'Amour' is Oscar foreign film frontrunner

LOS ANGELES: Cannes festival winner "Amour" ("Love") is tipped as the frontrunner for the best foreign language film Oscar -- although it may have to put up with digs from Oscar host Seth McFarlane.

The film by Austrian director Michael Haneke was among five nominees revealed Thursday ahead of the Academy Awards show next month, along with candidates from Norway, Chile, Denmark and Canada.

The heart-wrenching tale of a man and his dying wife won Haneke the prestigious Palme D'Or top prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and has long been talked about as a possible Oscar winner.

But that didn't stop "Family Guy" creator MacFarlane making a provocative joke when he and co-host Emma Stone unveiled the nominees at a pre-dawn announcement in Beverly Hills.

"I read 'Amour' was co-produced in Austria and Germany. The last time Austria and Germany got together and co-produced something it was Hitler, but this was much better," he deadpanned.

The Cannes prize for "Amour" was the second for 70-year-old Haneke -- he had received the award in 2009 for his Oscar-nominated "The White Ribbon."

The other films nominated for best foreign language movie are: "Kon-Tiki" (Norway), "No" (Chile), "A Royal Affair" (Denmark) and "War Witch" (Canada). (AFP)