The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the full list of films eligible for the 98th Academy Awards across Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature categories, setting the stage for an intensely competitive awards season.
Netflix’s global blockbuster KPop Demon Hunters emerges as one of the most prominent contenders in the Best Animated Feature race. Despite building its reputation as a streaming sensation, the film earned Oscar eligibility through a qualifying theatrical run in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco earlier this year. It leads a diverse slate of 35 animated titles that includes Disney’s Elio and Zootopia 2, Neon’s Arco, GKids’ Little Amelie or the Character of Rain, Crunchyroll/Sony’s anime entries Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc, as well as India’s record-breaking hit Mahavatar Narsimha. Notably, China’s highly anticipated Ne Zha 2 is absent from the list.
The documentary feature category has seen an unprecedented 201 submissions this year — the highest among all categories. The Academy’s documentary branch will vote on these titles to determine a 15-film shortlist to be announced on December 16, which will later be narrowed to five nominees ahead of the final Oscars lineup.
The international feature film race showcases 86 entries from across the globe, representing wide-ranging cinematic voices and storytelling traditions. Among the prominent contenders are India’s Homebound, Norway’s Sentimental Value, Spain’s Sirat, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, France’s It Was Just an Accident, Tunisia’s The Voice of Hind Rajab, and the United Kingdom’s My Father’s Shadow.
Several films, including 2000 Meters to Andriivka, are competing simultaneously in both the documentary and international categories.
Fans of KPop Demon Hunters are also watching closely to see whether its hit track Golden secures a nomination in the Best Original Song category. Final nominations for all Oscar categories will be announced on January 22, ahead of the 98th Academy Awards ceremony, which will air live on March 15.
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