Israeli film 'Ajami' named Oscar Foreign Film finalist

The Israeli film "Ajami" has one more hurdle to clear before a nomination for one of the top five foreign language films to be announced in the upcoming Academy Awards.

"Ajami" is one of nine foreign-language films, including works from Bulgaria and Kazakhstan, which are on the short list in this year's Oscar race.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says a committee of several hundred members selected the nine films from 65 that qualified in the category. The number will be winnowed down to five by the time nominations in all categories are announced Feb. 2.

Still in contention in the foreign-language category are "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" from Argentina, "Samson & Delilah" from Australia, Bulgaria's "The World Is Big" and "Salvation Lurks Around the Corner," "Un Prophete from France," Golden Globe winner "The White Ribbon" from Germany, "Ajami," Kazakhstan's "Kelin," "Winter in Wartime" from the Netherlands and Peru's "Milk of Sorrow."

The Academy Award ceremony is set for March 7.

Last year, the Israeli film took the Sutherland first-feature award at the London Film Festival.

"Ajami," co-directed by Palestinian Scandar Copti and Israeli Yaron Shani, and set in a mixed Jewish-Arab district of Jaffa, was placed on the preliminary list of candidates for the Academy Award's 2010 Best Foreign Language Film.