<span>T</span><span>he 92nd Academy Award nominations have been announced. While </span><span><em>Joker </em></span><span>leads the pack with 11 no</span><span>ds, a number of films from the Mena region are competing for the coveted Oscars. Among them, two acclaimed films from Syria will vie for Best Documentary.</span> <span>Directed by F</span><span>eras Fayyad, </span><span><em>The Cave</em></span><span> tells the story of female doctors working in Ghouta as they battle sexism and limited resources amid air strikes. Multi award-winner </span><span><em>For Sama</em></span><span>, directed by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts, was also nominated. The film, which tells </span><span>the story of Al-Kateab's time as a mother in Aleppo</span><span>,</span><span> already won the Prix L'Oeil d'Or for Best Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival </span><span>last year, and four prizes at the </span><span>British Independent Film Awards, including Best Picture.</span> <span>T</span><span>wo short films from the region will compete in the Live Action Short Film category. </span><span><em>Brotherhood</em></span><span>, by Meryam Joobeur, tells the story of a prodigal son</span><span> returning to his Tunisian family with his mysterious new bride. Also nominated is another Tunisian story, Yves Piat's </span><span><em>Nefta Football Club</em></span><span>, the tale of two brothers who encounter a missing donkey while</span><span> playing football on a makeshift pitch.</span> <span>In the category for Best Documentary Short, Carol Dysinger's </span><span><em>Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) </em></span><span>also received a nomination. The film</span><span> is about young Afghan girls learning to read, write and skateboard in Kabul.</span> <span>With Todd Philips's comic book tale </span><span><em>Joker</em></span><span> scoring 11 nominations, making it the film to beat, three other movies come close behind. Tied on 10 nominations each are Martin Scorsese's gangster picture </span><span><em>The Irishman</em></span><span>, Sam Mendes's</span><span> First World War drama </span><span><em>1917</em></span><span> and Quentin Tarantino's </span><span><em>Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood</em></span><span>.</span><span><em> </em></span><span>All four titles were nominated for Best Picture, and each will compete in the screenplay categories.</span> <span>Other films running these close include</span><span> Noah Baumbach's </span><span><em>Marriage Story</em></span><span> and Greta Gerwig's </span><span><em>Little Women</em></span><span>, which both scored six nominations, including Best Picture. Baumbach was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, while Gerwig will compete for Best Adapted Screenplay – her third Oscar nomination, </span><span>after the two received for 2017's </span><span><em>Lady Bird</em></span><span>. Both, however, missed out on a Best Director nod.</span> <span>Also with six nominations </span><span>is New Zealand director Taika Waititi's </span><span><em>Jojo Rabbit</em></span><span>, his anti-hate satire in which he plays Adolf Hitler as a figment of a boy's imagination. Also up for Best Picture, Waititi will compete with Gerwig in the Best Adapted Screenplay category, whilst Scarlett Johansson – also nominated in the Best Actress category for </span><span><em>Marriage Story</em></span><span> – is up for Best Supporting Actress.</span> <span>One of the biggest successes was Korean director's Bong Joon-ho's social satire </span><span><em>Parasite</em></span><span>, which backed up its success at the Golden Globes – where it won in the foreign language category – with six nominations. While it will be a clear favourite to scoop the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film, it went much further, with a Best Picture nomination, as well as nods for </span><span>Film Editing, </span><span>Original </span><span>Screenplay, </span><span>Directing and </span><span>Production </span><span>Design.</span> <span>Undoubtedly, there will be criticisms from some quarters, due to the lack of diversity, with actors of colour largely ignored. In the acting categories, only British black actress Cynthia Erivo was nominated – for her role as the slave-turned-freedom fighter Harriet Tubman in the film </span><span><em>Harriet</em></span><span>. She will compete against Renee Zellweger, whose turn as Judy Garland in </span><span><em>Judy</em></span><span> has made her the bookmaker's favourite.</span> <span>In the Best Actor category, Joaquin Phoenix will be the favourite for his performance in </span><span><em>Joker</em></span><span>, while there were nominations for Leonardo DiCaprio (</span><span><em>Once Upon a Time in Hollywood</em></span><span>), Adam Driver (</span><span><em>Marriage Story</em></span><span>) and first</span><span> nods for Jonathan Pryce (</span><span><em>The Two Popes</em></span><span>) and Antonio Banderas (</span><span><em>Pain and Glory</em></span><span>).