LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Pixar's critically acclaimed Inside Out and box office hit Minions are among the 16 films submitted for consideration for this year's Best Animated Feature Oscar, organisers said on Thursday (Nov 5).

Inside Out, an animated look at the mind of a pre-teen girl, received nearly universal rave reviews, with some even suggesting it could compete for Best Picture at the 88th Academy Awards in February.

Minions, a prequel in the Despicable Me series, has been a huge hit for Universal, raking in more than US$335 million (S$471 million) worldwide, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Also on the list are other crowd pleasers such as Hotel Transylvania 2, as well as movies yet to be released, like Pixar's The Good Dinosaur. According to the rules of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, in any year in which 16 films are eligible, a maximum of five can be nominated.

Oscar nominations are to be announced on Jan 14. The Oscars ceremony is set for Feb 28.

Past winners in the category include Frozen and Toy Story 3.

The following are the 16 films submitted for consideration: Anomalisa; The Boy And The Beast; Boy And The World; The Good Dinosaur; Home; Hotel Transylvania 2; Inside Out; Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet; The Laws Of The Universe - Part 0; Minions; Moomins On The Riviera; The Peanuts Movie; Regular Show: The Movie; Shaun The Sheep Movie; The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water; and When Marnie Was There.