Irish-language feature film An Bronntanas is to represent Ireland in the race for best foreign language film at the 87th annual Academy Awards.

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) announced today that An Bronntanas, which was shot in Connemara and stars Dara Devaney, John Finn and Michelle Beamish, could be heading to Hollywood in February for the 2015 Oscars.

IFTA chief executive Áine Moriarty said the decision to submit the film to the Academy Awards would be a great opportunity to have “Ireland’s native tongue reach a wider international audience”.

Countries outside the US may submit one film for the foreign language category, with an average of 74 countries taking part in the competition.

In 2008, Ireland submitted the Irish-language film Kings, also directed by Tom Collins, and in 2012 Juanita Wilson's As if I am not there was submitted for the same category.

An Bronntanas, which was shot mainly through Irish, is a contemporary thriller which tells the story of local independent lifeboat crew who become caught up in the violent world of narcotics.

The crew are faced with a moral dilemma when, following a distress call one stormy night, they discover the body of a woman alongside a haul of drugs worth a million euro on board a fishing boat.

The crew must choose whether to bring the body ashore and hand the drugs over to the gardaí, or abandon the body, sell the drugs and use the money to save their struggling village on the west coast of Ireland.

Tom Collins, the IFTA award-winning director of An Bronntanas, said he was "delighted" to see the film getting recognition outside Ireland.

“As we strive to build an indigenous film and TV industry, it’s crucial to show the breadth of talent we have here to the outside world,” he said.

The Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Science (AMPAS) will announce the five finalists for best foreign language film on 12th January 2015, before the big event at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on February 22nd.