On this episode of ACADEMY ANONYMOUS:

• "Flow" outpacing worthy challengers in a striking Animated Feature category spotlighting diverse techniques, unique voices and international reach.
• Will the financial success of "The Wild Robot" help Dreamworks cross the finish line for the win - something that's evaded them since Aardman's Wallace & Gromit in 2005
• Will we see the vote-split between international titles, "Flow" and "Memoir of a Snail"
• Will the two clay stop-motion features, "Wallace & Gromit" and "Memoir of a Snail" cancel each other out
• Can a robust nomination haul at the ANNIE awards mean that we're in for a surprise GKids nod for "Chicken for Linda"
• Can Disney's "Moana 2" use its boxoffice success to go further than "Frozen 2"
• Will Disney or Pixar be snubbed for their sequel work - as they've been in the past
• Will the lack of U.S. distribution be a factor against "No Other Land"
• National Geographic's "Sugarcane" and Netflix's "Daughters" eyeing nods and wins
• Will both or either colonialism related title, "Dahomey" and "Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat," secure a nod
• "Black Box" filmmaker may court favor with her first-hand account and powerful testimony
• Audience favorites "Will & Harper," "Porcelain War," and "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" well positioned to surprise

On this episode of ACADEMY ANONYMOUS:

• "Emilia Perez" - shoe-in and favorite to win OR shocking snub waiting to happen
• "Flow" flexes its appeal with dual mentions in International Film and Animated Film. Voters motivated to nominated Latvia for the first time in Academy history.
• "I'm Still Here" a sure-fire nominee, a massive box-office success for Brazil and a return for director Walter Salles
• Neon to secure "Seed of the Sacred Fig" among the five nominees
• "Kneecap" a strong dark horse after dominating at BAFTA
• "Vermiglio" poised to bring a female filmmaker back into International film for the first time since 2020
• UK might have a winning recipe with break-out "Santosh"
• Netflix's inter-generational Thai film "How To Make Money Before Grandma Dies" a sleeper box-office hit and huge spoiler
• Diop's "Dahomey" lands in two longlists, looking good for at least one nomination and another success story for MUBI this year
• Double entries this year from Netflix, Sony Classics, MUBI, and Janus
• Can Sony Pictures Classics return to dominant form in this category and land two films among the five nominees, "I'm Still Here" and "Kneecap." A feat they have failed to repeat since 2018.

On this episode of ACADEMY ANONYMOUS:

• How many photo-real animal work can the Visual Effects branch spotlight
• Is there room for both Weta's dystopian apes and dancing ape on the Visual Effects five
• Is the Ridley Scott name on the long list enough to carry “Gladiator 2” into a nomination
• Can “Twisters” and “Alien: Romulus” capitalize on their distinct settings and effects to distinguish themselves from the rest of the lineup
• Alex Garland looks to crash the Visual Effects category again after previously winning with “Ex-Machina” and reaping a nod from the Visual Effects Society with "Civil War"
• “Wicked” favored for a nod by pundits but not the traditional kind of work visual effects artists fall for, especially with the musical “Better Man” outperforming it at the VES
• Will Disney finally lose out on a Visual Effects nomination - their first since the category expanded in 2010? Or is Shawn Levy and his production company their “ace in the hole”?
• Can “Wicked” and “Emilia Perez" coexist in Best Sound, the first time for multiple musicals in the category since 1968
• Can one-time Best Picture favorite “Blitz” use BAFTA nod to capture at least a single nod at the Oscar
• “A Complete Unknown” to continue Sound branch’s love for musical biopics and James Mangold projects
• “Dune, Part 2” bolstered in Sound by its Visual Effects nomination
• How a spot on the VFX longlist has bolstered the chances of “Gladiator 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and “Alien: Romulus” to steal a spot as a Best Sound nominee
• Can “The Wild Robot” find favor in the Sound branch - where few animated titles and only Pixar have been before?