In Pics | Oscars 2021 : Here are the nominees for 'Best Picture'

Credit: International New York TimesIn a year that saw movie theaters boarded up due to Covid-19, eight new films that did reach our screens impressed Academy voters enough that they are in contention for Hollywood's biggest award -- the Oscar for best picture. Here are the eight movies battling for the top prize at Sunday's Oscars ceremony:

The Father | Starring Anthony Hopkins and adapted by French playwright Florian Zeller from his own stage production, 'The Father' takes viewers on a terrifying voyage through the onset of dementia. | Credit: IMDb

Judas and the Black Messiah | A twist on the traditional biopic, the movie tells half of the story of slain Black Panther leader Fred Hampton from the perspective of the FBI informant who betrayed him. Credit: IMDb

Mank | The film is a black-and-white prestige drama bankrolled by Netflix that dramatises -- and heavily fictionalises -- the making of 'Citizen Kane'. | Credit: IMDb

Minari | Shot in both English and Korean, 'Minari' is in many ways a quintessential American story -- of scrappy immigrants trying to carve out a space for themselves, in this case, by growing Korean vegetables in 1980s Arkansas. | Credit: Screengrab/YouTube

Nomadland | A daring and distinctive blend of road movie, Western, drama and documentary, 'Nomadland' depicts a community of older Americans who live off the grid in run-down vans after losing everything in the global financial crisis. | Credit: IMDb

Promising Young Woman | Emerald Fennell's debut feature follows medical school dropout Cassie as she plots revenge on the former classmates responsible for the rape of her best friend.| Credit: IMDb

Sound of Metal | The indie revolves around a drummer who suffers hearing loss while also battling with addiction issues and features a sincere performance from actor Riz Ahmed. | Credit: IMDb

Chicago 7 | The political drama deals with the 1968 anti-Vietnam War protests that shook Chicago, and the police violence and bizarre trial that followed | Credit: IMDb