</span> <span>In the </span><span>Supporting </span><span>Actor categories, Golden Globe winner Laura Dern will be the hot favourite for </span><span><em>Marriage Story</em></span><span>. There was also a first nod for British actress Florence Pugh for </span><span><em>Little Women</em></span><span> and a surprise nomination for previous Oscar winner </span><span>Kathy Bates for Clint Eastwood's </span><span><em>Richard Jewell</em></span><span>. Best Supporting Actor, meanwhile, is a gallery of riches, with five former Oscar winners: </span><span><em>The Irishman</em></span><span>'s Al Pacino and Joe Pesci; Tom Hanks (</span><span><em>A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood</em></span><span>), Brad Pitt (</span><span><em>Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood</em></span><span>) and Anthony Hopkins (</span><span><em>The Two Popes</em></span><span>).</span> <span>Among the notable nominations, veteran composer John Williams </span><span>has been nominated for a record-breaking 52nd time for his work on </span><span><em>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker</em></span><span>. British cinematographer Roger Deakins, who finally broke his Oscar duck two years ago at the </span><span>14th time of asking, when he won for </span><span><em>Blade Runner 2049</em></span><span>, now stands the chance to</span><span> win again, with a nod for his stirring work on </span><span><em>1917</em></span><span>.</span> <em>Ford v Ferrari</em> <em>The Irishman</em> <em>Jojo Rabbit</em> <em>Joker</em> <em>Little Women</em> <em>Marriage Story</em> <em>1917</em> <em>Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> <em>Parasite</em> Martin Scorsese, <em>The Irishman</em> Todd Phillips, <em>Joker </em> Sam Mendes, <em>1917</em> Quentin Tarantino,<em> Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> Bong Joon-ho, <em>Parasite</em> Cynthia Erivo, <em>Harriet</em> Scarlett Johansson, <em>Marriage Story</em> Saoirse Ronan, <em>Little Women</em> Charlize Theron , <em>Bombshell</em> Renee Zellweger, <em>Judy</em> Antonio Banderas,<em> Pain and Glory</em> Leonardo DiCaprio, <em>Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> Adam Driver,<em> Marriage Story</em> Joaquin Phoenix, <em>Joker</em> Jonathan Pryce, <em>The Two Popes</em> Kathy Bates , <em>Richard Jewell</em> Laura Dern, <em>Marriage Story</em> Scarlett Johansson, <em>Jojo Rabbit</em> Florence Pugh, <em>Little Women</em> Margot Robbie,<em> Bombshell</em> Tom Hanks, <em>A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood</em> Anthony Hopkins, <em>The Two Popes</em> Al Pacino, <em>The Irishman</em> Joe Pesci, <em> The Irishman</em> Brad Pitt, <em>Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> <em>Corpus Christi</em> (Poland) <em>Honeyland</em> (North Macedonia) <em>Les Miserables</em> (France) <em>Pain and Glory</em> (Spain) <em>Parasite</em> (South Korea) <em>American Factory</em> <em>The Cave</em> <em>The Edge of Democracy</em> <em>For Sama</em> <em>Honeyland</em> <em>Joker, </em>Hildur Gudnadottir <em>Little Women, </em>Alexandre Desplat <em>Marriage Story, </em>Randy Newman <em>1917, </em>Thomas Newman <em>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, </em>John Williams <em>I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away </em>from<em> Toy Story 4. </em>Music and lyrics by Randy Newman <em>(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again </em>from<em> Rocketman. </em>Music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin <em>I'm Standing With You </em>from<em> Breakthrough. </em>Music and lyrics by Diane Warren <em>Into the Unknown </em>from <em>Frozen 2. </em>Music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez <em>Stand Up </em>from<em> Harriet. </em>Music and lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo <em>The Irishman</em> <em>Jojo Rabbit</em> <em>Joker</em> <em>Little Women</em> <em>Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> <em>The Irishman</em> <em>Jojo Rabbit</em> <em>Joker</em> <em>Little Women</em> <em>The Two Popes</em> <em>Knives Out</em> <em>Marriage Story</em> <em>1917</em> <em>Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> <em>Parasite</em> <em>How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World</em> <em>I Lost My Body</em> <em>Klaus</em> <em>Missing Link</em> <em>Toy Story 4</em> <em>The Irishman</em> <em>Joker</em> <em>The Lighthouse</em> <em>1917</em> <em>Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> <em>Ford v Ferrari</em> <em>The Irishman</em> <em>Jojo Rabbit</em> <em>Joker</em> <em>Parasite</em> <em>Bombshell</em> <em>Joker</em> <em>Judy</em> <em>Maleficent: Mistress of Evil</em> <em>1917</em> <em>The Irishman</em> <em>Jojo Rabbit</em> <em>1917</em> <em>Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> <em>Parasite</em> <em>Ford v Ferrari</em> <em>Joker</em> <em>1917</em> <em>Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood</em> <em>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker</em> <em>Ad Astra</em> <em>Ford v Ferrari</em> <em>Joker</em> <em>1917</em> <em>Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood</em> <em>Avengers: Endgame</em> <em>The Irishman</em> <em>The Lion King</em> <em>1917</em> <em>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker</em> <em>Dcera (Daughter)</em> <em>Hair Love</em> <em>Kitbull</em> <em>Memorable</em> <em>Sister</em> <em>In the Absence</em> <em>Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)</em> <em>Life Overtakes Me</em> <em>St Louis Superman</em> <em>Walk Run Cha-Cha</em> <em>Brotherhood</em> <em>Nefta Football Club</em> <em>The Neighbors' Window</em> <em>Saria</em> <em>A Sister</em> _____________ <em>The 92nd Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 9 in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre</em>