A host of exciting movie releases are lined up for this fall and many of them are being praised as strong contenders for the Oscars next year.

Enstars put together a list of all the must-watch films this season, some of which are also feeding the Oscar buzz. After premiere screenings at festivals like the Toronto Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, and the ongoing New York Film Festival, some of these films are already being lauded as being Oscar-worthy by the critics.

Unfortunately, a few potential winners like Nicole Kidman's Grace of Monaco, and Foxcatcher missed the Oscar train as their release dates were pushed.

From the list of films releasing this fall that qualify for being nominated for the Academy Awards, the Steve McQueen-directed 12 Years a Slave seems to be a frontrunner. The film was a critic's favorite at TIFF, and is already being unofficially regarded as an Oscar nominee.

This might also be a great year for George Clooney, who has three spectacular films lined-up for release: Gravity, The Monuments Men, and August: Osage County. Clooney is starring in Gravity and The Monuments Men, which he also co-produce and co-wrote, and has produced the Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts starrer, August: Osage County.

August: Osage County is most likely to get a nod from the Academy for performances by Streep and Roberts. Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity is being considered as a sure nominee for best film.

The media has also started laying its bets on the stellar collaboration of Leonardo DiCarpio and Martin Scorsese with The Wolf of Wall Street, even before it's premiere.

The other big title this year is American Hustle which stars Oscar winner Jennifer Lawarence, and Oscar nominees Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper.

Other films that are driving the speculation mill include the Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis, Alexander Payne's Nebraska, and Paul Greengrass' Captain Phillips. Multiple-Oscar Award-winner Tom Hanks' performance in Captain Phillips might earn him another nomination this year. His contenders are expected to be Chiwetel Ejiofer (Twelve Years a Slave), Robert Redford (All Is Lost), and DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street).

Cate Blanchett also seems to have secured a spot with her performance in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine earlier this year, and the critics would be quite disappointed if that nomination doesn't come through for her. Along with Streep and Roberts, she is expected to compete with Sandra Bullock (Gravity) and Judi Dench (Philomena) in the best actress category.

The nominations for the 86th Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 16 2014.

Here's the list of upcoming film releases, with trailers:

Oct. 4

Gravity: Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney; Directed by Alfonso Cuaron


Metallica Through the Never: Starring Metallica


Oct. 11

Captain Phillips: Starring Tom Hanks; Directed by Paul Greengrass

The Fifth Estate: Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Bruhl; Directed by Bill Condon


Oct. 18

All is Lost: Starring Robert Redford, Directed by J.C. Chandor

12 Years a Slave: Starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor; Directed by Steve McQueen


Oct. 25

The Counselor: Starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem; Directed by Ridley Scott

Nov. 1

Ender's Game: Starring Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, and Harrison Ford; Directed by Gavin Hood


Nov. 15

The Wolf of Wall Street: Starring Leonardo DiCaprio; Directed by Martin Scorsese


Nov. 22

Nebraska: Starring Bruce Dern and Will Forte; Directed by Alexander Payne

Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth; Directed by Francis Lawrence


Oldboy: Starring Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen; Directed by Spike Lee

Dec. 6

Inside Llewyn Davis: Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan; Directed by the Coen Brothers


Dec. 13

American Hustle: Starring Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, and Jennifer Lawrence; Directed by David O'Russell

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Orlando Bloom; Directed by Peter Jackson


Dec. 18

The Monuments Men: Starring Matt Damon and George Clooney; Directed by Clooney

Dec. 20

Foxcatcher: Starring Channing Tatum and Steve Carrell; Directed by Bennett Miller

Anchorman 2: Starring Will Ferrell, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, and Kristen Wiig; Directed by Adam McKay


Dec. 25

August: Osage County: Starring Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep; Directed by John Wells

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Starring Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig; Directed by Stiller

Dec. 27

Lone Survivor: Starring Mark Wahlberg and Ben Foster; Directed by Peter Berg

Jan. 10

Her: Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johannson; Directed by Spike Jonze

Tags
Oscars