This year, the Academy added two new categories for its annual shortlists: Best Casting and Best Cinematography. That brings the total up to 12 shortlists altogether: Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound, Visual Effects, International Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Original Score, Original Song, Animated Short, Live-Action Short, and Documentary Short. The lists vary in size, but rarely pack more than a handful of surprises. This year, more than most, offered its fair share of unexpected contenders, including numerous films that were otherwise nonexistent in the awards race. Elsewhere, films looking for a last-minute boost of support from these branches went home empty-handed, like “The Testament of Ann Lee,” while bubble contenders proved their strength, like “Wicked: For Good.” Let’s go through the Feature categories (we’ll save the shorts for another time) and see what’s missing, what made it, and what it means for that category.
CASTING
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle after Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Weapons”
“Wicked: For Good”
The first-ever shortlist for Casting essentially proved what many had expected: the category will be strongly tied to Best Picture contenders. Some had hoped less “awards-y” picks like “The Long Walk” might make it, or that films with abnormally large ensembles would dominate, like “Wake Up Dead Man.” Neither panned out. Most of the nominees here are among the most expected Best Picture nominees. “Weapons” made its way here, which could be seen as a good sign for Amy Madigan’s Oscar chances. Brazil’s “The Secret Agent” landing here is also a good sign for a film that’s hovered around people’s Best Picture predictions all season. Perhaps the biggest surprise in the bunch is “Sirât,” which performed quite well among these shortlists. One expected nominee missing here is “Jay Kelly,” which was a presumed shoo-in for its large cast, spot-on casting of young actors, and its presumed safe Best Picture spot. Is Noah Baumbach’s film in trouble?
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Ballad of a Small Player”
“Bugonia”
“Die My Love”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“Nouvelle Vague”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Song Sung Blue”
“Sound of Falling”
“Train Dreams”
“Wicked: For Good”
“Song Sung Blue,” what are you doing here? It’s safe to say that Amy Vincent’s work on Craig Brewer’s Neil Diamond-infused film wasn’t anywhere near people’s expected lists. Nevertheless, the film joins a fairly eclectic list. The expected Best Picture contenders made it, like “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners,” while some films whose buzz had seemed to fade got a boost, like “Die My Love” and “Ballad of a Small Player.” The Cinematography branch often nominates non-English language films, and “Sentimental Value,” “Sirât,“ and “Sound of Falling“ could be among their picks this year. Additionally, “Nouvelle Vague“ received a mention here, the sole black-and-white film on the list. Continuing a sad trend on today’s lists, “Jay Kelly“ is one of the few surprising exemptions here. Additionally, anyone dreaming of “Resurrection“ as this year’s “cool as hell“ nomination will find their hopes dashed.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
“The Alabama Solution”
“Apocalypse in the Tropics”
“Coexistence, My Ass!”
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Cover-Up”
“Cutting through Rocks”
“Folktales”
“Holding Liat”
“Mr. Nobody against Putin”
“Mistress Dispeller”
“My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow”
“The Perfect Neighbor”
“Seeds”
“2000 Meters to Andriivka”
“Yanuni”
Despite winning the cursed Critics’ Choice Documentary Award, “The Perfect Neighbor” remains alive, as many predict it will go on to win the Oscar in this category. Additionally, “My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow,” which has gotten a significant boost in recent days after winning the Gotham Award, NYFCC, and LAFCA, secured a spot on the list. It’s a good sign for the five-hour-long documentary. Notably missing from the list: “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk,” “Orwell 2+2=5,” and “The Tale of Silyan,” which also missed the International Feature shortlist.
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Argentina, “Belén”
Brazil, “The Secret Agent”
France, “It Was Just an Accident”
Germany, “Sound of Falling”
India, “Homebound”
Iraq, “The President’s Cake”
Japan, “Kokuho”
Jordan, “All That’s Left of You”
Norway, “Sentimental Value”
Palestine, “Palestine 36”
South Korea, “No Other Choice”
Spain, “Sirât”
Switzerland, “Late Shift”
Taiwan, “Left-Handed Girl”
Tunisia, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
To no one’s surprise, all five of NEON’s contenders made it through to the final round here: “Sentimental Value,” “The Secret Agent,” “No Other Choice,” “Sirât,” and “It Was Just an Accident.” All three Palestinian stories submitted to the Academy this year also made it through: “All That’s Left of You,” “Palestine 36,” and “The Voice of Hind-Rajab.” Right now, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” seems to have the most buzz of the three and could easily find its way into the final lineup. Notable misses from this shortlist include “The Tale of Silyan,” which also missed the Documentary shortlist, and Iceland’s “The Love That Remains.” Otherwise, this is a fairly unsurprising lineup. Can NEON truly secure all five nominations? It’s incredibly unlikely, but which one will miss? It’s not going to be “Sentimental Value” or “It Was Just an Accident,” while “The Secret Agent” could also make it into Best Picture. “Sirât” had a stunning showing among these shortlists today, so it seems to have significant support. Does that leave “No Other Choice” as the weakest among them?
