Los Angeles, Dec 23: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed its shortlists for the 2022 Oscars in 10 categories, which include Documentary, International Features, Documentary short subject, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Original Song, Animated Short, Live-Action Short, Visual Effects, and — Returning this Year — Sound.
Fifteen international features advanced to the list, out of the films from 92 countries that were eligible. In the end the ones that made the cut include Iran’s “A Hero”, Italy’s “Hand of God”, Japan’s “Drive My Car” and “Flee”, from Denmark. But France’s “Titane”, which won the Palme D’Or at Cannes, failed to make the shortlist.
A whopping 108 documentary features were eligible this year, and 15 advanced through the shortlist phase, including expected contenders such as “Summer of Soul”, “The Rescue”, “The Velvet Underground” and “Flee”, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Animated documentary “Flee” could become the first movie to be nominated for best feature documentary, best international feature and best animated feature— and could even make history as the first doc nominated for best picture. Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” tells an intimate story of the life of ‘Amin’ (a pseudonym), who shares his extraordinary escape from Afghanistan as a child refugee.
Jonny Greenwood was named twice on the shortlist for original score, for his work on “The Power of the Dog” and “Spencer”. Others include Hans Zimmer for “Dune”, Kris Bowers for “King Richard” and “The Harder They Fall” by Jeymes Samuel, with a total of 136 scores being eligible.
The original song shortlist is loaded with stars from the music world, including Billie Eilish (‘No Time To Die’), Beyonce (‘Be Alive’), Jay-Z (‘Guns Go Bang’), Ariana Grande (‘Just Look Up’) and U2 (‘Your Song Saved My Life’). Twelve-time nominee Diane Warren made the shortlist for ‘Somehow You Do’ from “Four Good Days”, and Lin-Manuel Miranda is in the mix for ‘Dos Oruguitas’ from “Encanto”. A total of 84 songs were eligible.
The visual effects category is back with blockbuster contenders that were largely absent in last year’s race. Due to the pandemic, which caused several delays making film houses postpone their releases, with 2021 being the first time since 2009 that the VFX shortlist didn’t contain even one Marvel movie.
But this year’s list includes Marvel titles “Black Widow”, “Shang Chi” and “Eternals” as well as Sony/Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home”. Incidentally, 2004’s “Spider-Man 2” was the last superhero movie to win an Oscar in visual effects. This year, the 10 shortlisted titles will be featured in the VFX branches’ annual bake-off, involving 10-minute excerpts and interviews with the contenders, on January 29, before branch members vote on the five nominees.
This year the Sound Branch reinstated its bake-off and shortlist, which includes “Dune”, “A Quiet Place Part II”, “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “West Side Story”. The branch will be invited to view eight-minute excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films beginning January 28 before voting on the category nominees.
The Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will additionally participate in a bake-off, slated for January 30, during which branch members are invited to view seven-minute excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films. Nominations voting runs from January 27 to February 1, and nominations will be announced on February 8. The 94th Oscars are slated to be held March 27 at the Dolby Theatre.
