Oscar Shortlist Predictions

Tomorrow, ten shortlists for the Academy Awards will be revealed. I’ve always enjoyed this announcement, especially since it gives me an idea of the films that I need to track down and start screening ahead of nominations. Fortunately, there’s plenty of time this year, with more than six weeks until nominations are unveiled. I haven’t made official predictions in the past, but here are my bets for the finalists in seven categories. I won’t attempt any guesses for the three shorts races, which I hope to get to know much more intimately once these lists are out there.

Documentary
Ailey
Ascension
Attica
Becoming Cousteau
Enemies of the State
The First Wave
Flee
Homeroom
In the Same Breath
Julia
Not Going Quietly
Procession
The Rescue
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
The Velvet Underground

International Feature
Memoria (Colombia)
Flee (Denmark)
Compartment No. 6 (Finland)
Titane (France)
Brighton 4th (Georgia)
I’m Your Man (Germany)
Lamb (Iceland)
A Hero (Iran)
The Hand of God (Italy)
Drive My Car (Japan)
Hive (Kosovo)
Prayers for the Stolen (Mexico)
The Worst Person in the World (Norway)
Leave No Traces (Poland)
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Romania)

Makeup and Hairstyling
Being the Ricardos
Cruella
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
House of Gucci
Last Night in Soho
Nightmare Alley
Respect
Spencer
The Suicide Squad

Original Score
Being the Ricardos
Benedetta
Don’t Look Up
Dune
Encanto
The French Dispatch
King Richard
The Last Duel
Last Night in Soho
Nightmare Alley
No Time to Die
Parallel Mothers
The Power of the Dog
Spencer
The Tragedy of Macbeth

Original Song
So May We Start (Annette)
Down to Joy (Belfast)
A Million Miles Away (Belle)
Right Where I Belong (Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road)
Beyond the Shore (CODA)
Every Letter (Cyrano)
Dos Oruguitas (Encanto)
Breathe (The First Wave)
Home All Summer (In the Heights)
Be Alive (King Richard)
No Time to Die (No Time to Die)
Believe (The Rescue)
Here I Am (Singing My Way Home) (Respect)
The Harder They Fall (They Harder They Fall)
Keep the Beat (Vivo)

Sound
Belfast
Cyrano
Dune
Encanto
In the Heights
The Matrix Resurrections
No Time to Die
Respect
tick, tick…BOOM!
West Side Story

Visual Effects
Black Widow
Cruella
Dune
Eternals
Free Guy
The Matrix Resurrections
Nightmare Alley
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The Tomorrow War