More than 500 movies premiered in box offices this past year, but only one will win the Best Picture at the 86^th annual Academy Awards on March 2.

Just like every year, celebrities are picking out their perfect red carpet outfit to wear to the event. Reporters and journalists start lining up early to catch everyone walk into the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, where the awards take place.

Clara Livingston, senior, says, “I love all the outfits! The celebrities all look beautiful done up, and it’s just an exciting event. People really get caught up in it.”

Not only do Evanston students get excited, newspapers are perking their ears up in anticipation of the events. Mark Caro, entertainment writer for the Chicago Tribune, has been keeping his eyes peeled for any information about who might win.

According to Caro, “It’s an interesting year because there seems to really be no front-runner [for best picture].”

Most years, there are one or two movies that people can look at and go, “this movie is going to win.” But this year, you can make a pretty good case about three movies: Gravity, American Hustle, and 12 Years a Slave.

All three movies captivated audiences across America, but only one will be awarded the best picture of 2013. Evanston students all have their own opinion about who will win.

Anni Zuckert, senior believes that American Hustle is in the lead. “I think historicals are huge when it comes to the Oscars. They almost always get it.”

American Hustle hosts an all-star cast in a quirky hustle movie about a con man named Irving Rosenfeld, played by Christian Bale, who’s trying to get himself out of a tough situation.

Noah Roth, freshman says, “I’m not even sure who was nominated. If I had to guess though, I would say Gravity. Not because I think it was actually the best, but because it was very popular, and appealed to a wide range of audiences.”

Gravity is an eerie and stress-inducing film starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as their characters travel into deep space.

Jimmy Green, senior says, “It’s a tie at the moment. I think it’s going to be either The Wolf of Wall Street or 12 Years a Slave… I’d like to be surprised. But Her is going to win best original screenplay hands down.”

12 Years a Slave is about a pre-Civil War United states, focusing on Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who is a free black man who is abducted and sold back into slavery.  The Wolf of Wall Street is a story of sex, drugs, and Wall Street, following Jordan Belfort (Leonardo Dicaprio) on his rise to the top in stockbroking.

With Ellen DeGeneres hosting them, this year’s awards are rumored to be more elaborate and exciting than past years.