The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has narrowed the race for its Achievement in Visual Effects Oscar to 15 films. As had been expected, most of the films were in the fantasy genre, with several 3D films included. The films that are in the running include (in alphabetical order): “Captain America: The First Avenger”, “Cowboys & Aliens”, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”, “Hugo,; “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, “Real Steel”, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”, “Sucker Punch”, “Super 8”, “Thor”, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”, “The Tree of Life” and “X-Men: First Class”. Nominations will be announced in late January.