While the Cannes Film Festival is not seen as the start to awards season, a number of films come out of the festival with rave reviews and can make it all the way to the Academy Awards.

After hundreds of screenings and a surprising awards ceremony, a number of films definitely received Oscar buzz. The strongest of the contenders is "Carol" starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Directed by Todd Haynes, the film is being released by the Weinstein Company and scored rave reviews at the festival. It also won the Best Actress award for Mara and that will definitely give her a boost especially in the Best Supporting Actress category which the Weinstein Company will likely campaign her in.

"Carol" has been on the radar ever since it started production and, with the Weinstein Company releasing it, there is no doubt the company will put its marketing force behind the film.

The Weinstein Company has been present in the Best Picture category ever since 2008 when "The Reader" surprised with five nominations. Ever since then the company has been represented every year and has won twice, in 2010 with "The King's Speech" and in 2011 with "The Artist." While "Carol" is not the only film the company is releasing this year, its December release will definitely keep it on the radar.

Pixar seems to have scored yet another success with "Inside Out," which has obtained the best reviews for the company since "Up." Over the last few years the company released a number of well-reviewed films but has been criticized for its lack of originality with "Brave" and "Monsters University." With "Inside Out," critics are calling it the best film that the company has ever made. With Disney dominating the Best Animated category for the past three years with "Frozen," "Brave" and "Big Hero 6," there is no doubt that the company will likely score yet another Academy Award in the category with this new film.

The Hungarian film "Son of Saul" showed promise at the festival and became one of the frontrunners to win the Palme d'Or early on. While the film did not win the top award, it took home the Grand Prix award, which is still exceptional for a first time filmmaker. "Son of Saul," which opened to rave reviews, is the first film by Lazlo Nemes and has been universally praised for its unflinching look at Auschwitz.

The film promptly obtained a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Classics who has been a huge force at the festival throughout the years. While it is unknown whether Hungary will actually send the film as the official selection for the Oscars, a U.S. distribution deal is always necessary for a film to get exposure. Sony Pictures Classics has dominated the foreign film category throughout the years and only in 2013 did the company fail to have a nominated film. Last year the company had "Wild Tales" and "Leviathan" nominated, and in 2012 Sony had "Amour" and "No."

"Dheepan" will likely be in the conversation for the rest of the year, especially since IFC Films has already acquired it and because it won the Palme d'Or. The movie is directed by Jacques Audiard, a director whose "A Prophet" was nominated for the Oscar and whose "Rust and Bone" was an awards favorite back in 2012. While France has a strong lineup this year, the Palme d'Or winner usually takes precedence.

Previous Palme d'Or winners that have been official Oscar selections have included "Winter Sleep," "Amour," "The White Ribbon," "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" and "The Class." This is not always the case as was seen with "Blue Is the Warmest Color," but that film did not come out in time in France to qualify.

Taiwan's "The Assassin" will also likely represent the country as the film won Best Director while the Colombian film "La Tierra y La Sombra" will likely be a strong contender after winning the Camera D'Or and winning at the Critics Week sidebar. Competition film "Our Little Sister" will likely represent Japan, especially with Sony Pictures Classics distributing, while "Mountains May Depart" could be China's submission.

Paolo Sorrentino could get Michael Caine an Oscar nomination since the performance was hailedand Fox Searchlight is distributing, while Denis Villeneuve's "Sicario" could be eyeing technical awards.

"The Lobster" was well received but has no distributor, while "Macbeth" is up in the air as most Shakespearean adaptations fail to resonate with the Academy.

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