With 16 films eligible for Animated Feature at this year's Oscars, there can be up to five nominees. But be warned, the same scoring method that saw Best Song reduced to just two nominees four years ago, could limit this playing field as well. To reap an Oscar bid, an animated film must first pass muster with a screening committee.
As part of the ongoing process to expand the number of members who take part in the process, only half of this committee will be drawn from the 400 members of the Animated branch. This also avoids the bloc voting that has besieged the Annie Awards. And gone is the requirement that a committee member must attend at least 80% of the special Sunday screenings at the academy's Beverly Hills HQ. Rather, screeners will be allowed and voting will be done via mail rather than in person.
To take part, a member must watch at least two-thirds of the contenders - i.e., 11 of this year's 16 entries - and then assign a score to each between 10 (excellent), 8 (good), 7 (fair) and 6 (poor). Only those films that receive an average score of at least 7.5 are even eligible for nomination. That threshold has been the stumbling block for Best Song in the past.
Pixar has dominated this category since it was created in 2001, winning seven times out of nine nominations. Indeed, only two Pixar pictures have failed to earn at least a bid: "Cars 2" in 2011 and "Monsters University" last year. This year the studio has one strong contender in the already-opened "Inside Out" and another in the Thanksgiving release "The Good Dinoasaur."
DreamWorks Animation, which has "Home" in the running, has racked up two wins from 11 nominations. Among the other studios Paramount, which will be releasing "Anomalisa at year-end, and Aardman ("Shaun the Sheep Movie") have gone one for two.
Sony ("Hotel Transylvania 2") and 20th Century Fox ("The Peanuts Movie") are still looking for their first wins after two bids apiece as is one-time contender Universal ("Minions").
Which of the 16 animated feature entries, is likely to make the cut with the screening committee? Below, we consider the merits of the 12 films already released and the four upcoming titles.
After reading this recap, be sure to update your predictions for Best Animated Feature as three films that we thought would be eligible - "Extraordinary Tales, " "Strange Magic" and "Zarafa" - are not among those listed. And five new titles - "The Boy and the Beast, " "Boy and the World, " "The Laws of the Universe: Part 0, " "Moomins on the Riviera" and "Regular Show: The Movie" - are in contention.
Experts’ Rankings
Thelma Adams
Edward Douglas
Michael Hogan
Anomalisa
Inside Out
Minions
The Good Dinosaur
Editors’ Rankings
Chris Beachum
Marcus James Dixon
Rob Licuria
Best Animated Feature: Handicapping
= Odds to Win
Heartwarming tale that takes place inside the head of a sad young girl. Directed by Pete Docter.8/5
A stop-motion film about a man crippled by the mundanity of his life. Directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson.
