Hong Kong has selected Alex Law’s Echoes Of The Rainbow, while China has picked Feng Xiaogang’s box office hit Aftershock.

Hong Kong and China have announced the films that they are submitting to the best foreign-language film category of the Academy Awards.

The Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong has selected Alex Law’s Echoes Of The Rainbow, a 1960s-set story about a family in Hong Kong which was a surprise sleeper hit earlier this year. The film also won the top prize in the Generation 14+ category at this year’s Berlin film festival.

Meanwhile, China’s Film Bureau confirmed that Feng Xiaogang’s diasaster movie Aftershock will represent mainland China. The film, about the aftermath of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was released in July this year and became China’s highest-grossing movie ever with a haul of more than $100m.

It was also recently announced the Philippines has selected docu-drama Noy as its contender for the Oscars, while Thailand has picked Cannes Palme d’Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

Co-directed by Dondon Santos and Coco Martin, Noy follows a man who poses as a journalist and trails real-life presidential candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. The film was produced by CineMedia Productions and VIP Access Group and distributed by Star Cinema in June.

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