The Oscar Shortlists are Here!

by Cláudio Alves

Like Scorsese's film, SOCIETY OF THE SNOW got into four different shortlists.

AMPAS has announced shortlists for ten categories, from International Feature to Makeup and Hairstyling. One can deduce plenty from the results, seeing what films overperform and which titles don't meet expectations. Well, at least that's true for the more general races. In something like International Feature, one can surmise other things, like the Academy's European bias, or how some titles are popular enough to make it there and Best Documentary. All in all, this should shake up predictions beyond these ten prizes, so there's much to analyze. After the jump, discover the complete lists and some additional commentary…

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE  

• 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, Ukraine
• AMERIKATSI, Armenia
• FALLEN LEAVES, Finland
• FOUR DAUGHTERS, Tunisia
• GODLAND, Iceland
• IO CAPITANO, Italy
• THE MONK AND THE GUN, Bhutan
• THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES, Morocco
• PERFECT DAYS, Japan
• THE PROMISED LAND, Denmark
• SOCIETY OF THE SNOW, Spain
• THE TASTE OF THINGS, France
• THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE, Germany
• TÓTEM, Mexico
• THE ZONE OF INTEREST, United Kingdom

The most shocking thing about this list is how unsurprising it is. Sure, there are some notable misses like Australia's Shayda, Turkey's About Dry Grasses, South Korea's Concrete Utopia, and North Macedonia's Housekeeping for Beginners. However, all the expected contenders are here, still vying for the prize. 

As ever, one must note how European the list is. Armenia, Bhutan, and Japan represent Asia, though that last title is a German coproduction helmed by Wim Wenders. Morocco and Tunisia make up the African presence, and Tótem is the only film from the Americas. 2023 was a fantastic year for Latin American cinema, but you wouldn't know it by looking at this list.

Quotas probably aren't the solution, but something should be done about a discrepancy that ends up influencing international distribution and the film's visibility. I love this category and follow it every year, so I'm especially invested in seeing it improve, diversify, and become a better look at world cinema excellence.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

• 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
• AMERICAN SYMPHONY
• 32 SOUNDS
• APOLONIA, APOLONIA
• BEYOND UTOPIA
• BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE'S PRESIDENT
• DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY
• THE ETERNAL MEMORY
• FOUR DAUGHTERS
• GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT
• IN THE REARVIEW
• STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING
• STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE
• A STILL SMALL VOICE
• TO KILL A TIGER

As always, there are surprise inclusions here, along with some surprising snubs. Apolonia, Apolonia and Desperate Souls strike me as exciting additions to the shortlist, along with In the Rearview. One wonders if two documentaries about the war in Ukraine will split votes – there's also 20 Days in Mariupol. In terms of absent titles, there's Peck's Silver Dollar Road and Morris' The Pigeon Tunnel, Wenders' Anselm, the much-beloved Little Richard: I am Everything and Lakota Nation vs United States. 

Having recently seen it, I'm sad that Smoke Sauna Sisterhood didn't make it here. Indeed, from many pictures competing for this and the International Feature award, only the submissions from Ukraine and Tunisia made it to both lists. The Mother of All Lies would have been a nice inclusion here, too.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

• Jon Batiste, AMERICAN SYMPHONY
• Kris Bowers, THE COLOR PURPLE
• Jerskin Fendrix, POOR THINGS
• Michael Giacchino, SOCIETY OF THE SNOW
• Ludwig Göransson, OPPENHEIMER
• Joe Hisaishi, THE BOY AND THE HERON
• Laura Karpman, AMERICAN FICTION
• Mica Levi, THE ZONE OF INTEREST
• Thomas Newman, ELEMENTAL
• Mark Orton, THE HOLDOVERS
• Daniel Pemberton, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
• Robbie Robertson, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
• Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, BARBIE
• John Williams, INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
• Anthony Willis, SALTBURN

For a branch that's always been stingy with honoring films full of songs and pre-existing material, this list is a radical departure from the status quo. American Symphony, Barbie, and The Color Purple are the surprises in that sense. Beyond them, the inclusion of Saltburn and The Holdovers is also notable, signaling that the former may not be so derided within AMPAS as within certain critics groups and that the latter is one of the season's absolute favorites. The biggest surprise, absence-wise, is that branch golden boys Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat didn't get in with any of their 2023 scores.