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
“The Alto Knights”
“Frankenstein”
“Kokuho”
“Marty Supreme”
“Nuremberg”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sinners”
“The Smashing Machine”
“The Ugly Stepsister”
“Wicked: For Good”
As they do every year, the Makeup and Hairstyling branch kept things interesting. “The Alto Knights,” which you’d be forgiven for forgetting even existed, landed here, alongside a very fantastic mention for “The Ugly Stepsister.” “Wicked: For Good” continued its domination, not missing a single possible category among the shortlists. The “Kokuho” mention is notable, as the Japanese film also made it to the International Feature list. Otherwise, the expected contenders stuck around, like “Frankenstein,” “Sinners,” “The Smashing Machine,” and “Marty Supreme.” The biggest tell among the misses: no “Weapons.” While the film made it into Casting, a solid sign for Amy Madigan’s chances, this should’ve been a reasonably safe spot for the film to appear. Not great for those banking on a Madigan nomination, though the race is far from over.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“Bugonia”
“Captain America: Brave New World”
“Diane Warren: Relentless”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Hedda”
“A House of Dynamite”
“Jay Kelly”
“Marty Supreme”
“Nuremberg”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Train Dreams”
“Tron: Ares”
“Truth and Treason”
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”
“Wicked: For Good”
Angel Studios is likely celebrating its first-ever shortlist mention with the surprising “Truth and Treason” finding its way onto the list. Also unexpected is the mention for “Diane Warren: Relentless,” which of course also landed on the shortlist for Original Song. Among the expected notices for the Best Picture contenders, like “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another,” “Marty Supreme,” and “Frankenstein,” we see the only shortlist mention of “Jay Kelly,” perhaps too little too late. “Hamnet,” which had skirted eligibility issues due to preexisting music, still made it into this final stage and could receive Max Richter’s first nomination. Similarly, “The Testament of Ann Lee” was deemed eligible but missed this lineup, as well as all the other shortlists today. While Disney and Marvel mounted a campaign for Michael Giacchino’s score from “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” the branch recognized “Captain America: Brave New World” instead. Additionally, this is the first year since the shortlists were reintroduced without an animated film on the list.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from “Tron: Ares”
“Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless”
“Dream As One” from “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“Drive” from “F1”
“Dying To Live” from “Billy Idol Should Be Dead”
“The Girl In The Bubble” from “Wicked: For Good”
“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters”
“Highest 2 Lowest” from “Highest 2 Lowest”
“I Lied To You” from “Sinners”
“Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” from “Sinners”
“No Place Like Home” from “Wicked: For Good”
“Our Love” from “The Ballad of Wallis Island”
“Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from “Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!”
“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”
Goodbye, “The Testament of Ann Lee.” You deserved better. Daniel Blumberg’s “Clothed By The Sun” didn’t make it onto this list, essentially ending that film’s Oscar chances outside of Amanda Seyfried. In a banner year for original songs in film, the expected heavy hitters all made it to this shortlist. Two songs from both “Sinners” and “Wicked: For Good” made it here, along with the possible winner, “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters.” Nick Cave’s “Train Dreams” stuck around, as did the title track from “Highest 2 Lowest.” Sara Bareilles’ “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from the shortlisted documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light” showed up as well. And what would an Original Song lineup be without Diane Warren? This time, she’s shortlisted for a documentary about herself, “Diane Warren: Relentless,” which is also on the Original Score lineup. Perhaps the most surprising mention here is “Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from the little-seen documentary “Viva Verdi!” Ultimately, with “Clothed By The Sun” sadly left off, the nominees seem fairly clear: “Golden,” “I Lied To You,” “The Girl in the Bubble,” “Train Dreams,” and “Dear Me.” But will there be a surprise?
SOUND
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”
“Superman”
“Wicked: For Good”
“Wicked: For Good” truly was unstoppable on these shortlists. There wasn’t much at all surprising among the Sound shortlist. “Sirât” could be a very cool nominee, and the film certainly found plenty of support among these branches today. Sadly, A24’s “Warfare,” which featured some of the most intense soundwork of the year, was left off the list, the only true snub of this category. Music-driven films like “Sinners,” “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” and “Wicked: For Good” made it in, while “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” showed up, two years after receiving the first-ever nominations for the franchise. This is an expected list, which frankly makes narrowing it down a bit tougher. Expect love for “F1” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” here, among the stronger Best Picture contenders.
VISUAL EFFECTS
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“The Electric State”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Jurassic World Rebirth”
“The Lost Bus”
“Sinners”
“Superman”
“Tron: Ares”
“Wicked: For Good”
Despite Marvel missing the shortlist for the first time (2020 excluded) since 2009, MCU mainstays, the Russo brothers, still found a way onto this list with “The Electric State.” Elsewhere, there aren’t many surprises to be found here, with “Avatar: Fire and Ash” as the expected winner, Best Picture nomination or not. “The Lost Bus,” a film that had fizzled out upon release, made a comeback to land here. Additionally, every “Jurassic World” film has landed on the shortlist, even though none have been nominated since 1997. “Sinners,” “Frankenstein,” and possibly “Wicked: For Good” are the likely Best Picture nominees among this shortlist, so does that mean they’re getting in? Well, that’s not guaranteed at all, but it’s pretty rare for the final nominees not to include any Best Picture nominees.
Overall, it was a great day for “Wicked: For Good,” “Sirât,” “One Battle After Another,” and “Sinners,” while a pretty rough day for “The Testament of Ann Lee” and “Jay Kelly.” Even so, we’ve still got several weeks until the nominations are here, so a lot could still change.
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