2019 Oscars Unveil Shortlists in Documentary and Foreign Film Categories

Roma Makes the Oscars Shortlist
Marco Graf as Pepe, Daniela Demesa as Sofi, Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo, Marina De Tavira as Sofia, Diego Cortina Autrey as Toño, and Carlos Peralta Jacobson in ‘Roma’ (Photo by Carlos Somonte)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences just announced the films that have advanced onto the shortlists in select Oscar categories including Documentary Feature and Foreign Language Film. Films still in contention for spots in the 2019 Oscars Documentary Short Subject, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, and Visual Effects categories were also announced by the Academy.

The shortlists in the nine categories were accompanied by explanations on the voting process for these specific categories. The Academy also confirmed how many films were initially submitted and found eligible for consideration.

Nominees will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars will take place on Sunday, February 24th, with the awards show once again set to be held at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, CA. ABC will broadcast the show which currently doesn’t have a host after the Kevin Hart controversy.

The following lists and category details are courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences:

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Feature category for the 91st Academy Awards. One hundred sixty-six films were originally submitted in the category. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

    “Charm City”
    “Communion”
    “Crime + Punishment”
    “Dark Money”
    “The Distant Barking of Dogs”
    “Free Solo”
    “Hale County This Morning, This Evening”
    “Minding the Gap”
    “Of Fathers and Sons”
    “On Her Shoulders”
    “RBG”
    “Shirkers”
    “The Silence of Others”
    “Three Identical Strangers”
    “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Ten films will advance in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 91st Academy Awards. One hundred four films had originally qualified in the category. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

    “Black Sheep”
    “End Game”
    “Lifeboat”
    “Los Comandos”
    “My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes”
    “A Night at the Garden”
    “Period. End of Sentence.”
    “’63 Boycott”
    “Women of the Gulag”
    “Zion”

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. Eighty-seven films had originally been considered in the category.

Los Angeles-based Academy members from all branches screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and December 10. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist. Academy members eligible to participate in the Nominations round of voting will view the shortlisted films. Members must see all nine films before casting their ballots.

    Colombia, “Birds of Passage”
    Denmark, “The Guilty”
    Germany, “Never Look Away”
    Japan, “Shoplifters”
    Kazakhstan, “Ayka”
    Lebanon, “Capernaum”
    Mexico, “Roma”
    Poland, “Cold War”
    South Korea, “Burning”

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Seven films will advance in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 91st Academy Awards. All members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films on Saturday, January 5, 2019. Members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar® consideration.

    “Black Panther”
    “Bohemian Rhapsody”
    “Border”
    “Mary Queen of Scots”
    “Stan & Ollie”
    “Suspiria”
    “Vice”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Fifteen scores will advance in the Original Score category for the 91st Academy Awards. One hundred fifty-six scores were eligible in the category. Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

    “Annihilation”
    “Avengers: Infinity War”
    “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
    “Black Panther”
    “BlacKkKlansman”
    “Crazy Rich Asians”
    “The Death of Stalin”
    “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”
    “First Man”
    “If Beale Street Could Talk”
    “Isle of Dogs”
    “Mary Poppins Returns”
    “A Quiet Place”
    “Ready Player One”
    “Vice”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

Fifteen songs will advance in the Original Song category for the 91st Academy Awards. Ninety songs were eligible in the category. Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

    “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
    “Treasure” from “Beautiful Boy”
    “All The Stars” from “Black Panther”
    “Revelation” from “Boy Erased”
    “Girl In The Movies” from “Dumplin’”
    “We Won’t Move” from “The Hate U Give”
    “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
    “Trip A Little Light Fantastic” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
    “Keep Reachin’” from “Quincy”
    “I’ll Fight” from “RBG”
    “A Place Called Slaughter Race” from “Ralph Breaks the Internet”
    “OYAHYTT” from “Sorry to Bother You”
    “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
    “Suspirium” from “Suspiria”
    “The Big Unknown” from “Widows”

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Ten films will advance in the Animated Short Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. Eighty-one films had originally qualified in the category. Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

    “Age of Sail”
    “Animal Behaviour”
    “Bao”
    “Bilby”
    “Bird Karma”
    “Late Afternoon”
    “Lost & Found”
    “One Small Step”
    “Pépé le Morse”
    “Weekends”

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Ten films will advance in the Live Action Short Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. One hundred forty films had originally qualified in the category. Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

    “Caroline”
    “Chuchotage”
    “Detainment”
    “Fauve”
    “Icare”
    “Marguerite”
    “May Day”
    “Mother”
    “Skin”
    “Wale”

VISUAL EFFECTS

Ten films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 91st Academy Awards. The Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 5, 2019. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

    “Ant-Man and the Wasp”
    “Avengers: Infinity War”
    “Black Panther”
    “Christopher Robin”
    “First Man”
    “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”
    “Mary Poppins Returns”
    “Ready Player One”
    “Solo: A Star Wars Story”
    “Welcome to Marwen”