Ahmed Imamovic's "Belvedere" will represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the foreign-language film Oscar race.

Imamovic's second movie was chosen over Adis Bakrac's "The Abandoned" by a committee appointed by the Balkan country's Assn. of Filmmakers.

The selection committee, chaired by director Nedzad Begovic, comprised fellow helmers Semsudin Gegic, Namik Kabil, Danis Tanovic and Srdan Vuletic; directors of photography Mustafa Mustafic and Almir Dikoli; producer Zoran Galic; and costume designer Lejla Hodzic.

The haunting black-and-white movie traces the impact on the lives of families of the 8,000 Muslim men and boys murdered in Srebenica during the Balkans civil war. It premiered locally last fall and has screened at a number of film festivals, including Sarajevo.

The title is a reference to a refugee camp where, 15 years after the war crime that shocked the world, widows, mothers and children wait as the remains of their loved ones are exhumed from mass graves.

Director mixes actors and real-life survivors to tell a disturbing story that is likely to have arthouse and fest appeal but will be a hard sell for wider auds.

Pic is produced by Samir Smajic of Comprex, which is also handling international sales.

The deadline for all countries to send in their submissions is Oct. 1. The 84th Academy Awards will be held Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.