Hungary has selected Szabolcs Hajdu's WhitePalms (Feher Tenyer) as its official entry for the foreign-languagecategory of the Academy Awards.

The film stars GheorgheDinica, Zoltan Miklos Hajdu and Kyle Shewfelt in the story of a Hungariangymnast, sidelined by injury, who returns home to coach a young Canadian.

Hajdu's third feature (whichhe also wrote) swept several prizes at Hungarian Film Week in February and hassince played in Directors Fortnight in Cannes and selected for Pusan, Copenhagen,Warsaw, Sevilleand AFI Fest in Los Angeles. Katapultand Filmpartners produced; world sales are handled by Onoma.

Hungary's Selection Committee for Academy Awards Entry, which includes GyorgyBalog, Gyorgy Baron, Gabor Dettre, Tamas Hutlassa, Jozsef Cirko, Janos Kendeand Andras Suranyi, met today and decided on the selection.

The Academy will announcethe final nominees for the foreign-language Oscar on January 23.