Director Holland of the film "In Darkness" poses for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto
Director Agnieszka Holland of the film "In Darkness" poses for a portrait during the 36th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, September 12, 2011. TIFF runs from September 8-18. Reuters

Oscar organizers Thursday said they received entrants from 63 countries for this year's foreign language film award, including a first-time submission from New Zealand called The Orator.

The Oscars, which are given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are the world's top film honors, and being nominated for the foreign language award brings prestige that helps those movies lure audiences.

Among some of the more talked about foreign language titles already in 2011 are Polish entry In Darkness, a Holocaust drama that played well at September's Toronto International Film Festival, and Spain's Black Bread, which earlier this year won nine of its home country's top awards, the Goyas.

The motion picture academy will narrow the list of 63 films to five nominees that will be named on January 24. The Oscars take place on February 26, at a gala ceremony in Los Angeles.

A full list of foreign language entrants can be found at the academy's website at www.oscars.org.

Academy of motion picture arts and sciences Los Angeles Oscars Los Angeles