LOS ANGELES - Days after Oscar ballots were sent out, the final three awards contenders are set to open in theaters Wednesday -- "Another Year," "Biutiful" and "Blue Valentine."

"Another Year," written and directed by British filmmaker Mike Leigh, opens in six theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The film stars Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen and Lesley Manville.

"Blue Valentine" will be in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The drama, starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, made headlines for earning a commercially poisonous NC-17 rating for explicit sexual scenes, but the tag was reduced to a less-restrictive R rating on appeal.

"Biutiful" plays in one theater in New York and one in Los Angeles to qualify for Oscar consideration. The Javier Bardem film officially opens in a limited run January 28.

After a long downturn in the indie market, business has been picking up, with fims such as "Black Swan" and "The Fighter" crossing over to the mainstream.