Flix et Meira tapped as Canada's Oscar foreign-language film contender

Canada is officially resting its Oscar hopes onMaxime Giroux's film Flix et Meira.

Film agency Telefilm Canada unveiled the dramaas the country's official submission to the Academy Awards for consideration in the best foreign-language film category for 2016.

The movie centres on arelationship that develops between ayoung married Orthodox Jewish woman and a young man in her neighbourhood who ismourning his father's death.

"It's a film in French, English and Yiddish. It's really a Montreal film, so I'm really happy I'm here to represent Canada and Montreal," Giroux said at a press conference in Montreal on Friday afternoon.

"It was a film made with a small budgetand kind of a challenge in every term," he added.

FlixetMeirahadits premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the prize forbest Canadian Feature. The film has screened at more than 30 festivals worldwide and, among other honours, received the TobiasSzpancerAward for Best Film at the Haifa International Film Festival.Movie critics and audiences havepraised the film's sensitive depiction of the Hasidiccommunity.

Giroux praised the courage of theactors in the film, who were former HasidicJews andhave since left the community.

"It's their story in a way and I know at some point, it was difficult for them to shoot some of the scenes because it was really close to what they lived in their lives. It'stough for them to reinvent themselves and have a new lifein our society," he told CBC News.

Giroux said that in making the film, his third feature, "I learned a lot about my city, the community I live in and [myself]also. And I think that's why I goto thecinema and I think that's why I liveto learn more about other people."

In the past six years, Canada has had four films make it as best foreign-language film finalists:

• Incendies, directed by Denis Villeneuve.
• In Darkness, directed by Agnieszka Holland (a co-production).
• Monsieur Lazhar, directed by Philippe Falardeau.
• Rebelle, directed by Kim Nguyen.

Breakaway14:12Maxime Giroux's award-winning film "Flix et Meira"

Maxime Giroux's "Flix et Meira" won Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF and other prizes around the world. The CBC's Rachelle Solomon met the director in New York City where the film was closing the Jewish Film Festival before opening across Quebec.

Last year's submission Xavier Dolan's Mommy failed tomake it to the final list of nominees. Previous Canadian Oscar finalists included DeepaMehta's Water and DenysArcand's films The Decline of the American Empire,Jesus of Montreal and The Barbarian Invasions which ultimately won in 2004.

"When youlook at all the films that [have]representedCanada it's incredible. Those directors are,how do I say,inspiredTo be next to them is an honour," Giroux added.

The foreign-language film race is already heating up, with mostcountries confirming their selections over the past week as the U.S. film academy's Oct. 1 deadline approaches.

Other notable submissions that have earned international kudos already include France's pick Mustang, Hungary's choice Son of Saul, China's Wolf Totem and The Assassin, Taiwan's contender.

The 88th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Feb. 28.