John Williams' nomination feels pretty secure, along with Göransson. Apart from those two, a lot could happen. Personally, I'm rooting for Joe Hisaishi to get his first Oscar nomination.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• AMERICAN SYMPHONY, "It Never Went Away"
• ASTEROID CITY, "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)"
• BARBIE, "Dance the Night"
• BARBIE, "I'm Just Ken"
• BARBIE, "What Was I Made For?"
• THE COLOR PURPLE, "Keep It Movin'"
• THE COLOR PURPLE, "Superpower"
• FLAMIN' HOT, "The Fire Inside"
• FLORA AND SON, "High Life"
• FLORA AND SON, "Meet In the Middle"
• THE HUNGER GAMES; THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES, "Can't Catch Me Now"
• KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)"
• PAST LIVES, "Quiet Eyes"
• RUSTIN, "Road to Freedom"
• SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, "Am I Dreaming" 

Get ready for another Diane Warren nomination and a massive showing for Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon on nomination morning. That the pink fantasy got its three songs into the shortlist isn't that unexpected, but the Scorsese flick's presence marks a swell of universal support bound to result in countless nods. Interestingly, multiple films have more than one song here. People predicting a poor showing for The Color Purple may want to reconsider. 

When it comes to those tunes bumped out of the competition, this list becomes quite interesting. Wish was utterly ignored, which is unusual for Disney animated musicals. As was The Little Mermaid, for that matter. Then there's Wonka, whose disappointment might signal a lack of support for that holiday treat.

Ultimately, the biggest mystery from this category will be what Barbie song will get snubbed. According to Academy rules, only two can be nominated, even if they get enough votes for three nods.

BEST SOUND

• BARBIE
• THE CREATOR
• FERRARI
• THE KILLER
• KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
• MAESTRO
• MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
• NAPOLEON
• OPPENHEIMER
• THE ZONE OF INTEREST 

This is a deserving shortlist across the board, with only Barbie standing out due to frontrunner fever. The Killer and Ferrari, in particular, feel like that kind of inspired single nomination that the sound branch sometimes delivers. The Zone of Interest would make an unusual nominee, but it'd also be a genius pick from AMPAS.

The Color Purple not being here is notable, but one guesses that the music-focused slots went to the Mattel dream and Maestro. Other brow-raising absences are Poor Things and the Spider-Man movie.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS 

• THE CREATOR
• GODZILLA MINUS ONE
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
• INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
• MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
• NAPOLEON
• POOR THINGS
• REBEL MOON – PART ONE: A CHILD OF FIRE
• SOCIETY OF THE SNOW
• SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

The Spider-Man movie could be on its way to becoming the third animated film ever nominated for Visual Effects. Godzilla Minus One is surging at the right time, and, along with Society of the Snow, it could become the rare non-English nominee. Regarding absences, rejecting the latest Transformers is odd considering the branch's history. One should also note that Guardians and Spider-Man are the only superhero movies, meaning Aquaman, Ant-Man, and The Marvels were all thoroughly rebuked. 

I'll be mourning the lack of Dungeons & Dragons for a while and wondering what on earth will take the gold with Oppenheimer ineligible. Poor Things will get a boost as a Best Picture contender, but will it be enough?

