Oopsie. In the Holiday rush we forgot to share one of the most important lists, the list of which films can be nominated for Oscars (in regular categories -- speciality categories like "best foreign language film" having their own rules). Every year the list is a wee bit odd if you really take a deep dive at it because it's filled with movies you haven't heard of as well as missing a few movies you have. Why is that? Because the list is made up of films which met two requirements.
1) Each film played for a week long engagement in Los Angeles that you could buy tickets to like you would any movie (i.e. not a festival engagement alone) and...
2) Films which did that and then ALSO submitted paperwork to the Academy to be eligible.
The most important film that is missing this year (apparently due to requirement #2) is acclaimed Aquarius starring Sonia Braga. Of films I personally saw in movie theaters or noted when they came out in movie theaters that weren't submitted the list is mostly foreign and indie though there are strange cases where wide releases didn't submit either. Another section of films that's often missing from these lists are films which were submitted for Oscar's foreign race the year prior but were not nominated and then released in the current calendar year when they theoretically would be eligible for any category BUT foreign film according to Oscar rules. ANYWAY. Of those missing films that could have been eligible there's no: Bang Gang: A Love Story, Best Worst Thing That Ever Happened, El Clan, El Club , The Family Fang, Glassland, Gods of Egypt, Lazy Eye, Morris From America (which got a Spirit nomination for Craig Robinson), Transpecos, and Under the Shadow and so on. The full eligible list is after the jump...
THE ABOLITIONISTS
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS THE MOVIE
THE ACCOUNTANT
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
ALLIED
ALMOST CHRISTMAS
ALWAYS SHINE
AMERICAN HONEY
AMERICAN PASTORAL
AMERICAN WRESTLER: THE WIZARD
THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE
ANTHROPOID
APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD
ARMENIA, MY LOVE
ARRIVAL
ASSASSIN’S CREED
AUDRIE & DAISY
AUTHOR: THE JT LEROY STORY
AUTUMN LIGHTS
THE BFG
BAD MOMS
BAD SANTA 2
BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT
BARRY
BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
BEAUTIFUL PAIN
BEFORE THE FLOOD
BEING 17
BELIEVE
BEN-HUR
A BIGGER SPLASH
BILAL
BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK
THE BIRTH OF A NATION
BLEED FOR THIS
BORN TO BE BLUE
THE BOSS
THE BOY
BRIDGET JONES’S BABY
THE BRONZE
BROTHER NATURE
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
CAFE SOCIETY
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
CEMETERY OF SPLENDOR
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
CERTAIN WOMEN
THE CHARNEL HOUSE
CHEVALIER
CHIEF ZABU
THE CHOICE
CHRISTINE
CITIZEN SOLDIER
CITY OF GOLD
CLOSET MONSTER
COLLATERAL BEAUTY
THE COMEDIAN
COMPLETE UNKNOWN
CONFESSIONS OF A WOMANIZER
THE CONJURING 2
CREATIVE CONTROL
CRIMINAL
CROSSCURRENT
CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY
DANCER
DARK HORSE
DEADPOOL
DEEPWATER HORIZON
DEMOLITION
DENIAL
DESIERTO
DOCTOR STRANGE
DOG EAT DOG
DON’T BREATHE
DON’T THINK TWICE
DREAMLAND
THE DRESSMAKER
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS
EAT THAT QUESTION – FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS
ECHO PARK
EDDIE THE EAGLE
THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN
EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO
ELLE
ELVIS & NIXON
EQUITY
EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!
EVERYTHING IS COPY – NORA EPHRON: SCRIPTED & UNSCRIPTED
EYE IN THE SKY
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
FENCES
THE 5TH WAVE
FINDING DORY
THE FINEST HOURS
FIRE AT SEA
THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY
THE FITS
FIVE NIGHTS IN MAINE
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
FLOYD NORMAN: AN ANIMATED LIFE
THE FOREST
THE FOUNDER
FREE STATE OF JONES
FROM AFAR
FRONT COVER
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING
GENIUS
GHOSTBUSTERS
GIMME DANGER
GIRL ASLEEP
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
GLEASON
GOLD
GREATER
GREEN ROOM
HACKSAW RIDGE
HAIL, CAESAR!
