Ang Lee will not be considered for the best foreign language film award at next year’s Oscars amid claims too few locals were involved in its production.

His film - Lust, Caution - has not met the criteria required to qualify for the foreign film category, after it emerged there were not enough Taiwanese crew members and production staff.

The film, which won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, is based on a novel by Eileen Chang about a Chinese woman in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during World War II.

Stanley Hung, secretary-general of Taiwan’s Motion Picture and Drama Association, said they had appealed the decision and were awaiting a response.

A record 63 countries have submitted films vying for this year’s best foreign language Oscar.