"Give me my bloody Oscar!"
Let’s face the facts everybody: 2011 will probably go down as one of the most disappointing years in animation. That being said, I’m actually glad that the Academy was able to come up with five worthy candidates for this nomination category. Sure, Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin: Rise of the Unicorn should have made this list, but maybe its obnoxious sense of entitlement throughout the entire awards season turned off many voters. I personally enjoyed the film, and happen to feel that much of the backlash was because it was a CGI film using motion capture, a film technique that is clearly not embraced by Oscar voters. Oh well, their victory was at the Globes. It amazes me how soon we forget that this category was created a little over ten years. Some people find the category pointless, but I don’t particularly mind because adults tend to gloss over animated films like they are child’s play, so it’s great to have movie’s biggest night focus at least a minute and a half on animation. Speaking of adults, while these nominated films certainly aren’t dark and twisted this side of Tim Burton, one could argue this is the most “mature” and “adult-oriented” animated lineup we’ve ever seen. Even Kung Fu Panda 2 wasn’t afraid to dive deep into dark territory. So while Animation of 2011 may be looked back in hindsight with scorn, I absolutely have zero problem with the Academy’s five nominated selections.
The 2012 Nominees for “Best Animated Feature” are…
- A Cat in Paris — Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
- Chico & Rita — Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
- Kung Fu Panda 2 – Jennifer Yuh Nelson
- Puss in Boots — Chris Miller
- Rango – Gore Verbinski
Read more on Oscar Circuit: Best Animated Feature…
Winners of last year's "Best Animated Short Film" for 'The Lost Thing.'
We draw closer and closer to that inevitable and exciting day when the Oscars are announced, seeing how our predictions stack up and whether our favorite films get their deserving honors. Like last week’s Oscar Circuit article on “Best Live Action Short,” the “Best Animated Short” category is often forgotten by moviegoers who just want to see the major awards announced. That’s a shame, because there are some truly innovative animated films out this award’s season whose studios, one in particular this year, have the potential to become major power players in the animation industry. I see animated short films as both poems and experiments. You have small studios like Moonbot Industries and StudioAKA unafraid to showcase their talents with great little stories featuring some often bizarre yet stylistically impressive animation. Everything is so compact and told in such little time, but the emotion that pours through in those brief minutes is often more gripping than a full length feature. The nominees this year are no exception.
The 2012 Nominees for “Best Animated Short Film” Are…
- Sunday/Dimanche — Patrick Doyan
- The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore – William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
- La Luna – Enrico Casarosa
- A Morning Stroll – Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
- Wild Life – Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis
Read more on Oscar Circuit: Best Animated Short…
Categories: Oscar Circuit Tags: amanda forbis, Best Animated Short, Enrico Casarosa, grant orchard, La Luna, moonbot studios, Oscar Circuit, oscar nominations 2012, patrick doyan, Pixar, Sunday/Dimanche, the fantastic flying books of morris lessmore, wendy tilby, wild life, william joyce
Last year's Oscar winners for "Best Live Action Short" for 'God of Love'
Ah yes, the Academy Award’s “Live Action Short” category may turn a blind eye from many who watch the Oscars, even from the most die hard of moviegoers, who neither care nor wish to know about short films that are potential stepping stones for some of the hallmark directors in cinema. Just ask acclaimed director, Taylor Hackford, who won the award back in 1978 for his short film, “Teenage Father.” Hackford has gone on to head some of the best films of the past thirty years, including An Officer and a Gentleman, Dolores Claiborne, and Ray. Did I also forget to mention that Hackford is the current president of the Director’s Guild of America? Yep, this guy ran with his “Live Action Short” victory and took his career to heights that even he probably never would have imagined reaching. It just goes to show you that this award is something especially significant for an up-and-coming filmmaker, ready for their name to be worldly recognized and respected in the motion picture industry. So before we gloss over this award, think about the lasting effects it could have on one’s career in Hollywood, and what that motivational boost could mean for future full length features from these Academy Award recipients…
The 2012 Nominees for “Best Live Action Short” Are…
- Pentecost – Peter McDonald and Eimer O’Kane
- Raju – Max Zahle and Stefan Gieren
- The Shore — Terry George and Oorlagh George
- Time Freak – Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
- Tuba Atlantic – Hallvar Witzo
Read more on Oscar Circuit: Live Action Short…
Categories: Oscar Circuit Tags: andrew bowler, conleth hill, Live Action Short Film, max zahle, Oscar Circuit, oscar nominations 2012, Pentecost, Raju, terry george, The Road Home, The Shore, Time Freak, Tuba Atlantic
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