Fox Searchlight doesn’t have a lot, but it has one of the biggest contenders of the year.

12 Years a Slave

Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, Adepero Oduye, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard
Director: Steve McQueen
Premise: From IMDb: “In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.”
Oscar Chances: Excellent: It’s already assured a number of nominations in major categories and is well positioned to knock out several Oscar firsts, including the first Best Director Oscar to a black director.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas)
• Best Director (Steve McQueen)
• Best Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor)
• Best Supporting Actor (Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti)
• Best Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o, Adepero Oduye, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (John Ridley)
• Best Cinematography (Sean Bobbitt)
• Best Original Score (Hans Zimmer)
• Best Film Editing (Joe Walker)
• Best Production Design (Adam Stockhausen, Alice Baker)
• Best Original Song (“My Lord, Sunshine” – NIcholas Britell)
• Best Costume Design (Patricia Norris)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Ma Kalaadevi Ananda, Adruitha Lee)
• Best Sound Mixing (Kirk Francis, Leslie Shatz, Ryan Collins)
• Best Sound Editing (Ryan Collins, Robert C. Jackson)

Rotten Tomatoes:
96% (8.9 average rating) (188 critics; as of 11/26/13)
Metacritic:
97 out of 100 (46 critics; as of 11/26/13)