In the midst of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, movie studios are ardently promoting their Oscar hopefuls, aiming to capture essential attention for nominations.
A primary strategy is ensuring that industry voters attend screenings and access films on dedicated platforms like the Academy Screening Room and BAFTA’s digital portal. Since both major bodies have prohibited physical DVD screeners, members lean heavily on these online resources to review potential award-winning films.
The Academy has a meticulous screening process for each movie submission. Historically, over 300 films vie for the best picture category, and that number is expected to rise in the coming months. It’s up to distributors to decide when a film becomes available on the Academy’s digital platform.
As of the latest count after an August release, 45 movies are contending for the Best Picture Oscar. Some notable additions include Netflix’s Chilean black comedy El Conde by Pablo Larraín and Universal’s horror films Cocaine Bear and M3GAN. Other recent entries include titles like The Beanie Bubble, Lakota Nation vs. United States, and 32 Sounds, among others.
Eighteen international feature titles are also available for members, with films such as Australia’s Shadya and Finland’s Fallen Leaves recently joining the list. Historically, over 90 countries submit films for this category. Members wishing to vote must ensure they’ve viewed all movies in their assigned group to generate a 15-film shortlist.
In the documentary section, there are currently 67 contenders, including titles like Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie from Apple Original Films. This figure is likely to increase, given past submission numbers.
For best-animated feature, 11 films are currently listed, including Pixar’s Elemental and Netflix’s Nimona.
Animated shorts currently feature 46 movies, while live-action shorts list 80, which include notable entries like Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. The documentary shorts section has 66 films, including the standout Relighting Candles: The Tim Sullivan Story.
The BAFTA Awards, vital for international recognition, presently lists 99 movies, with notable additions like Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Some films fall within the U.K.’s eligibility but might not be contenders for the Oscars, such as One Fine Morning.
The general category submission deadline is slated for Nov. 18, 2023. Preliminary shortlist voting starts on Dec. 18, with results announced on Dec. 21. The nomination phase is from Jan. 11-16, 2024, with the final list revealed on Jan. 23.
Several categories are under speculation for Oscar predictions, ranging from Best Picture and Director to specific areas like Cinematography, Sound, and Animated Short. Source
