China's entry for Oscar undecided after 'Warlords' pulled out
Beijing, Sept. 25 (PTI): China's movie mandarins are keeping mum on the possible entries for the best foreign language film at the next Academy awards.
With the highly anticipated battle epic "The Warlords", officially withdrawn from the competition, China's hopes for a blockbuster candidate appear to have been dashed, Xinhua news agency reported.
However, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which has the final say on the selection, said it was determined that Chinese mainland films would still be in the running.
"We won't let this chance go by. There will certainly be a film selected to compete for the award," it quoted an unidentified SARFT official as saying.
Chinese blockbusters have been submitted as entries for best foreign language film, but Ang Lee's Golden Lion-winning thriller "Lust, Caution" will represent Taiwan and Jiang Wen's "The Sun Also Rises" has been put forward as a Hong Kong offering.
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, only one picture will be accepted from each country.
"Every year we set up a special committee to vote for the candidates recommended by mainland film companies, and we will do so again this year," the SARFT official said.
The withdrawal of "The Warlords" has prompted speculation as to what films might be contending for the mainland entry.
Director Peter Chan's "The Warlords", starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro, had been announced as a possible candidate for best foreign language film, but was withdrawn after opposition from US investor Morgan Chan Films.