Penelope Cruz-starrer No News From God (Sin Noticias De Dios), erotic melodrama Sex And Lucia (Lucia Y El Sexo) and period drama Juana La Loca are the Spanish Cinema Academy's three semi-finalists to compete for the country's nomination to the foreign language category of the Oscars.

In accordance with the Spanish Academy's new regulations for the Oscar nomination, the semi-finalists were announced today (Oct 22) in Madrid, three weeks before the final nomination is to be unveiled on November 12.

Director Agustin Diaz-Yanes' No News From God stars Cruz and Victoria Abril as a bad angel and a good angel fighting for the soul of a boxer. Sex And Lucia, from cult director Julio Medem, is the fourth top grossing domestic film at the Spanish box office so far this year. Pilar Lopez de Ayala won a best actress nod at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in September for her starring role in director Vicente Aranda's Juana La Loca.

Last year, Jose Luis Garci's You're The One was nominated to represent Spain at the Oscars, following the previous year's win for Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother (Todo Sobre Mi Madre).