11 films vie for animation Oscar

Eleven films will compete for the best animated feature film Oscar for 2003, ranging from the blockbuster hit “Finding Nemo” to the French art-house favorite “The Triplets of Belleville,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced.

The academy’s board of governors voted to activate the category. Under the rules, a maximum of three films can be nominated in a year when the field of eligible entries numbers fewer than 16.

Besides “Nemo” and “Belleville,” the entries vying for those three spots are “Brother Bear,” “Jester Till (Till Eulenspiegel),” “The Jungle Book 2,” “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” “Millennium Actress,” “Piglets Big Movie,” “Pokemon Heroes,” “Rugrats Go Wild!” and “Tokyo Godfathers.”

The nominations for the 76th annual Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 27; the Oscars will be presented Feb. 29.