This week saw a number of groups sending screeners. The Orchard sent five; Amazon Studios sent five; DreamWorks/Universal sent one; Fox Searchlight sent one; Focus Features sent one; The Weinstein Company sent one; and DreamWorks/20th Century Fox sent one.

Christine

Oscar Chances: None: While Rebecca Hall has received excellent notices, the Best Actress category is filled to overflowing with potential nominees, making her chances insignificant.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Melody C. Roscher, Craig Shilowich)
• Best Director (Antonio Campos)
• Best Actress (Rebecca Hall)
• Best Supporting Actor (Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts)
• Best Original Screenplay (Craig Shilowich)

The Dressmaker

Oscar Chances: None: The film was big in Australia, but it was a dud in the United States, making it very difficult to earn recognition from the Academy.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Sue Maslin)
• Best Director (Jocelyn Moorhouse)
• Best Actress (Kate Winslet)
• Best Supporting Actress (Judy Davis, Sarah Snook)
• Best Supporting Actor (Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Jocelyn Moorhouse, P.J. Hogan)
• Best Cinematography (Donald McAlpine)
• Best Editing (Jill Bilcock)
• Best Production Design (Roger Ford, Lisa Thompson)
• Best Costume Design (Marion Boyce, Margot Wilson)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Shane Thomas)
• Best Original Score (David Hirschfelder)
• Best Sound Editing (Glenn Newnham)
• Best Sound Mixing (Andrew Ramage, Chris Goodes)

The Girl on the Train

Oscar Chances: None: It might have been considered a contender once upon a time. Then people saw it.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Marc Platt, Jared LeBoff)
• Best Director (Tate Taylor)
• Best Actress (Emily Blunt)
• Best Supporting Actor (Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Darren Goldstein)
• Best Supporting Actress (Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Allison Janney, Lisa Kudrow, Laura Prepon)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Erin Cressida Wilson)
• Best Cinematography (Charlotte Bruus Christensen)
• Best Film Editing (Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland)
• Best Production Design (Kevin Thompson, Susan Bode Tyson)
• Best Costume Design (Michelle Matland, Ann Roth)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Bernadette Mazur, Donald A. Kozma, Alan D’Angerio, Stanley Tines)
• Best Sound Mixing (Danny Michael, Scott Millan, Gregg Rudloff)
• Best Sound Editing (Paul Urmson)
• Best Visual Effects (Mitchell Ferm, Jeff Brink)
• Best Original Score (Danny Elfman)

Gleason

Oscar Chances: Unknown: I don’t know enough about the film to qualify its chances. I haven’t read much chatter on it, so I doubt it’s much of a contender.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Seth Gordon, Kimi Culp, Scott Fujita, Mary Rohlich, Tom Lavia, Thomas McEachin, Kevin Lake)
• Best Documentary Feature (Clay Tweel, Seth Gordon, Kimi Culp, Scott Fujita, Mary Rohlich, Tom Lavia, Thomas McEachin, Kevin Lake)
• Best Director (Clay Tweel)
• Best Editing (Clay Tweel)
• Best Cinematography (David Lee, Ty Minton-Small)
• Best Original Score (Dan Romer, Saul Simon MacWilliams)
• Best Sound Editing (Rich Larimore)
• Best Sound Mixing (Mark Rozett, James Scullion)

The Handmaiden

Oscar Chances: None: The obscure and unusual subject matter might be sufficient for the Foreign Language Feature category, I doubt that it will make the case for itself.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Park Chan-Wook, Syd Lim)
• Best Director (Park Chan-Wook)
• Best Editing (Kim Sang-Bum, Kim Jae-Bum)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Chung Seo-Kyung, Park Chan-Wook)
• Best Costume Design (Cho Sang-Kyung)
• Best Production Design (Ryu Seong-Hee)
• Best Cinematography (Chung Chung-Hoon)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Song Jong-Hee)

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Oscar Chances: None
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Carthew Neal, Matt Noonan, Leanne Saunders, Taika Waititi)
• Best Director (Taika Waititi)
• Best Actor (Julian Dennison, Sam Neill)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Taika Waititi)
• Best Original Score (Lukasz Pawel Buda, Samuel Scott, Conrad Wedde)

Jackie

Oscar Chances: Excellent: Not only is Natalie Portman guaranteed a nomination, her chances of winning are quite high. If it weren’t for the prior Oscar win, she’d be unstoppable. As for the rest of the film, it could make a play in Production Design and Costume Design, possibly even Original Score, but the bigger categories like Picture and Director are more iffy and Original Screenplay could happen, but I’m not excited about its prospects.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Juan De Dios Larrain, Darren Aronofsky, Mickey Liddell, Scott Franklin, Ari Handel)
• Best Cast (Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Hurt, Richard E. Grant, Caspar Phillipson, John Carroll Lynch, Seth Grant, Max Casella)
• Best Director (Pablo Larrain)
• Best Original Screenplay (Noah Oppenheim)
• Best Actress (Natalie Portman)
• Best Supporting Actor (Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Crudup, John Hurt)
• Best Supporting Actress (Greta Gerwig)
• Best Film Editing (Sebastian Sepulveda)
• Best Cinematography (Stephane Fontaine)
• Best Production Design (Jean Rabasse, Veronique Melery)
• Best Costume Design (Madeline Fontaine)
• Best Sound Mixing (Vincent Cosson)
• Best Sound Editing (David Miranda)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Catherine Leblanc Caraes, Miwood Kim, Odile Fourquin)
• Best Original Score (Mica Levi)
• Best Visual Effects (Sebastien Rame, Nicolas Rey, Thomas Duval, Tomas Roca)