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

• BEAU IS AFRAID
• FERRARI
• GOLDA
• KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
• THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER
• MAESTRO
• NAPOLEON
• OPPENHEIMER
• POOR THINGS
• SOCIETY OF THE SNOW 

Biopics and true stories dominate as expected, but including horror-adjacent cinema is a welcome surprise. I expect that Society of the Snow will be nominated as the prestigious international title this branch so often loves to recognize.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's record-breaking achievement is the big snub, showing that the Academy might have run out of patience with Disney after their annus horribilis. Beyond the inter-galactic heroes, other notable exclusions are Barbie, NYAD, The Iron Claw, and The Color Purple.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

• 27
• BOOM
• EEVA
• HUMO (SMOKE)
• I'M HIP
• A KIND OF TESTAMENT
• KOERKORTER (DOG APARTMENT)
• LETTER TO A PIG
• NINETY-FIVE SENSES
• ONCE UPON A STUDIO
• OUR UNIFORM
• PACHYDERM
• PETE
• WAR IS OVER! INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF JOHN & YOKO
• WILD SUMMON

Just when I was counting Disney out, they managed to show up again. The studio is the all-time champion in this category's history, so watch out for a nomination.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM 

• THE ABCS OF BOOK BANNING
• THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCK
• BEAR
• BETWEEN EARTH & SKY
• BLACK GIRLS PLAY: THE STORY OF HAND GAMES
• CAMP COURAGE
• DECIDING VOTE
• HOW WE GET FREE
• IF DREAMS WERE LIGHTNING: RURAL HEALTHCARE CRISIS
• ISLAND IN BETWEEN
• THE LAST REPAIR SHOP
• THE LAST SONG FROM KABUL
• NAI NAI & WÀI PÓ
• OASIS
• WINGS OF DUST 

Even though I'm usually unaware of the short film races, I've seen campaigning for The Barber of Little Rock and The Last Repair Shop. It wouldn't surprise me if they made it to the final nominations.

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM 

• THE AFTER
• THE ANNE FRANK GIFT SHOP
• AN AVOCADO PIT
• BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES
• DEAD CAT
• GOOD BOY
• INVINCIBLE
• INVISIBLE BORDER
• KNIGHT OF FORTUNE
• THE ONE NOTE MAN
• RED, WHITE AND BLUE
• THE SHEPHERD
• STRANGE WAY OF LIFE
• THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR
• YELLOW

Big names don't always succeed in this category. Even so, one must assume the Ben Whishaw-starring Good Boy, Almodóvar's Strange Way of Life, and Wes Anderson's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar will benefit from their larger profiles compared to their competition.

RELATED READING:

• Nathaniel's Oscar Predictions
• Oscar Volleys for Makeup, Original Song & International Feature 

Comments

[Philip H.]

Was definitely surprised to see Priscilla miss in hair and makeup, even with biopics dominating, and on the heels of Elvis mania last year. That tells me Cailee Spainey definitely has no shot (not that I thought she did, outside of being a very dark horse).

[Travis C]

Disappointed for my country's SHAYDA. But watch out for Iceland and GODLAND, a movie I have been championing for months and quietly thinking could be an out-of-nowhere contender. It's one of the best filsm of the year IMO.

[Wae Mest]

Isn't Frederick Wiseman's snub pretty major? Then again, they've never nominated him in the past somehow...

[Richter Scale]

While I didn't think it would be shortlisted, I'm bummed they skipped over "Camp Isn't Home" from Theater Camp (I watched the movie recently and couldn't stop laughing, and I adored this spin on the inspirational final song). I still have to listen to several of the songs, and even get a refresher on some from films I did see, though right now I'll be rooting for What Was I Made For (I'm not the biggest fan of Barbie, but if the film had fulfilled the promise of that song, I'm sure I would have loved it).

Also really happy that Mexico is shortlisted (I watched Tòtem recently and found it quite devestating... and I am a fan of Lila Avilés from The Chambermaid).

[Kris]

Why oh why did the snub the PGA award nominee Smoke sauna sisterhood in the docs category.
And no Chile, no Poland, no Australia…instead a weird, although touching Armenia, that as a film is not TOP15 material.
I would not want to diversify the international category by forcing to have a quota per part of the world…instead it should be more natural, for example by diversifying the voters or something like that. But I do like the 1 film per country rule..:otherwise it would only be the bigger countries with more films ruling the category.

