TORONTO — Director Denys Arcand's film The Barbarian Invasions has been selected as Canada's entry in the race to be nominated in the Academy Awards best-foreign-film category.

The nominations for the 76th annual Oscars will be announced Jan. 27, including the five international films chosen in that category.

"Denys Arcand is one of Canada's greatest filmmakers," said Richard Stursberg, executive director of Telefilm Canada which made the announcement Wednesday.

"On behalf of the Canadian selection committee, I would like to congratulate Denys Arcand as well as everyone associated with The Barbarian Invasions for this prestigious honour."

Eighty-seven countries had been invited by the Oscar academy to submit films for consideration.

Arcand has made the nomination cut for the best foreign-language category twice before, for Jesus of Montreal in 1989 and for The Decline of the American Empire - the prequel to Barbarian Invasions - in 1986.

Chaired by Telefilm, the selection committee is made up of 24 voting delegates representing the major professional associations and public institutions with a mandate in Canadian cinema.

Last Sunday, Arcand's film was named best Canadian feature at the Toronto International Film Festival.