Soul, Mank and Da 5 Bloods are among the films that featured in some of the nine shortlists unveiled ahead of the 93rd Academy Awards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body which oversees the Oscars, released the early contenders for the so-called below-the-line categories.
Mank, David Fincher’s black-and-white ode to old Hollywood, was included on the lists for makeup and hairstyling, original score and visual effects.
Announcing the 93rd #Oscars shortlists! https://t.co/j8AtB09vsO
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 9, 2021
Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, another film considered likely to be a major Oscars contender, is also in the running for original score while Disney’s animated feel-good movie Soul made that shortlist and the visual effects one.
The documentary feature category includes 15 films.
Crip Camp, from the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions, makes the cut alongside other acclaimed entries such as Dick Johnson Is Dead, All In: The Fight for Democracy, The Painter And The Thief and Time.
The 10 documentary short subjects in the running include Abortion Helpline, This Is Lisa, Do Not Split, A Love Song For Latasha and What Would Sophia Loren Do?
Movies from 93 countries were eligible for international feature film, with 15 entries making the shortlist.
They include Denmark’s Another Round, Hong Kong’s Better Days, Guatemala’s La Llorona and Tunisia’s The Man Who Sold His Skin.
Birds Of Prey, Emma, Hillbilly Elegy, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and One Night In Miami join Mank on the 10-film shortlist for makeup and hairstyling.
Original score contenders include Ammonite, The Invisible Man, The Little Things, The Midnight Sky, Minari, Tenet and Mulan.
Diane Warren landed two tracks on the original song shortlist.
The acclaimed songwriter, who has been nominated in the category 11 times, wrote both The Life Ahead’s Lo Si (Seen) and Free from The One And Only Ivan.
Other shortlisted songs include Green from Sound Of Metal, Speak Now from One Night In Miami and Hear My Voice from The Trial Of The Chicago 7.
Wuhan Flu, the spoof from Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, is also included, as is Husavik from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga.
Taylor Swift missed out, with her track Only The Young from the Miss Americana Netflix documentary not making the cut.
Animated short film contenders include Burrow, Genius Loci and Yes-People while live-action short film hopefuls to feature include Two Distant Strangers, The Van and White Eye.
And for visual effects, 10 films made the shortlist.
They include Birds Of Prey, Bloodshot, Love And Monsters, The Midnight Sky, Mulan and Tenet.
Voting for Oscar nominations begins on March 5 and concludes on March 10, the Academy said.
It will announce the nominations on March 15.
The Oscars, which were delayed due to the pandemic, are scheduled to take place on April 25.