The award is handed out annually, and is accepted by the winning film's director, although it is considered an award for the submitting country as a whole. Countries are invited by the Academy to submit their best films for competition according to strict rules, with only one film being accepted from each country.
Annually, a prestigious honor is presented to the best film of the year, which is then accepted by its director. Although it is seen as an award for the entire country that submitted the film, nations are invited to participate in the competition by submitting their top films according to strict regulations, with only one entry allowed per nation.