321 Features vie for Oscars, but only 266 for Best Picture

by Cláudio Alves

Though a likely Best Visual Effects nominee, THE CREATOR is ineligible in the Best Picture race.

While we're still recovering from last night's Golden Globes (yay, Lily Gladstone!), the Academy has released its final eligibility lists pertaining to most categories outside the music, shorts, and specialized feature ones. Overall, 321 films will vie for Hollywood's little golden men. However, only 266 can compete for the Best Picture honor, a first in Oscar history. Such productions as Godland, Mami Wata, The Creator, The Marvels, and the new Ant-Man movie are out of the running. This year marks the start of RAISE - Academy Representation and Inclusion Standards – to whom films must submit a confidential form to guarantee Best Picture eligibility…

While some excluded titles may have failed to meet those standards, many simply opted out of consideration. Reading over the RAISE guidelines, The Marvels and Mami Wata pass, which means this must have been a decision made by producers and/or distributors. We can deduce that this happened to multiple contenders, so hold your horses before accusing RAISE of blocking major films from consideration in the name of diversity. You can find more about the 96th Academy Awards rules here. 

As for the Best Picture-eligible titles, here they are: 

• ABOUT DRY GRASSES
• AFIRE
• AIR
• ALL DIRT ROADS TASTE OF SALT
• ALL OF US STRANGERS
• ALTERED PERCEPTIONS
• THE AMAZING MAURICE
• AMERICA, WE SALUTE THE MILITARY
• AMERICAN FICTION
• AMERICAN SYMPHONY
• AMERICA'S FAMILY
• ANATOMY OF A FALL
• ANSELM
• ANYONE BUT YOU
• AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM
• ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET
• ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE
• ASTEROID CITY
• AT THE GATES
• BABY RUBY
• BAD PRESS
• BARBIE
• THE BEANIE BUBBLE
• BEAU IS AFRAID
• BEFORE THE SUNSET
• BELLA!
• BEYOND UTOPIA
• BIG GEORGE FOREMAN
• BIOSPHERE
• BLACKBERRY
• THE BLACKENING
• BLUE BEETLE
• BLUE JEAN
• BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE'S PRESIDENT
• BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER
• BOTTOMS
• THE BOY AND THE HERON
• THE BOYS IN THE BOAT
• BROTHER
• THE BURIAL
• CANDY CANE LANE
• CARLOS
• CARMEN
• CASSANDRO
• CHAMPIONS
• CHEVALIER
• CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET
• COCAINE BEAR
• THE COLOR PURPLE
• A COMPASSIONATE SPY
• CORNER OFFICE
• COUNTRY OF BLIND
• CREATION OF THE GODS I: KINGDOM OF STORMS
• CREED III
• DALÍLAND
• DEEP SEA
• THE DEEPEST BREATH
• DICKS: THE MUSICAL
• THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE
• DREAM SCENARIO
• DREAMIN' WILD
• DRIFT
• DUMB MONEY
• DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
• EARTH MAMA
• THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS
• 80 FOR BRADY
• EILEEN
• EL CONDE
• ELEMENTAL
• THE END WE START FROM
• ENYS MEN
• THE EQUALIZER 3
• THE ETERNAL MEMORY
• EVERY BODY
• EVIL DEAD RISE
• THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER
• FAIR PLAY
• FALLEN LEAVES
• FAST X
• FERRARI
• FINGERNAILS
• FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S
• FLAMIN' HOT
• THE FLASH
• FLORA AND SON
• FOE
• FOR THE ANIMALS
• FREMONT
• FREUD'S LAST SESSION
• GODZILLA MINUS ONE
• GOLDA
• GOLDEN VANITY
• GOOD GRIED
• A GOOD PERSON
• GRAN TURISMO
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
• GUY RITCHIE'S THE COVENANT
• A HAUNTING IN VENICE
• HEART OF STONE
• THE HOLDOVERS
• HOUSE PARTY
• HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE
• THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES
• IMMEDIATE FAMILY
• IN VIAGGIO: THE TRAVELS OF POPE FRANCIS
• INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
• INFINITY POOL
• INSIDE
• THE INVENTOR
• INVISIBLE BEAUTY
• THE IRON CLAW
• IT AIN'T OVER
• IT LIVES INSIDE
• JACOB THE BAKER
• JOAN BAEZ: I AM NOISE
• JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
• JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM
• JOY RIDE
• JULES
• THE KILLER
• KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
• KING COAL
• THE KITCHEN
• KNOCK AT THE CABIN
• KOKOMO CITY
• LA CHIMERA
• LA SYNDICALISTE
• LAKOTA NATION VS. UNITED STATES
• LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HAND
• THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER
• THE LEAGUE
• LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND
• LEO
• THE LESSON
• LET US MAKE EVE
• THE LITTLE MERMAID
• LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING
• LONESOME SOLDIER
• LOST COS
• LOVE AGAIN
• MAESTRO
• MAFIA MAMMA
• MAGIC MIKE'S LAST DANCE
• THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT
• MASTER GARDENER
• MAY DECEMBER
• MEG 2: THE TRENCH
• M3GAN
• MEMORY
• MIGRATION
• A MILLION MILES AWAY
• THE MIRACLE CLUB
• MIRANDA'S VICTIM
• THE MISSION
• MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONINC PART ONE
• MR. JIMMY
• MONICA
• MONSTER
• MOVING ON
• MUTT
• MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3
• MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE
• NAPOLEON
• THE NEXT BIG HIT
• NEXT GOAL WINS
• NIMONA
• NO HARD FEELINGS
• THE NUN II
• NYAD
• OCCUPIED CITY
• OF AN AGE
• ONCE WITHIN A TIME
• ONLINE BLUES
• OPPENHEIMER
• ORIGIN
• ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY
• OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL
• OUR SON
• PAIN HUSTLERS
• PALM TREES AND POWER LINES
• PASSAGES
• PAST LIVES
• PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE
• THE PEASANTS
• PERFECT DAYS
• THE PERSIAN VERSION
• THE PIGEON TUNNEL
• THE POD GENERATION
• POLITE SOCIETY
• POOR THINGS
• PRISCILLA
• THE PROMISED LAND
• R.M.N.
• RADICAL
• REBEL MOON – PART ONE: A CHILD OF FIRE
• RENFIELD
• REPTILE
• THE ROAD DOG
• ROBOT DREAMS
• ROSE
• THE ROYAL HOTEL
• RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN
• RUSTIN
• SALTBURN
• SANCTUARY
• SAVING ANA
• SCRAPPER
• SCREAM VI
• SHARPER
• SHAYDA
• SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS
• SHE CAME TO ME
• SHELTER IN SOLITUDE
• SHORTCOMINGS
• SHOWING UP
• SILVER DOLLAR ROAD
• SIMÓN
• SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE
• 65
• SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD
• SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING
• SOCIETY OF THE SNOW
• SOMEWHERE IN QUEENS
• SOUND OF FREEDOM
• SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
• SPINNING GOLD
• STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING
• THE STARLING GIRL
• STATICA
• STEPHEN CURRY: UNDERRATED
• STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE
• STORY AVE
• STRAYS
• THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE
• SUZUME
• SWEETWATER
• TALK TO ME
• THE TASTE OF THINGS
• THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE
• TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM
• TETRIS
• THEATER CAMP
• THEY CLONED TYRONE
• 32 SOUNDS
• A THOUSAND AND ONE
• TORI AND LOKITA
• TÓTEM
• TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS
• TROLLS BAND TOGETHER
• 12TH FAIL
• 2018: EVERYONE IS A HERO
• UNCHARITABLE
• THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY
• WALID
• WAR PONY
• WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD
• WHAT HAPPENS LATER
• WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD
• WILDFLOWER
• THE WIND & THE RECKONING
• WISH
• WONKA
• YOSHIKI: UNDER THE SKY
• YOU HURT MY FEELINGS
• THE ZONE OF INTEREST

