Hold on to your hats, animation fans! Because the race to the Oscars is officially ON, and this year's lineup is HUGE. A whopping 35 animated feature films are vying for a coveted nomination at the 98th Academy Awards. That's right, 35! But here's the catch... not all of them have crossed the finish line just yet. Some are still working on meeting the Academy's strict eligibility requirements, like completing their theatrical runs. Which films are still in the running to qualify? The Academy isn't saying just yet, leaving us all in suspense!
So, how does this whole process work? The Animation Branch of the Academy takes the lead, with its knowledgeable members automatically eligible to vote. But, and this is where it gets interesting, members from other Academy branches can also join in the fun, provided they commit to watching a certain number of films. It's all about ensuring that the voters are well-informed and passionate about animation. From this combined pool of voters, a shortlist of five nominees will be selected, and the winner will be revealed during the glitzy Oscars ceremony on March 16th. Think of it like a super-selective animated film club!
And this is the part most people miss... just because a film is competing for Best Animated Feature doesn't mean it can't also be nominated in other categories, including the ultimate prize: Best Picture. This means that an animated film could potentially sweep the board! Furthermore, if a country submits an animated film as its official entry for Best International Feature Film, that film is still eligible to compete in the Animated Feature category. Talk about a double threat!
Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for: the list of the 35 animated features that have qualified so far. Get ready to mark your calendars:
- Arco, Ugo Bienvenue
- The Bad Guys 2, Pierre Perifel, JP Sans
- Black Butterflies, David Baute
- Boys Go to Jupiter, Julian Glander
- Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, Tatsuya Yoshihara
- ChaO, Yasuhiro Aoki
- Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing, Hiroyuki Hata
- David, Phil Cunningham, Brent Dawes
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, Haruo Sotozaki
- Dog Man, Peter Hastings
- Dog of God, Raitis Ābele, Lauris Ābele
- Dragon Heart – Adventures Beyond This World, Isamu Imakake
- Elio, Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi
- Endless Cookie, Seth Scriver, Peter Scriver
- Fixed, Genndy Tartakovsky
- Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, Ryan Crego
- In Your Dreams, Alex Woo, Erik Benson
- KPop Demon Hunters, Maggie Kang, Chris Applehans
- The Legend of Hei 2, Jie Gu, Mtjj
- Light of the World, Tom Bancroft, John J. Schafer
- Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, Mailys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han
- Lost in Starlight, Jiwon Han
- A Magnificent Life, Sylvain Chomet
- Mahavatar Narsimha, Ashwin Kumar
- Night of the Zoopocalypse, Ricardo Curtis, Rodrigo Perez-Castro
- Olivia & las Nubes, Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat
- 100 Meters, Kenji Iwaisawa
- Out of the Nest, Andrew Gordon
- Scarlet, Mamoru Hosoda
- Slide, Bill Plympton
- The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, Derek Drymon
- Stitch Head, Steve Hudson
- The Twits, Todd Demong, Phil Johnston, Katie Shanahan
- Zootopia 2, Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Now, here's a question that's sure to spark debate: With such a diverse range of animated films in the running, from big-budget studio productions to smaller, independent projects, is the voting process truly fair? Does the Academy adequately represent the voices of all animators and animation fans? Some argue that the focus tends to be on well-known franchises, potentially overshadowing smaller, more innovative films. What do you think? Which films on this list are you rooting for, and do you believe the Academy's selection process is truly representative of the best in animation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
