Gael Garcia Bernal is ''very, very excited'' about the prospect of 'No' getting an Oscar.

The Mexican actor stars in the film - a historical drama about the man who masterminded an advertising campaign that contributed to the overthrowing of Chilean president Augusto Pinochet in 1990 - and is hopeful it could beat the favourite to claim the Best Foreign Language Oscar.

He said: ''I'm Very, very excited. It is one of those things that doesn't really matter in the grander sense that films can have a life beyond any awards.

''The really good films we don't think about in the sense of the awards they have won but the films themselves are the things that live on.

''But definitely the Oscars are the ones that give the most exposition to any film. 'No' is a film that I love and I think is a brilliant movie, and I really seldom say this, especially about something I have worked on, but I really think it is a great movie, I really like it. It has been written that the Oscar is going to Michael Haneke's 'Amour' but you know there are always surprises. So I hope that there is a surprise, that would be great.''

Gael has also recently stepped behind the camera, directing 'Drifting: Part 2' - part of a collaboration with whisky brand Chivas Regal - which sees him conclude the story of three friends who find themselves drifting together at sea after an unexplained prank and needing to get one of them to a wedding. The First part was directed by Gael's long time friend and collaborator Diego Luna, as well as Pablo Cruz and Julián Levin.

Speaking about the differences in style between the first and second parts, Gael said: ''I think Diego and I have a different approach to everything really, maybe that's part of the basis of our friendships, and we understand that about each other.

''I am not necessarily hoping that he is going to do that or this in a certain way, I respect his point of view. I don't just respect it, I like his point of view. He always has something different to say and I expect that from him as well. I think that's what makes things different. I think it will be a different style, again this ocean is the Pacific so this one is a little bit more wavy, it moves a little bit more.''

To see both parts of 'Drifting', visit www.youtube.com/chivasregalglobal