Jennifer Aniston's dramatic performance in indie flick Cake has prompted movie makers to put it forward as an Oscar contender.

The romcom queen wowed on the festival circuit with her performance in the drama exploring the theme of grief, in which she wore no make-up to play a woman suffering from chronic pain.

Now Deadline has reported Cinelou Films' producers Mark Canton and Courtney Solomon have decided to release the movie before the end of the year, to put it in the running for the Oscars.

Cake - which stars Jen as Claire Simmons who befriends the husband of a woman in her chronic pain group who has committed suicide - will have a one-week qualifying run in December before being fully released in January.

Jennifer said at the Toronto International Film Festival last month that when she read the script: "I felt myself already shooting it when I was reading it, instantly, it was mine.

"It's poetic, it's absolutely beautifully written from top to bottom - a beautiful arc, exquisite characters."

The film received a standing ovation at Toronto and immediately sparked speculation Jennifer could get an Oscar nomination for the role, comparing it to Charlize Theron's game-changing performance in Monster, or Matthew McConaughey's career-transforming turn in Dallas Buyers Club.

Director Daniel Barnz said: "When my life and producing partner Ben Barnz and I first read Cake just fourteen months ago, we knew we had to go to Jennifer Aniston. It was the most obvious un-obvious choice - she's mega-talented, but we've never seen the whole range of her extraordinary comic and dramatic abilities showcased in one role."