The film The Dancer and the Thief [El baile de la victoria in the original Spanish version], by Fernando Trueba, has been selected by members of the Spanish Academia de las Artes y Ciencias Cinematograficas [Cinematographic Arts and Film Sciences Academy] to represent Spain for Best Foreign Language Film at the next edition of the Oscars in Hollywood. Trueba’s film, the commercial release of which is due on 4th December, has beat out the other two pre-selected films, Map of the Sounds of Tokyo , by Isabel Coixet, and Gordos , by Daniel Sanchez Arevalo, both of which had their cinema debut in September.

We will have to wait and see if the film chosen by Spain’s Academy is one finally selected by the Academy of Hollywood to be among the proposed finalists. In January will be the first-round selection of nine films from all which have been entered by each country. Among Spain’s most serious challengers will be <i>The Secret in his Eyes selected by Argentina, A White Ribbon , representing Germany and winner of the last Cannes Film Festival , and the French film A Prophet , one of the most highly-acclaimed films at the same festival. The Dancer and the Thief , presented out of competition at the 57th San Sebastian Film Festival , has been trashed by critics. The final nominees will be announced on February 2, 2010 and the gala ceremony for the Oscars will be held on March 7.