LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The awards season frontrunner "Lincoln" finished among the 282 feature films which were qualified as possible contenders in the race for best picture honor in the 85th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Friday.
In addition to the Steven Spielberg's bio-pic about the 16th U. S. president, other films which have been well-reviewed or well- received at box office have also won a pass to the next stage of race.
Tentpoles including the romantic drama "Silver Linings Playbook, " Ben Affleck's political thriller "Argo," Ang Lee's fantasy "Life OF Pi," the 23rd James Bond film "Skyfall," Kathryn Bigelow's latest directorial work "Zero Dark Thirty," Denzel Washington's vehicle "Flight" and Tom Hooper's musical "Les Miserables" were also named, along with teenage female-skewing vampires-and-wolves romantic drama "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2," French- language romantic drama "Amour" and the British drama "Anna Karenina."
This year's number of eligible films is 17 more than the last year. To be eligible for the consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight of Dec. 31, with a minimum run of seven consecutive days.
Peter Jackson's latest fantasy film, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" which premiers this week, and films such as box office hit "Taken 2" starring Liam Neeson, Walt Disney Animation's "Wreck- It Ralph," Quentin Tarantino's western "Django Unchained" and indie film "Beasts Of the Southern Wild" also made the list.
The Academy will shortlist up to 10 films from the roster in contention for the Academy Awards' top honor. The nominations will be announced Jan. 10 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 85th Academy Awards will be held Feb. 24 in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.