Documentaries about Julia Child, “Black Woodstock,” the pandemic and The Velvet Underground and acclaimed international films like Japan’s “Drive My Car,” Iran’s “A Hero” and Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World” just got a little closer to scoring Oscar nominations.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday Wednesday unveiled its shortlists for several categories, including documentary feature, international feature, original song, original score, visual effects and makeup and hairstyling. Nominations for all categories for the 94th Oscars will be announced on Feb. 8.
Members of the documentary branch of the academy culled from 138 eligible films to pick 15 shortlist selections, including two pandemic-themed films (“In the Same Breath,” “The First Wave”), Questlove’s “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” about a near-forgotten 1969 music event, Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s “Julia” and Todd Haynes’ “The Velvet Underground.” Other notable selections are “The Rescue,” about the Thai soccer team and their rescue for a remote cave, “Procession,” “Attica” and “Flee.” “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” also made the cut.
“Flee,” an animated documentary about an Afghan refugee made by Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen was also among the films that advanced in the international feature category. Other strong contenders include Ryusuke Hamaguchi “Drive My Car,” which has been a critics group darling, Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian drama “A Hero,” Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s semi-autobiographical “The Hand of God” and Joachim Trier’s dark romantic comedy “The Worst Person in the World,” from Norway. France’s entry, “Titane,” did not make the cut despite having won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
Original songs in contention include some from major music stars like Beyoncé’s “Be Alive,” from “King Richard,” Billie Eilish’s James Bond song “No Time To Die,” Van Morrison’s “Down to Joy” from “Belfast,” U2’s “Sing 2” song, Kid Cudi and JAY-Z’s “Guns Go Bang” from “The Harder they Fall,” Brian Wilson’s “Where I Belong” and Ariana Grande’s “Don’t Look Up.”
Composers Jonny Greenwood (“The Power of the Dog,” “Spencer”) and Hans Zimmer (“Dune,” “No Time To Die”) could be in store for double original song nominations come Feb. 8. Blockbusters like “Dune” and “No Time To Die” also advanced in a number of categories including visual effects, sound and makeup and hairstyling.
Here’s a rundown of Oscar shortlists unveiled today (12/21):
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Feature category for the 94th Academy Awards. One hundred thirty-eight films were eligible in the category. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Ascension”
“Attica”
“Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”
“Faya Dayi”
“The First Wave”
“Flee”
“In the Same Breath”
“Julia”
“President”
“Procession”
“The Rescue”
“Simple as Water”
“Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”
“The Velvet Underground”
“Writing with Fire”
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 94th Academy Awards. Eighty-two films qualified in the category. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Águilas”
“Audible”
“A Broken House”
“Camp Confidential: America’s Secret Nazis”
“Coded: The Hidden Love of J. C. Leyendecker”
“Day of Rage”
“The Facility”
“Lead Me Home”
“Lynching Postcards: “Token of a Great Day””
“The Queen of Basketball”
“Sophie & the Baron”
“Takeover”
“Terror Contagion”
“Three Songs for Benazir”
“When We Were Bullies”
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Fifteen films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category for the 94th Academy Awards. Films from 92 countries were eligible in the category.
Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.
In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
Austria, “Great Freedom”
Belgium, “Playground”
Bhutan, “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”
Denmark, “Flee”
Finland, “Compartment No. 6”
Germany, “I’m Your Man”
Iceland, “Lamb”
Iran, “A Hero”
Italy, “The Hand of God”
Japan, “Drive My Car”
Kosovo, “Hive”
Mexico, “Prayers for the Stolen”
Norway, “The Worst Person in the World”
Panama, “Plaza Catedral”
Spain, “The Good Boss”
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Ten films will advance in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 94th Academy Awards. All members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited to view seven-minute excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on Sunday, January 30, 2022. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar® consideration.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Coming 2 America”
“Cruella”
“Cyrano”
“Dune”
“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
“House of Gucci”
“Nightmare Alley”
“No Time to Die”
“The Suicide Squad”
“West Side Story”
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Fifteen scores will advance in the Original Score category for the 94th Academy Awards. One hundred thirty-six scores were eligible in the category. Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The scores, listed in alphabetical order by film title, are:
“Being the Ricardos”
“Candyman”
“Don’t Look Up”
“Dune”
“Encanto”
“The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun”
“The Green Knight”
“The Harder They Fall”
“King Richard”
“The Last Duel”
“No Time to Die”
“Parallel Mothers”
“The Power of the Dog”
“Spencer”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
Fifteen songs will advance in the Original Song category for the 94th Academy Awards. Eighty-four songs were eligible in the category. Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title:
“So May We Start?” from “Annette”
“Down To Joy” from “Belfast”
“Right Where I Belong” from “Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road”
“Automatic Woman” from “Bruised”
“Dream Girl” from “Cinderella”
“Beyond The Shore” from “CODA”
“The Anonymous Ones” from “Dear Evan Hansen”
“Just Look Up” from “Don’t Look Up”
“Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto”
“Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days”
“Guns Go Bang” from “The Harder They Fall”
“Be Alive” from “King Richard”
“No Time To Die” from “No Time to Die”
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from “Respect”
“Your Song Saved My Life” from “Sing 2”
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Fifteen films will advance in the Animated Short Film category for the 94th Academy Awards. Eighty-two films qualified in the category. Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Affairs of the Art”
“Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice”
“Bad Seeds”
“Bestia”
“Boxballet”
“Flowing Home”
“Mum Is Pouring Rain”
“The Musician”
“Namoo”
“Only a Child”
“Robin Robin”
“Souvenir Souvenir”
“Step into the River”
“Us Again”
“The Windshield Wiper”
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Fifteen films will advance in the Live Action Short Film category for the 94th Academy Awards. One hundred forty-five films qualified in the category. Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation, Directors, Producers and Writers Branches vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run”
“Censor of Dreams”
“The Criminals”
“Distances”
“The Dress”
“Frimas”
“Les Grandes Claques”
“The Long Goodbye”
“On My Mind”
“Please Hold”
“Stenofonen”
“Tala’vision”
“Under the Heavens”
“When the Sun Sets”
“You’re Dead Helen”
SOUND
Ten films will advance in the Sound category for the 94th Academy Awards. Members of the Sound Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. All members of the Sound Branch will be invited to view eight-minute excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films beginning Friday, January 28, 2022. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Belfast”
“Dune”
“Last Night in Soho”
“The Matrix Resurrections”
“No Time to Die”
“The Power of the Dog”
“A Quiet Place Part II”
“Spider-Man: No Way Home”
“tick, tick…BOOM!”
“West Side Story”
VISUAL EFFECTS
Ten films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 94th Academy Awards. The Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 29, 2022. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Black Widow”
“Dune”
“Eternals”
“Free Guy”
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”
“Godzilla vs. Kong”
“The Matrix Resurrections”
“No Time to Die”
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
“Spider-Man: No Way Home”
Nominations voting begins on Thursday, January 27, 2022, and concludes on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.
Nominations for the 94th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
The 94th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland® in Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
