The first of three steps in the nominating process for the Oscars' Visual Effects category have been completed, with 15 films moving on to the next round.
The films still in contention include "Alice in Wonderland," "Inception," "Iron Man 2" and "Tron: Legacy" (left).
Along with big-scale action and effects films that generally dominate the category, the films selected by the visual effects branch also include Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island," Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter" and a few films that drew scathing reviews, including "The Last Airbender" and "Clash of the Titans."
More than half the films were screened in 3D.
The first step in the VFX process simply selects a broad range of films deemed to be worthy of consideration. Most of the films included have flashy, notable special effects, and the only conceivable competitors that might be deemed overlooked are the films that make a quieter and artier use of effects, such as the manipulation of reflected images that takes place throughout "Black Swan."
A shortlist of seven films will be chosen by the branch's executive committee in early January, and members of the branch will be invited to view 15-minute excerpts from the shortlisted films on January 20. Voting will take place after that presentation to select the final slate of five nominees, which has been expanded from three in previous years.
The nominees will be announced with the full Oscar nominations on January 25.
The films in contention:
"Alice in Wonderland"
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"
"Clash of the Titans"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1"
"Hereafter"
"Inception"
"Iron Man 2"
"The Last Airbender"
"Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief"
"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"
"Scott Pilgrim vs the World"
"Shutter Island"
"The Sorcerer’s Apprentice"
"Tron: Legacy"
"Unstoppable"
