf between the "have-nots" and "elites" of the world.

It revolves around the dark secrets a night security guard at a Buddha statue factory and his friend, a trash collector, stumble upon when watching dash-cam recordings of the company's boss's sexual encounters with women.

The film drew much attention for its experimental forms and pungent sarcasm. It won the top prize at the 19th Taipei Film Festival in 2017 and received 10 nominations at the 54th Golden Horse Awards that year, winning five awards, including best adapted screenplay and best new director.

It also won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017.

Others on the list of submissions to the 91st Academy Awards for best foreign language film include "Shoplifters" by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda and "Burning" by South Korean director Lee Chang-dong.

The nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 22, 2019 and the ceremony will be held on Feb. 24, 2019 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.