THE HANDMAIDEN
HANDS OF STONE
HARDCORE HENRY
HELL OR HIGH WATER
HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS
HIDDEN FIGURES
HIGH-RISE
HILLSONG – LET HOPE RISE
THE HOLLARS
A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING
HOW TO BE SINGLE
HOW TO LET GO OF THE WORLD AND LOVE ALL THE THINGS CLIMATE CAN’T CHANGE
HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE
THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR
I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO
I, DANIEL BLAKE
I SAW THE LIGHT
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE
IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE
INDIGNATION
INFERNO
THE INVITATION
IS THAT A GUN IN YOUR POCKET?…
ITHACA
JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK
JACKIE
JASON BOURNE
JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY
JULIETA
THE JUNGLE BOOK
KEANU
KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES
KEVIN HART: WHAT NOW?
KICKS
THE KIND WORDS
KINGSGLAIVE FINAL FANTASY XV
KNIGHT OF CUPS
KRISHA
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
KUNG FU PANDA 3
LA LA LAND
LAND OF MINE
LANDFILL HARMONIC
LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT
L’ATTESA
THE LEGEND OF BEN HALL
THE LEGEND OF TARZAN
THE LENNON REPORT
LIFE, ANIMATED
LIFE ON THE LINE
THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS
LIGHTS OUT
LION
LITTLE MEN
THE LITTLE PRINCE
LIVE BY NIGHT
THE LOBSTER
LONDON HAS FALLEN
LONDON ROAD
LONG WAY NORTH
LOUDER THAN BOMBS
LOVE & FRIENDSHIP
THE LOVE WITCH
LOVING
MS DHONI – AN UNTOLD STORY
MA MA
MAGGIE’S PLAN
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
A MAN CALLED OVE
MAN DOWN
THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
MASCOTS
MAX ROSE
ME BEFORE YOU
THE MEASURE OF A MAN
THE MEDDLER
MEN & CHICKEN
MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI
MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES
MILES AHEAD
MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN
MISS HOKUSAI
MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN
MISS SHARON JONES!
MISS SLOANE
MR. CHURCH
MOANA
MONEY MONSTER
MONKEY KING: HERO IS BACK
THE MONKEY KING 2
A MONSTER CALLS
MOONLIGHT
MORGAN
MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS
MUNE
THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2
MY GOLDEN DAYS
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING
THE NEON DEMON
NERUDA
NEVER SURRENDER
THE NICE GUYS
NINA
NO LETTING GO
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
NOW YOU SEE ME 2
O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA
OFF THE RAILS
OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY
OLYMPIC PRIDE, AMERICAN PREJUDICE
100 YEARS: ONE WOMAN’S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
ORDINARY WORLD
OTHER PEOPLE
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR
THE OTTOMAN LIEUTENANT
OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL
OUR KIND OF TRAITOR
OUR LAST TANGO
OUR LITTLE SISTER
OUTLAWS AND ANGELS
PASSENGERS
PATERSON
PATRIOTS DAY
PEE-WEE’S BIG HOLIDAY
PELE: BIRTH OF A LEGEND
PETE’S DRAGON
PHANTOM BOY
THE PHENOM
PO
POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING
PRESENTING PRINCESS SHAW
PRICELESS
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES
THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR
QUEEN MIMI
QUEEN OF KATWE
RACE
THE RED PILL
THE RED TURTLE
THE REMAKE
REPARATION
RIDE ALONG 2
RISEN
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
RULES DON’T APPLY
THE SALESMAN
SARBJIT
SAUSAGE PARTY
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
SHADOW WORLD
THE SHALLOWS
THE SIEGE OF JADOTVILLE
SILENCE
SILICON COWBOYS
SILVER SKIES
SING
SING STREET
SNOWDEN
SNOWTIME!
SOLD
SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU
SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR
SPA NIGHT
STAR TREK BEYOND
STORKS
SUICIDE SQUAD
SULLY
SUMMERTIME
SUNSET SONG
SWISS ARMY MAN
SWORN VIRGIN
A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS
TALLULAH
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
10 DAYS IN A MADHOUSE
THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST – MALIAN MUSIC IN EXILE
THINGS TO COME
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI
13TH
37
TONI ERDMANN
TOO LATE
TOUCHED WITH FIRE
TOWER
TROLLS
20TH CENTURY WOMEN
25 APRIL
TWO WEEKS TO GO
THE UNCONDEMNED
VALLEY OF LOVE
VEERAM-MACBETH
VIGILANTE DIARIES
WAR DOGS
WARCRAFT
WE ARE X
WEINER
WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT
WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
WHITE GIRL
WHY HIM?
WIENER-DOG
THE WITCH
WITHIN
WOLVES AT THE DOOR
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
THE YOUNG MESSIAH
YOUR NAME.
ZERO DAYS
ZOOLANDER 2
ZOOTOPIA