It's futile at this point to try and predict - as some already are doing - exactly who and what will be nominated in which specific Oscar categories in 2016, when AMPAS (the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) re-emerges from its slumber to hold the annual Academy Awards. You can, however, make a pretty good stab at which films and which Hollywood folk are going to be playing the awards game next year. All it really takes is a glance at the material, the filmmaker or the actors and their already obvious commitment to the role to guess they'll be making an attempt to get in on the awards action. On 2015's crowded plate is a whole mess of biographical pieces, inspirational true stories and heavy, timely dramas that look like safe bets (at this distance, at least). Observation of the coming year reveals that the biopic train isn't stopping in 2015, that successful and unsuccessful Oscar nominees alike like to get back on the horse quick for another go-around, and that Best Actor is again going to be the most hotly contested category in 2016. In no particular order, here are 20 films from the coming year that are going to be vying for Oscar gold in early 2016.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
