Colombia has selected "Embrace of the Serpent" as its official selection to compete at the Academy Awards.

The film which premiered this past May at the Cannes Film Festival had been the strongest contender for the country as it not only obtained rave reviews but Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired it for domestic distribution. The movie has went on to show at Telluride and has become an international favorite. The movie is the third film submitted by director Ciro Guerra, whose "The Wind Journeys" and "Wandering Shadows" were also submitted. Colombia has never been nominated but this film looks like a strong contender to be the country's first nomination.

Meanwhile, Brazil submitted the Sundance hit "The Second Mother." Also acquired by Oscilloscope, the film has already been released and is currently doing well at the box office. The critically acclaimed film is considered a strong contender and one that will likely be nominated.

While the country has been nominated four times, Brazil has never won a single Oscar. Brazil's most acclaimed film, "City of God," was not even nominated but was shortlisted in other major categories including Best Director.

Peru also announced its submission and this time it selected "NN" by Hector Galvez. The movie has not been widely seen and it is one of the weakest for the country in recent years. Since being nominated for the Oscar in 2009 for "La Teta Asustada," Peru has yet to bring out a film as strong as that Golden Bear winner.

One of the most surprising submissions came from Ireland, which chose "Viva," a film set in Cuba. The movie made its world premiere at Telluride and marks the fourth time the country submits. Ireland has rarely submitted because most its films are in English and therefore are disqualified because of the Academy's rulings; "Viva" is in Spanish and that is likely a factor in this decision. The country has yet to be nominated but it will be interesting to see how this film fares.

After having been nominated for the first time Estonia followed up with "1944" while Macedonia submitted "Honey Night." Lithuania selected the Berlin film "The Summer of Sangaile" while Georgia will compete with "Moira," which premiered at San Sebastian.

Nepal submitted its seventh film this year. The one-time nominated country entered "Talakjung vs Tulke," a film that has not gotten much exposure worldwide.

Pakistan will bring "Moor" to the Academy, which premiered at the Busan Film Festival. The country has never been nominated and this is the fifth submission in the history of the country.

Slovenia submitted the Karlovy Vary Selection "The Tree," a film that screened worldwide in various festivals. The movie will vie to become the country's first Oscar nominee.

Finally, Turkey decided on "Sivas," which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize. The movie is a strong selection for the country, which has never been nominated but which has submitted strong films by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

The final day for foreign countries to submit is Oct. 1 and many countries including France, Spain and Argentina have yet to select their film.