For the first time in Academy Award history, filmmakers from 71 countries and regions are vying for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced on Monday.

    China’s famous director Chen Kaige, with his latest film “Caught in the Web,” Johnnie To, who directs Hong Kong crime drama “Life Without Principle” and Chang Jung-Chi, the helmsman behind the Taiwan film “Touch of the Light” which deals with the relationship between a blind pianist and an aspiring dancer, are among a crop of filmmakers to compete for the honor.

    “Caught in the Web,” a romantic piece about the online human flesh search which is a relatively new phenomenon among the netizens in China, was selected as Chinese mainland’s sole candidate for the prestigious honor. This is Chen’s fourth bid for the gold statuette.

    Iran, whose selection “A Separation,” won the award last year, opted to sit out of the run as part of its government’s protest against the steaming of “Innocence of Muslims” on YouTube.

    The nomination will be made public on January 10, 2013.(SD-Agencies)