LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- Each year , any country in the non-English speaking world that wants to be in with a chance of winning must choose just one film to represent the entire output of their country 's filmmaking industry . Then , over two months , a 30-strong panel whittles the entries -- there were 63 this year -- down to to a shortlist of just five . Here is a roundup of films that were in the running this year ... ... ... ... .. Mongol . Country : Kazakhstan Director : Sergei Bodrov Synopsis : In twelfth-century Mongolia , nine-year-old Temudgin , is a slave . He will grow up to become the warrior known as Genghis Khan . But not before he has to flee his home shortly when his father is murdered and a rival seizes power . With the help of his blood brother , tribal prince Jamukha , the adult Temudgin battles his rivals and works to unite the region 's warring clans under his authority . Background : This was the first Academy Award nomination for Kazakhstan . Despite the Kazakh nationality , the film has a cosmopolitan cast and crew . Bodrov , the director is Russian , the star is Japanese and the film features Chinese and Mongolian supporting actors . ... ... ... ... .. Beaufort . Country : Israel Director : Joseph Cedar Synopsis : Set in Lebanon in 2000 , in the days leading up to Israel 's withdrawal , the soldiers stationed at the mountaintop outpost of Beaufort live under a barrage of constant attacks . The film tells the story of Liraz Liberti , the 22-year-old commander of Beaufort , and his troops . Frustrated by the knowledge that they are risking -- and often losing -- their lives in defense of a fortress that will soon be abandoned , the men struggle to do their duty while grieving for their dead comrades and preparing for the evacuation . Background : Beaufort was nominated for a Golden Bear at Berlin , and won Silver Bear . This was Israel 's 6th Oscar nomination , although it was the first one for 24 years . Israel has not yet won the award . ... ... ... ... .. Katyn . Country : Poland Director : Andrzej Wajda Synopsis : The film is an account of captured Polish officers massacred by Soviet secret police in the Katyn Forest during WWII . The story focuses on Anna , the wife of a murdered captain , who refuses to believe he is dead . Background : Andrzej Wajda was awarded an Oscar in 2000 for `` five decades of extraordinary film direction . '' As well as being a very personal film for Wajda who 's father was killed at Katyn , the film has had huge political impact in Poland . Angela Merkel and members of the German cabinet attended the premiere of the film at this year 's Berlin Film Festival . This was the eighth nomination for Poland . ... ... ... ... .. The Counterfeiters Country : Austria Director : Stefan Ruzowitzky Synopsis : The story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history . The Nazis are plotting to cause the collapse of the US and British economies by flooding their markets with false bills . A group of prisoners in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp are put to work under the direction of a master counterfeiter making replicas of foreign bank notes . Some of the prisoners use delaying tactics to hinder the plan . Background : The eventual winner of the Oscar in what was the second nomination for Austria . ... ... ... ... .. 12 Country : Russia Director : Nikita Mikhalkov Synopsis : Twelve Russian jurors deciding the fate of a young Chechen accused of murdering his adoptive Russian father go over the details of the case in the school gymnasium that is serving as their jury room . As they argue , a young juror manages to convince them that maybe the case is n't as clear cut as it first seemed . The case itself becomes a metaphor for the problems plaguing modern Russian society . Background : Mikhalkov stars in , directs and produces the film . This was the fifth nomination for Russia . Before 1992 the USSR received a total of nine nominations including three wins for Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears ( 1980 ) , Dersu Uzala ( 1975 ) , War and Peace ( 1968 ) E-mail to a friend .
A roundup of 2008 Oscars Best Foreign Film nominations . The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award in the category "Best Foreign-Language Film" and won a BAFTA Award, as well as several other awards including an Academy Award. There was a strong political vein running through the nominated films this year . Veteran Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda was previously awarded an Oscar in 2000 .