Sony Pictures Classics has announced its fall schedule and what is likely to be the company's major contenders for next year's Academy Awards.

The specialty company of Sony/Columbia is known for having mastered the release of Indie films and bringing them to the forefront. Last year, the company had a number of huge hits, including "Blue Jasmine." That movie made $33 million and became the company's third highest grossing film of all time behind "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Midnight in Paris." "Blue Jasmine" also went on to be nominated for three Oscars and won one for Best Actress (Cate Blanchett).

Sony Pictures Classics currently has a number of releases in theaters. The company recently released Jim Jarmusch's "Only Lover Left Alive" to critical acclaim and solid box office returns. Next up for the distributor is the Sundance hit "Love is Stange." However, while all of these movies have a great following most pundits are more concerned with what the company will offer in the fall prior to the awards season.

This year Sony Pictures Classics has three highly anticipated films that could become both box office and awards hits.

The first release of the season will be "Whiplash" starring Miles Teller and J.K Simmons. The movie won the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Prize Jury award and many expected it to be released in the summer because the past two Sundance winners, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and "Fruitvale Station," were both released in the summer and had successful returns. However, awards-wise, "Fruitvale Station" was completely forgotten while "Beasts" surprised with four Oscar nominations. Sony Picture Classics is not a newcomer when it comes to Sundance winners and in the past it released two winners during the summer; those films are "Frozen River" and "Quinceanera." However, both movies were box office bombs. "Quinceanera" only made $1 million while "Frozen River" made $2 million. Additionally, "Frozen River" generated Oscar buzz. With an Oct. 11 release, the company is hoping for better results because October has been a key month for Oscar winners such as "Gravity," "12 Years a Slave," and "Argo." The film is going to Cannes and is likely to show up in Toronto, which will only increase the hype. The movie stars Teller, who is becoming increasingly popular; this should help it become a box office success.

"Foxcatcher" will open on Nov. 19 after having been delayed for over a year. The film has generated Oscar buzz since it was announced because it is directed by Bennett Miller, whose first two films, "Capote" and "Moneyball," were nominated for Best Picture. The movie also stars Steve Carell in a transformative role. "Foxcatcher" is now going to Cannes in the competition slate and if reviews are good and Carell wins the Best Actor accolade, it could be a lock in the Best Picture category. A number of Cannes competition premieres have went on to win and get nominated for Oscars including "Nebraska," "The Tree of Life," "The Artist," "The Pianist," and "Amour." Sony Pictures Classics is also hoping for the same success that it had with Miller's "Capote" was back in 2005. That movie made $28 million and is currently the company's fourth highest grossing film.

The final release of 2014 for Sony Picture Classics will be Mike Leigh's "Mr. Turner." The movie will mark the second time Sony and Leigh work together. The company previously released the 2010 Oscar nominated film "Another Year." Leigh has never been a box office draw as his films are generally geared towards art house crowds and older audiences. However, he is a fixture with the Academy Awards. He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards and ever since 2005, every single one of his films has been nominated for Best Original Screenplay. "Mr. Turner" is currently slated to be in competition at Cannes where it is likely to generate buzz and traction from many critics. It will then likely move towards the fall festival circuit to continue its awards campaign and hopefully get Leigh his eighth Oscar nomination.