Watch ‘Talakjung Vs Tulke’ here.

The 81 entries in the Foreign-Language Film Oscar are finalized officially by the Academy Award officials. Among 81 countries, Paraguay is the only country that has sent its movie for the first time. The nomination of the 88th Academy Awards is scheduled to be announced on January 14, 2016. The winners will be announced on February 29 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Among the contenders Nepali movie ‘Talakjung Vs Tulke’ by director Nischal Basnet will compete with 80 movies be be nominated in the contest. Winning would certainly be a feat, nomination is no less for the country like Nepal. The only time a movie with Nepal attached to it to be nominated was in 1999 for Eric Valli’s film ‘Himalaya’ in the 72nd Academy Awards.

The Oscars Nomination committee in Nepal had selected ‘Talakjung Vs Tulke’ from a pool of four movies to represent Nepal in the Awards.

Last year, Nepali movie ‘Jhola’ was sent to Oscars by the Nepali committee. No Asian movies including ‘Jhola’ could make it to the nomination to the 87th edition of the Awards. There were 83 movies in the official list last year (two movies more than this year.) In the 86th Awards, Nepali movie ‘Soongava’ was sent but, it too failed to make it to the short-list of nomination.

Let’s hope ‘Talakjung Vs Tulke’ makes a history by being nominated in the award. All the best Nischal Basnet!

Full list of the 81 contestants are:

• Afghanistan, ‘Utopia,’ Hassan Nazer, director
• Albania, ‘Bota,’ Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci, directors
• Algeria, ‘Twilight of Shadows,’ Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, director
• Argentina, ‘The Clan,’ Pablo Trapero, director
• Australia, ‘Arrows of the Thunder Dragon,’ Greg Sneddon, director
• Austria, ‘Goodnight Mommy,’ Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, directors
• Bangladesh, ‘Jalal’s Story,’ Abu Shahed Emon, director
• Belgium, ‘The Brand New Testament,’ Jaco Van Dormael, director
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, ‘Our Everyday Story,’ Ines Tanović, director
• Brazil, ‘The Second Mother,’ Anna Muylaert, director
• Bulgaria, ‘The Judgment,’ Stephan Komandarev, director
• Cambodia, ‘The Last Reel,’ Sotho Kulikar, director
• Canada, ‘Félix and Meira,’ Maxime Giroux, director
• Chile, ‘The Club,’ Pablo Larraín, director
• China, ‘Go Away Mr. Tumor,’ Han Yan, director
• Colombia, ‘Embrace of the Serpent,’ Ciro Guerra, director
• Costa Rica, ‘Imprisoned,’ Esteban Ramírez, director
• Croatia, ‘The High Sun,’ Dalibor Matanić, director
• Czech Republic, ‘Home Care,’ Slavek Horak, director
• Denmark, ‘A War,’ Tobias Lindholm, director
• Dominican Republic, ‘Sand Dollars,’ Laura Amelia Guzmán, Israel Cárdenas, directors
• Estonia, ‘1944,’ Elmo Nüganen, director
• Ethiopia, ‘Lamb,’ Yared Zeleke, director
• Finland, ‘The Fencer,’ Klaus Härö, director
• France, ‘Mustang,’ Deniz Gamze Ergüven, director
• Georgia, ‘Moira,’ Levan Tutberidze, director
• Germany, ‘Labyrinth of Lies,’ Giulio Ricciarelli, director
• Greece, ‘Xenia,’ Panos H. Koutras, director
• Guatemala, ‘Ixcanul,’ Jayro Bustamante, director
• Hong Kong, ‘To the Fore,’ Dante Lam, director
• Hungary, ‘Son of Saul,’ László Nemes, director
• Iceland, ‘Rams,’ Grímur Hákonarson, director
• India, ‘Court,’ Chaitanya Tamhane, director
• Iran, ‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God,’ Majid Majidi, director
• Iraq, ‘Memories on Stone,’ Shawkat Amin Korki, director
• Ireland, ‘Viva,’ Paddy Breathnach, director
• Israel, ‘Baba Joon,’ Yuval Delshad, director
• Italy, ‘Don’t Be Bad,’ Claudio Caligari, director
• Ivory Coast, ‘Run,’ Philippe Lacôte, director
• Japan, ‘100 Yen Love,’ Masaharu Take, director
• Jordan, ‘Theeb,’ Naji Abu Nowar, director
• Kazakhstan, ‘Stranger,’ Yermek Tursunov, director
• Kosovo, ‘Babai,’ Visar Morina, director
• Kyrgyzstan, ‘Heavenly Nomadic,’ Mirlan Abdykalykov, director
• Latvia, ‘Modris,’ Juris Kursietis, director
• Lebanon, ‘Void,’ Naji Bechara, Jad Beyrouthy, Zeina Makki, Tarek Korkomaz, Christelle Ighniades, Maria Abdel Karim, Salim Haber, directors
• Lithuania, ‘The Summer of Sangaile,’ Alanté Kavaïté, director
• Luxembourg, ‘Baby (A)lone,’ Donato Rotunno, director
• Macedonia, ‘Honey Night,’ Ivo Trajkov, director
• Malaysia, ‘Men Who Save the World,’ Liew Seng Tat, director
• Mexico, ‘600 Miles,’ Gabriel Ripstein, director
• Montenegro, ‘You Carry Me,’ Ivona Juka, director
• Morocco, ‘Aida,’ Driss Mrini, director
• Nepal, ‘Talakjung vs Tulke,’ Basnet Nischal, director
• Netherlands, ‘The Paradise Suite,’ Joost van Ginkel, director
• Norway, ‘The Wave,’ Roar Uthaug, director
• Pakistan, ‘Moor,’ Jami, director
• Palestine, ‘The Wanted 18,’ Amer Shomali, Paul Cowan, directors
• Paraguay, ‘Cloudy Times,’ Arami Ullón, director
• Peru, ‘NN,’ Héctor Gálvez, director
• Philippines, ‘Heneral Luna,’ Jerrold Tarog, director
• Poland, ’11 Minutes,’ Jerzy Skolimowski, director
• Portugal, ‘Arabian Nights – Volume 2, The Desolate One,’ Miguel Gomes, director
• Romania, ‘Aferim!’ Radu Jude, director
• Russia, ‘Sunstroke,’ Nikita Mikhalkov, director
• Serbia, ‘Enclave,’ Goran Radovanović, director
• Singapore, ‘7 Letters,’ Royston Tan, Kelvin Tong, Eric Khoo, Jack Neo, Tan Pin Pin, Boo Junfeng, K. Rajagopal, directors
• Slovakia, ‘Goat,’ Ivan Ostrochovský, director
• Slovenia, ‘The Tree,’ Sonja Prosenc, director
• South Africa, ‘The Two of Us,’ Ernest Nkosi, director
• South Korea, ‘The Throne,’ Lee Joon-ik, director
• Spain, ‘Flowers,’ Jon Garaño, Jose Mari Goenaga, directors
• Sweden, ‘A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence,’ Roy Andersson, director
• Switzerland, ‘Iraqi Odyssey,’ Samir, director
• Taiwan, ‘The Assassin,’ Hou Hsiao-hsien, director
• Thailand, ‘How to Win at Checkers (Every Time),’ Josh Kim, director
• Turkey, ‘Sivas,’ Kaan Müjdeci, director
• United Kingdom, ‘Under Milk Wood,’ Kevin Allen, director
• Uruguay, ‘A Moonless Night,’ Germán Tejeira, director
• Venezuela, ‘Gone with the River,’ Mario Crespo, director
• Vietnam, ‘Jackpot,’ Dustin Nguyen, director