TEHRAN – The Farabi Cinema Foundation has denied a request from the Union of Iranian Directors, a division of the Iranian House of Cinema, for entrusting the selection of Iran’s Oscar submission to the house.

The union made the request last week in a letter sent to Farabi, arguing that the Farabi selecting board for choosing Iran’s submission to the Oscars over the past 23 years has also had cinema executives and critics, and added that this fact is in conflict with the Academy’s rules.

In a press release published on Monday in response to the request, Farabi also reject the union’s claim and said that the allegation has been made based on misinformation about the Academy’s rules.

Farabi said that the foundation has selected Iran’s submission for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign-Language Film since 1992, and receiving a nomination for Majid Majidi’s “Children of Heaven” and winning two Oscars for Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation” and “The Salesman” suggest that the foundation is in the right.

Submissions for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign-Language Film must be announced by 5 p.m. on September 1.

The 91st Academy Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019.

MMS/YAW