Kubo and the Two Strings

Oscar Chances: Excellent: It’s chances for a nomination are astronomically high, and if it’s nominated, a win might be in the cards. Unfortunately, it has Moana as competition.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Animated Feature (Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight)
• Best Director (Travis Knight)
• Best Original Screenplay (Marc Haimes, Chris Butler, Shannon Tindle)
• Best Cinematography (Frank Passingham)
• Best Film Editing (Christopher Murrie)
• Best Production Design (Nelson Lowry, Alice Bird, Kieron Thomas, Jesse Gregg)
• Best Costume Design (Deborah Cook)
• Best Sound Editing (Clayton Weber, Tim Chau, Thomas O’Neil Younkman)
• Best Sound Mixing (Tim Chau, Tim LeBlanc)
• Best Visual Effects (Steve Emerson)
• Best Original Score (Dario Marianelli)

Life, Animated

Oscar Chances: Unknown: I’m not familiar enough with the subject matter to speak to its chances. I have read light chatter about the film, so it could be nominated, or at the very least, shortlisted.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Documentary (Roger Ross Williams, Julie Goldman)

Lion

Oscar Chances: Excellent: I’m resistant to the film’s potential as it seems like such a bland story, but early word is positive and The Weinstein Company needs the resurgence this film could provide.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture 9Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Angie Fielder)
• Best Directing (Garth Davis)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Luke Davies)
• Best Actor (Sunny Pawar)
• Best Supporting Actor (Dev Patel, David Wenham, Divian Ladwa)
• Best Supporting Actress (Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara)
• Best Cinematography (Greig Fraser)
• Best Film Editing (Alexandre De Franceschi)
• Best Production Design (Chris Kennedy, nicki Gardiner, Seema Kashyap)
• Best Costume Design (Cappi Ireland)
• Best Make-up and Hairstyling (Zeljka Stanin)
• Best Original Score (Duston O’Halloran, Hauschka)
• Best Original Song (“Never Give Up” – Sia Fuller, Greg Kurstin)
• Best Sound Editing (Robert Mackenzie, Glenn Newnham, James Ashton)
• Best Sound Mixing (Robert Mackenzie, Steve Burgess)
• Best Visual Effects (Julian Dimsey)

Manchester by the Sea

Oscar Chances: Good: After recent sexual assault allegations came forward regarding Casey Affleck, the film’s Oscar hopes diminished slightly. However, the film has already been seen and by all accounts it’s actually quite good (compared to Birth of a Nation which received tepid praise in some circles). The film is sure to be a prime contender in several categories, but Affleck’s Best Actor chances may have been forever dashed.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck, Kevin J. Walsh)
• Best Director (Kenneth Lonergan)
• Best Original Screenplay (Kenneth Lonergan)
• Best Actor (Casey Affleck)
• Best Supporting Actor (Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges)
• Best Supporting Actress (Michelle Williams)
• Best Cinematography (Jody Lee Lipes)
• Best Film Editing (Jennifer Lame)
• Best Original Score (Lesley Barber)
• Best Production Design (Ruth De Jong, Florencia Martin)
• Best Costume Design (Melissa Toth)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Frank Barbossa, Liz Bernstrom)
• Best Sound Mixing (Kevin Parker, Jacob Ribicoff, Roland Vajs)
• Best Sound Editing (Jacob Ribicoff)

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble

Oscar Chances: Unknown: I’m not certain about this film’s chances. I haven’t read much support for it, though.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Documentary (Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers)

The Neon Demon

Oscar Chances: None
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Lene Borglum, Sidonie Dumas, Vincent Maraval)
• Best Director (Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws, Polly Stenham)
• Best Actress (Elle Fanning)
• Best Supporting Actress (Jena Malone)
• Best Supporting Actor (Keanu Reeves, Karl Glusman, Desmond Harrington)
• Best Original Song (“Waving Goodbye” – Andrew Swanson, Sia Furler, Thomas Pentz)
• Best Original Score (Cliff Martinez)
• Best Cinematography (Natasha Braier)
• Best Costume Design (Erin Benach)
• Best Production Design (Elliott Hostetter, Adam Willis)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Erin Ayanian Monroe, Shandra Page-Edwards)
• Best Editing (Matthew Newman)
• Best Sound Editing (Eddie Simonsen, Anne Jensen)
• Best Sound Mixing (Robert Eber, Eddie Simonsen, Anne Jensen)
• Best Visual Effects (Peter Hjorth)

Neruda

Oscar Chances: Unknown: It’s up for Best Foreign Language Film and could get nominated, but the category’s potential is murkier this year than in those previous.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Director (Pablo Larrain)
• Best Actor (Luis Gnecco)
• Best Supporting Actor (Gael Garcia Bernal)
• Best Supporting Actress (Mercedes Moran)
• Best Cinematography (Sergio Armstrong)
• Best Film Editing (Herve Schneid)
• Best Original Score (Federico Jusid)
• Best Original Screenplay (Guillermo Calderon)
• Best Production Design (Estefania Larrain)

Trolls

Oscar Chances: Uneven: There is far too much competition for Best Animated Feature this year for this one to be much of a contender, but a Best Original Song nomination seems perfectly possible.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Gina Shay)
• Best Animated Feature (Gina Shay)
• Best Director (Mike Mitchell, Walt Dohrn)
• Best Original Screenplay (Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Erica Rivinoja)
• Best Art Direction (Kendal Cronkhite-Shaindlin, Timothy Lamb)
• Best Film Editing (Nick Fletcher)
• Best Sound Mixing (Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl, Rick Kline, Myron Nettinga)
• Best Sound Editing (Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl)
• Best Visual Effects (Philippe Denis, Yancy Lindquist, Mark Fattibene, Damon Riesberg)
• Best Original Score (Christophe Beck)
• Best Original Song (“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Shellback)