And these are the films eligible in most categories but NOT Best Picture: 

• AMANDA
• ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA
• AS WE KNOW IT
• BLUE GIANT
• BUTCHER'S CROSSING
• CANARY
• CHANG'AN
• COMMON GROUND
• CONCRETE UTOPIA
• THE CREATOR
• DOSTOJEE
• ERNEST & CELESTINE: A TRIP TO GIBBERITIA
• THE FACE OF THE FACELESS
• THE FIRST SLAM DUNK
• FOOL'S PARADISE
• FULL CIRCLE
• GODLAND
• GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT
• HADIK
• HERE. IS. BETTER.
• THE HILL
• THE HOME FAIRY
• IN THE COMPANY OF ROSE
• JOE HALADIN: THE CASE OF THE MISSING SISTER
• KNIGHTS OF SANTIAGO
• LIFT
• LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR
• LYVIA'S HOUSE
• MAMI WATA
• THE MARVELS
• MIRACULOUS LADYBUG & CAT NOIR, THE MOVIE
• THE MONKEY KING
• MOON GARDEN
• THE MOTHER
• MY SAILOR, MY LOVE
• NEFARIOUS
• 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE
• PERLIMPS
• PRISONER'S DAUGHTER
• REBEL
• SIMONE, WOMAN OF THE CENTURY
• SISU
• A SONG FILM BY KISHI BASHI – OMOIYARI
• STATE OF THE UNITY
• TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR
• THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER
• THIS MUCH WE KNOW
• TITINA
• 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
• UNICORN WARS
• WARRIOR KING
• WE DARE TO DREAM
• WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS?
• WILD BEAUTY: MUSTAND SPIRIT OF THE WEST
• YOUR FAT FRIEND

If you're on Letterboxd and want to keep track of which eligible films you've watched, I curated a list for that very purpose. You can find it here. 

Some fantastic films that won't be eligible for any categories despite getting 2023 releases include various past Best International Film submissions, all of Virginie Efira's many projects, and the likes of Bait, Jack's Ride, Law of Tehran, Love Life, New Religion, Nightsiren, Pacifiction, Pornomelancholia, Return to Dust, Shall I Compare You to a Summer's Day?, So Foul a Sky, Trenque Lauquen, and Will-o'-the-Wisp. I acknowledge a lot of these are obscure, but I love every one of them. 

What about you, dear reader? What do you think of these lists, and what absences do you mourn the most?

Comments

[Ryan T.]

I see Taylor Swift's concert film is eligible for non-BP categories... so why isn't Beyonce's RENAISSANCE film? Probably the best editing in any movie I saw last year, not that they'd ever even longlist a concert film for that award probably.

[BJT]

2 Independent Spirit nominees sadly taken out of the acting races (neither completely surprising or had any chance).

Judy Reyes in 'Birth/Rebirth' - no sign of a UK release yet, is the film all I've heard it is?

Catalina Saavedra on 'Rotting in the Sun' - there's a parallel universe where the academy goes for Sebastián Silva's comic mystery, I wish I was there.

[Robert G]

Ryan T, it has to mean Beyonce's team did not submit for Renaissance but Taylor's team did for The Eras Tour. I agree with the editing. Renaissance is my win for that category.

[Craig Miller]

Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken should get a best picture nomination. And also for best editing, best score, and best original song: This Moment by Mimi Webb. Is this is confirmed. This would be the nationwide tv debut of Mimi Webb. It definitely won’t get best animated feature, due to a crowd race.

Rare Objects is another option, for best picture, best director, best adaptative screenplay and best supporting actress: Katie Holmes.

[Rob Y]

You may want to check the Oscar website. They have 266 films eligible for BP. It seems that Dumb Money is on the eligible list.

[Cláudio Alves]

Rob Y -- Thank you for the correction. I've updated the article to reflect that information :)