[Frank Zappa]

Early predix:

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
FALLEN LEAVES
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW
THE TASTE OF THINGS
THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE
THE ZONE OF INTEREST

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
AMERICAN SYMPHONY
STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE
DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY
GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
AMERICAN SYMPHONY
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
POOR THINGS
OPPENHEIMER

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
BARBIE, "I'm Just Ken"
BARBIE, "What Was I Made For?"
THE COLOR PURPLE, "Keep It Movin'"
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)"
RUSTIN, "Road to Freedom"

BEST SOUND
BARBIE
MAESTRO
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
OPPENHEIMER
THE ZONE OF INTEREST

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
GODZILLA MINUS ONE
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
POOR THINGS
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
FERRARI
MAESTRO
OPPENHEIMER
POOR THINGS
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW

[Fabio Dantas Flappers]

Is "Maestro"s Score ineligible?

[Sad Man]

I can't wait for "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" to be performed live on Oscar night. All 7 minutes of it. LOL

Society of the Snow deserves the special effects nod. The crash scene is spectacular. The makeup is also great.

[Finbar McBride]

Disney’s Once Upon a Studio has been promoted tirelessly on the Disney Channel and landed a prime time network showing. The animated short is sweet. The gathering of iconic Disney characters appeals to all with its nostalgia.

On the other hand, Disney’s live action short contender The Shepherd is an overproduced story that lost its appeal when we grew beyond campfires and spooky tales. I suspect John Travolta’s heavy presence will generate a grossly undeserved nomination..

[Gallavich]

I started to panic when I didn't read 'The Boy and the Heron'. Then I realized that was the short animated category <3

[Robert G]

Now that I’ve seen Poor Things, I’m all on board for the makeup and special effects nominations. The background matting is stunning. Like, I know those skies and distant flying ships couldn’t be real, but it sure made it look like they were. And that unhinged score pulling from Rites of Spring rhythm and dissonance? Perfection.

[Evan]

Hot take perhaps, but I don't think the European bias in this year's International Feature shortlist is unjustified. The high-profile European films that I saw this year were mostly great. The high-profile non-European films were more mixed. Loved Japan and Mexico and thought Bhutan was sweet, but of course they made it. I only really lament the absence of Argentina, whose poetic rhythms would have been a struggle for AMPAS no matter how geographically open-minded they were.

The bigger concern to me is that voting changes in this category have turned it into yet another marketing battle. The voters used to be assigned titles to view, and they rated each of them. The best rated made the shortlist. Now they're still assigned titles, but they vote for their favorites of any titles they happen to have seen, inside or outside their allotment. The result is that everyone sees (and might vote for) the buzzy titles whereas only quintile of the voters are seeing (and might vote for) the underdogs in the race. All of the films listed above had buzz-- even Armenia, probably the most surprising inclusion, was having celebrity-led screenings in NY and LA. Going forward, films from underrepresented countries will basically have to appear at a major festival, securing a good distribution deal, in order to make this list. And that's sad to me, as shock nominations for Mauritanian or Peruvian or (Kaouther Ben Hania's own) Tunisian films were part of the fun.

[Adrian S-G]

Was the score for Past Lives eligible? I thought the movie benefited SO much from its music. Disappointed not to see its composers here!

[Ad_Mil]

All the European films honored this year are absolutely spotless and should be on the list. Watch out for Godland come nomination morning - it's breathtaking.

[Tony L]

Would love to see Society of the Snow getting all 4 nominations and showing up in larger ones - possibly breaking into Picture and Director - would be a great shake up that this Oscar season desperately needs.

[Peggy Sue]

Shortlists are so tacky. You're in, you're out. Yikes. I know, I know, they're here to stay. Everybody loves them and their good for clicks and shit.

Ad_Mil -- What a movie. Really hope it goes all the way.