The Contenders

Seems to be a whole lot of cartoons entered in this year's sweepstakes bonanza.

Nineteen films have been submitted to the Academy in the Best Animated Feature category, paving the way for a full slate of five nominees for the fifth time in the category’s 13-year existence but the fourth time in the last five years.

The films include Disney’s “Frozen,” Pixar’s “Monsters University,” DreamWorks Animation’s “The Croods,” Sony’s “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2,” Fox’s “Epic,” Universal’s “Despicable Me 2,” and the Disney-distributed “The Wind Rises” (above), the final film from Japanese animation Hayao Miyazaki.
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I wouldn't even hazard a guess regarding who might end up the winner in this derby. Maybe The Wind Rises? Because it's Miyazaki's final film?