Philippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar has leapt over another hurdle on its way to possibly contending for Canada in the
Best Foreign Language Film competition at the upcoming Academy Awards.

The Quebec film, from Montreal producer micro_scope, is one of 63 films chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to be screened by its Foreign Language Film Award Committee, ahead of its choosing five finalists.

Monsieur Lazhar, which picked up two earlier prizes at Locarno and the best Candian feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, will screen in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 3, in the morning at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theatre.

The Academy screenings start on Oct. 14 with Nordic hopeful Le Havre, by Aki Kaurismaki, and run over three months to Jan. 7.

The Academy will name its five 2012 best foreign language nominations on Jan. 24, 2012, ahead of the Academy Awards on Feb. 26.

Denys Arcand’s The Barbarian Invasions in 2003 was the first and only Canadian Foreign Language winner at the Oscars.