Amat Escalante could possibly land his first Oscar nomination…

The 34-year-old Spain-born Mexican filmmaker’s critically acclaimed film Heli has been submitted to represent Mexico in the Outstanding Foreign Language Film Oscar race by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas.

The film, which earned Escalante the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival, offers a stark look at the effects of crime and corruption in Mexico.

It centers on a 12-year-old girl who falls in love with a young police cadet who wants to run away with her and get married. He gets mixed up cartels when he decides to smuggle drugs to earn money, with violent and tragic consequences.

Heli earned the best international film award at this year’s Munich International Film Festival and the Best Film prize at the Lima Film Festival.