Sand Dollars, which premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, will join a host of other international movies under consideration for the Best Foreign Movie prize.

If nominated, it will be the first time the Dominican Republic has been represented in the category at the Academy Awards.

Early favourites include Greece's Xenia, Germany's Labyrinth of Lies, China's Wolf Totem, Hungary's Son of Saul, Serbia's Enclave, Venezuela's Gone With the River, Austria's Goodnight Mommy, Bulgaria's The Judgment and Cloudy Times - Paraguay's first-ever submission.

All foreign films for consideration have to be submitted by 1 October (15). The Oscar nominations will be announced in January (16).