Oscar nominees named this morning for Best Animated Feature and Best Animated Short share their reactions to the great news.
Following this morning’s announcement of the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards (set for March 15), filmmakers involved with all 10 of the nominated animated films – for Best Animation Feature and Best Animated Short - have been writing and phoning in with their reactions.
Let’s have a look at how some of the industry’s leading artists are taking the great news…
Nominees for Best Animated Feature
Arco
It’s a real honor for an indie filmmaker like me to stand in this incredible selection. Most of all, I am more than happy that a 2D handcrafted movie made by a young generation of French craftspeople is being highlighted by this prestigious competition. When I started creating this film, it was difficult to be optimistic about our shared future. With Arco, I wanted to give a big hug to people in dark times. I hope audiences have felt that embrace. I want to deeply thank the Academy, this nomination feels like a big hug to share with my fellow nominees. Thank you.
- Director Ugo Bienvenu
Elio
Thank you to the Academy for this incredible honor. We are so thrilled that this story has stayed with you, as it has for us. In times like these when people are feeling more alone than ever, we hope that Elio inspires people to reach out - to space, to new friends, even to perceived “strangers,” and find connection and love with each other. Making this film has been an odyssey of challenges and triumphs, and we’re so proud of the best crew in the Communiverse who poured their souls into bringing our weird little space epic to life.
- Directors Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina and producer Mary Alice Drumm
KPop Demon Hunters
We are thrilled for this incredible acknowledgement from the Academy and our peers for our film that both honors Korean culture and the power of music. The miracle that it has somehow grown into a worldwide movement only attests to the importance of connection and the strength of being true to yourself, no matter what.
- Directors Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and producer Michelle Wong
Thank you to the Academy for this tremendous honor. Being part of the KPop Demon Hunters team has been the journey of a lifetime. To see how fans have embraced the film, "Golden," and the music is an indescribable feeling. From New York to Seoul, to see that our collaboration, which crossed continents and time zones, is being recognized by our peers means the world. We share this with our tireless music producer, Ian Eisendrath. Congratulations to our fellow nominees and to our brilliant Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans on their nominations, and thank you for bringing us on this journey with you.
- EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Teddy Park, IDO (Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam) & 24 (Jeong Hoon Seon)
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
I am so shaken; this is really a huge honor to us as a small independent animated French feature film. An enormous thank you to the Academy - thank you so much for having watched our film and for sharing it!!! It was a long road for our absolutely talented team, to bring the incredible gaze of our Little Amélie on the world. I am so excited for all the nominees, and to be part of this selection is insane!!
- Director Maïlys Vallade
I still can’t believe it. Thank you so much to the Academy for nominating our Little Amélie, our little independent French animated movie. It’s such an honor that our film has been recognized for the Oscars, the ultimate Cinema prize. It’s a dream coming true!
- Director Liane-Cho Han
Zootopia 2
To the Academy, the entire Zootopia 2 team is deeply grateful. Our film is about recognizing and celebrating one another’s differences and what started as a sketch on a piece of paper - took years of writing, drawing, artists crafting each and every frame, the best voice cast in the world, all working together to bring this story to the big screen. The fact it is connecting with our colleagues in the film community and audiences around the world means so much to us all.
- Directors Jared Bush, Byron Howard and producer Yvett Merino
Nominees for Best Animated Short Film
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
We’re thrilled to be representing the country of Canada and the National Film Board of Canada at this year’s Academy Awards celebration. We’d like to thank our partners, Maija and Stephanie, and our daughters, Tuuli and Nola, for inspiring and having patience with us during the five years it took to make this film. We’d like to thank all our collaborators - including Brigitte Henry, Patrick Watson, James Hyndman and Colm Feore - for their commitment and extraordinary talent. Hopefully this tremendous honor will earn us a few free beers at our local pub. And finally, WOO HOOO!
- Directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
Retirement Plan
For a short film that was forged from (and about) paralysis, it feels completely surreal that Retirement Plan has found such momentum. Perhaps the most surprising thing has been the emotional responses, with many people telling us how watching our animation made them re-evaluate their lives; inspire them them to go for a hike, set up a pension, or call their parents. It’s the panic attack that keeps on giving. I am incredibly grateful to the Academy for this recognition- and so proud of our lovely crew.
- Director John Kelly
The first thing I said to John was, “We need to get this to the Oscars.” To now be nominated as producer of Retirement Plan is an extraordinary honour. The credit belongs to John Kelly - he and Tara Lawall had a deceptively simple, timely idea, and Johnny’s creative vision turned it into something quietly intelligent and deeply resonant. We’re incredibly lucky to be filmmakers in Ireland, with the support of Screen Ireland and RTÉ.
- Producer Andrew Freedman
The Three Sisters
Dear Friends!
Emotions are boundless like never before. Especially if you know what an amazing journey my film has taken from birth of the idea (8 years ago) to this moment. To all of us animation film directors, every minute of our little films is incredibly difficult! That's why we know with what blood and sweat we pay for every second of our images. Therefore, such an emotions are at the end of the path. I write this with boundless respect for my colleagues! I especially appeal to those who lost a little bit today: colleagues, this is just a moment of luck, luck. Don't worry. I know what failure is. For one small moment of success, we have dozens of failures in our piggy bank. I've been through all this myself many times. Just be patient and keep working. Our passion and love for animation will do the trick. And one day you'll be lucky for sure!
- Director Konstantin Bronzit
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
