Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was shut out of the 2008 Oscar race for Best Picture, but with ten slots available for the 2010 nominees, it’s looking likely that his critically-acclaimed box office smash Inception will be getting a nomination.  However, since there are still only five slots for Best Director, there are really only five nominees for Best Picture and then five honorable mentions.  Warner Bros. wants to get Inception on the short list and so they’ve released a “new” behind-the-scenes featurette for the film.  It’s mostly EPK (electronic press kit) footage, but the beginning and end of the featurette are new.  This isn’t so much to encourage people to see the movie (chances are you already have), but to remind Awards voters that Nolan made a remarkable picture.  While all the momentum seems to currently be behind The Social Network, it’s still early enough for other contenders to garner favor.

Hit the jump to check out the featurette.  Inception is available to own on DVD and Blu-ray.

Here's the official synopsis for Inception:

Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in "Inception," an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the best in the dangerous art of extraction: stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse; their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. This summer, your mind is the scene of the crime.

Here's a link to all our Inception coverage