Jolie's film set as Cambodia's Oscar submission

Child actress Sareum Srey Moch, who made her debut with this film, has also won peoples' hearts for her portrayal of the lead character.

19 Sep – It's official! Angelina Jolie's "First They Killed My Father" has been selected as Cambodia's Best Foreign Language Film submission for the Academy Awards.

This also marks the first time that an American director has been made the representative for another country in another language, as reported by Deadline.

"This means a great deal to all of us involved in making the film. To work with local artists to bring this story forward has been a moving and humbling experience," Jolie said in response to the news.

With rave reviews during its premiere at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals, the Netflix movie adapted from activist Loung Ung's memoir tells her life story as a child soldier in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime.

"We were together when we received the news and it was very emotional. This has been a long journey for me, and while it is personal, it is also reflective of the experience of millions of Cambodians. We are very proud to be representing Cambodia as this year's selection and share this moment with the country," Ung stated.

Launched worldwide through Netflix on 15 September, "First They Killed My Father" is also currently screening theatrically at all major cinemas in Cambodia.

Stills from Japan's Oscar entry film "Her Love Boils Bathwater".

Annually, countries across the globe will submit what they consider as their best film of the year to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), with only one film being accepted per country.

Although the official Oscar nominations will only be announced on 23 January 2018, the race has already started for the Best Foreign Language category.

There are 48 entries submitted so far including Thailand's "By The Time It Gets Dark" by Anocha Suwichakornpong, Vietnam's "Father And Son" by Lương Đình Dũng, Japan's "Her Love Boils Bathwater" by Ryota Nakano and South Korea's "A Taxi Driver" by Jang Hoon.

There are countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, however, that have yet to submit their entries for Oscar's Best Foreign Language category.

The 90th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California on 4 March 2018.