Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 80th Academy Awards. But not PERSEPOLIS, the acclaimed animated feature from France about growing up in Iran during the '70s and '80s, directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. However, PERSEPOLIS is still for Best Animated Feature.

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

* Austria, THE COUNTERFEITERS, Stefan Ruzowitzky, director
* Brazil, THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION, Cao Hamburger, director
* Canada, DAYS OF DARKNESS, Denys Arcand, director
* Israel, BEAUFORT, Joseph Cedar, director
* Italy, THE UNKNOWN, Giuseppe Tornatore, director
* Kazakhstan, MONGOL, Sergei Bodrov, director
* Poland, KATYN, Andrzej Wajda, director
* Russia, 12, Nikita Mikhalkov, director
* Serbia, THE TRAP, Srdan Golubovic, director

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2007 are being determined in two phases.

The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 63 eligible films and their ballots determined the above shortlist.

A Phase II committee, made up of 10 randomly selected members from the Phase I group, joined by specially invited 10-member contingents in New York and Los Angeles, will view the shortlisted films and select the five nominees for the category.

Phase II screenings will take place Jan. 18 through Jan. 20, in both Hollywood and New York City.

Nominations for the 80th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 22 at 5:30 am PST in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2007 will be presented on Feb. 24 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by ABC beginning at 5:00 pm PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.