The 26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) screened eight of the nine films selected to advance in the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th Academy Awards®. The Festival, which was held from held from January 2-12, 2015, screened 50 of the films that had originally qualified in this category.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

· Wild Tales (Argentina), Director Damián Szifrón

· Tangerines (Estonia), Director Zaza Urushadze

· Corn Island (Georgia), Director George Ovashvili

· Timbuktu (Mauritania/France), Director Abderrahmane Sissako

· Accused (Netherlands), Director Paula van der Oest

· Ida (Poland), Director Pawel Pawlikowski

· Leviathan (Russia), Director Andrey Zvyagintsev

· Force Majeure (Sweden), Director Ruben Östlund

“It's especially gratifying that fully one-third of the shortlisted Foreign Language Oscar selections are films featured in our special Eastern European focus – Another Europe – that's being showcased at the Festival this year,” said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. It certainly validates our own decision to make Eastern European films a major focus of the 2015 event.”

“The foreign language Oscar race was extremely competitive this year so I can only imagine how challenging it was for the voters and executive committee to reach this shortlist list of 9 films,” said Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “Of course we are delighted to be presenting 8 of these films in our Awards Buzz section next month at the 26th edition of the Palm Springs International Film Festival - and doubly thrilled that most of the directors will be here with us to celebrate.”

A special jury of international film critics will review the shortlisted films along with the other 42 films screening in the Festival to award the FIPRESCI Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, Best Actor and Best Actress. For a complete schedule visit www.psfilmfest.org.

-PSIFF Official Press Release-

Edited by Vanessa McMahon