Bela Tarr’s The Turin Horse will represent Hungary in the Foreign-Language Oscar race.

The Hungarian Selection Committee is comprised of: Gábor Gelencsér from the Association of Hungarian Film Artists; Andras Monory-Mesz from the Hungarian Directors’ Guild, Viktoria Petranyi from the Hungarian Independent Producers’ Association, Ferenc Mikulás from the Hungarian Producers’ Association; and Andras Nagy from the Hungarian Society of Cinematographers.

The Turin Horse, which had its world premiere at the Berlinale where it won the jury grand prix and the Fipresci prize, was co-produced by T.T. Filmműhely, MPM Film, VEGA Film, zero Fiction, Werc Werk Works, and supported by the Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary (MMKA), the former Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM) and the National Cultural Fund (NKA) of Hungary.

Tarr’s eighth full-length feature stars Erika Bók, János Derzsi and Mihály Kormos. The film is about a farmer and his daughter, and their old horse, who try to survive in a desolate landscape.

Berlin-based Films Boutique handles international sales; Cinema Guild has US rights. The Turin Horse will soon screen in Toronto and at the New York Film Festival.

Oscar nominations will be announced Jan 24.