20 films vie for animated Oscar

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Twenty movies were submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 82nd Academy Awards, it was announced in Los Angeles Wednesday.

Oscar nominations are to be revealed Feb. 2 in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, organizers said. The winners are to be announced March 7 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network.

The 20 features submitted for the animated Oscar are "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," "Astro Boy," "Battle for Terra," "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Disney's A Christmas Carol,"

"The Dolphin -- Story of a Dreamer," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," "Mary and Max," "The Missing Lynx," "Monsters vs. Aliens," "9," "Planet 51," "Ponyo," "The Princess and the Frog," "The Secret of Kells," "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure," "A Town Called Panic" and "Up."

"Alvin and the Chipmunks," "The Dolphin," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Planet 51," "The Princess and the Frog," "The Secret of Kells" and "A Town Called Panic" have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run, organizers said.

Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and meet all of the category's other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process.

Under the rules for this category, a maximum of five features can be nominated in a year in which the field of eligible entries numbers at least 16.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.