First countries enter Oscar foreign-language race

The Academy's often controversial and always interesting foreign-language race is picking up a little steam, with Romania, Morocco and Venezuela submitting their entries to join Greece and Poland this year.

We won't know for months if Greece has found another surprise nominee like last year's "Dogtooth," or if Romania will once again be overlooked for a strong, tough film the way it was with "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."

But at this point we can start to discern countries' strategies for dealing with the Academy's Best Foreign-Language Film process. Greece, for instance, seems to have reacted to "Dogtooth" with an attitude of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," while Romania may be going for something marginally friendlier than its usual grim submissions.

Under Academy rules, each country is allowed to submit a single film; a lengthy screening process narrows the field from several dozen (65 last year) to nine, and then two hand-picked committees choose the final five nominees.

So far, these are the entries. Many more to come before the Academy's September 30 deadline:

Greece: "Attenberg"

Director: Anthin Rachel Tsangari

Last year Greece got the Oscar race's strangest and most controversial nomination with "Dogtooth," and the country appears to have gone back to the same well with a film produced by "Dogtooth" director Yorgos Lanthimos and directed by "Dogtooth" producer Tsangari. Guy Lodge, who has seen the film, calls it "'Dogtooth'-lite: in addition to common themes of sexual discover and youth alienation, the films share a similar brooding, deadpan humor."

Morocco: "Omar Killed Me" ("Omar m'a tuer")

Director: Roschdy Zem

The true story of Moroccan immigrant imprisoned for murder near Cannes, "Omar Killed Me" examines a penal system in which French police and prosecutors were eager to pin the crime on a convenient target. Director Zem is currently receiving raves for the limited stateside release of "Point Blank."

Poland: "In Darkness"

Director: Agnieszka Holland

Director Holland has been Oscar-nominated for "Olivier, Olivier" and has worked in the United States on TV series like "The Wire," "The Killing" and "Treme," and her film has already been picked up by Sony Classics, the company with an impressive record of picking winners and nominees in this category. Besides which, the plot looks like ideal Oscar-bait: it's based on the true story of a Polish criminal who helped hide Jewish refugees during World War II.

Romania: "Morgen"

Director: Marian Crisan

Reportedly less grim than the Romanian fare that has been controversially overlooked by the Academy in recent years, "Morgen" looks at the friendship between a Romanian-Hungarian security guard and an illegal immigrant.

Venezuela: "The Rumble of the Stones" ("El rumor de las piedras")

Director: Alejandro Bellame Palacios

The least-known of this year's entries, Palacios' film deals with a woman in Caracas trying to rebuild a life for herself, her mother and her two sons in the wake of floods that destroyed their home.

How to Prepare for College Application Process

So you are in high school, and the prospect of going to college can seem thrilling, as well as nerve-racking. You have waited for the day when you can finally move out and start living independently. But with this excitement, comes a whole bunch of responsibilities. Firstly, there's the enormous task of filling out and submitting the college application forms, which may leave you pondering where to look for guidance. Let's make things easier by listing out some helpful tips that will prepare you for the college application process.

Choice of Colleges

You need to make a list of colleges you will be applying to. This may seem baffling at first, as there may be several colleges which offer the courses you want to pursue. Keep things simple by narrowing the list to five or six "most probable" colleges. Bear in mind that every college application will cost you an application fee, which is nonrefundable. Take help from your parents, and also from your friends who are already in college and will guide you in the right direction, or even your school counselor who is probably the most conversant about your academic records.

College Admissions

Try to complete the college application process latest by November or December. Before you mail the application, make copies of every single application for your records. If you need financial assistance, contact the college office and ask for any forms or other paperwork they may require. A month after you mailed out the applications, contact the colleges once to verify they have actually received your application forms. Typically, colleges announce admission decisions by March or April. Go through the list of colleges you had applied to, and arrive at a decision. Fill out the enrollment form of the college of your choice, and mail it to them along with the deposit check. The deadline for most colleges to receive the forms is May 1st. Inform all the other colleges who accepted your application form that you will not be attending them, so you free up the seat for another deserving candidate. If the college of your choice puts you on their waiting list, contact them and notify them that you are still very much keen on joining them. You can mail them your latest semester grades.