The American Film Institute named its top ten films and TV series of 2011 today. Since they release their top ten list in alphabetical order, their list doesn’t point to any one film as a frontrunner for other awards – like the Oscars® – and possible major award winners from outside the U.S. are not considered [though they do often receive special recognition].
Film: Bridesmaids, The Descendants, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, J. Edgar, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, and War Horse.
Missing the cut: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Beginners, Drive, The Ides of March, and Young Adult.
The Artist and the Harry Potter Series were singled out for special recognition in non-American film.