In Contention

Tag: Best Animated Feature Film

  • On the Academy’s other rule changes

    With the big news out of the way, there are a few other annual house-cleaning rule alterations that ought to be addressed.

    First up, the Best Animated Feature Film category — which seems to get a face-lift in the rule book every summer — will now have anywhere from three to five nominees. As it was, in a year with 16 qualifying titles, five nominees would be selected. Less than the magic number 16 would yield just three nominees. Now, if 13 to 15 films qualify, four of them will be nominated by the branch. Under that, I’m assuming it’s just three as always.

    VERDICT: I’m okay with this, I suppose, but the qualifying numbers still feel quite arbitrary. Still, this keep quality-heavy films that happen to be quantity-thin for animated output from being slighted.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 50 — Special Edition! — Nod postmortem with Guy Lodge and Peter Knegt

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk.

    In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

    Unless you’ve been under a rock this morning, you’re aware of the day’s big news. Oscar nominations were revealed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 24 categories. And, as is typically, there were enough eyebrow-raisers to give us a ton to talk about. We’ve got IC’s own Guy Lodge and indieWIRE‘s Peter Knegt on board. Also, it’s our 50th episode! Let’s see what’s on the docket today…

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 49 — Final pre-nod discussion

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk.

    In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

    We’re moving into the last weekend before the Academy’s big nominations reveal on Tuesday. Anne is calling from Sundance, where the festival is just gearing up, leaving me alone in LA to my devices. But there are a number of things to address in these final pre-nod hours, so let’s see what’s on the docket today…

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  • ‘Dragon’ dominates Annie Award nominations

    It was cute of the Annies to throw “Tangled” and “Toy Story 3” a bone in the Best Animated Feature, directing and screenplay categories this year, but the absence of Disney product in virtually every other field is clearly evidence of a reaction to the studio withdrawing from the organization earlier this summer. Credibility: out the window.

    As best as I can tell, “How to Train Your Dragon” led the way considerably with 15 nominations.  And I think we can pretty well expect the film to triumph in quite a few of them, including Best Animated Feature, when the awards are handed out February 5.

    A distant second with seven total bids was Universal’s “Despicable Me,” but fret not, DreamWorks was right back in there at third with six nods for “Shrek Forever After.”

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 41 — Governors Awards, animated and doc feature shortlists, circuit festivities and remembering Ronni Chasen

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk.

    In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

    There have been toasts in honor of talent and in the way of remembrance during this busy, and heartbreaking, week on the Oscar circuit. So as always, there’s plenty to cover. Let’s dive in and see what’s on the docket today…

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  • Only 15 films qualify for Oscar’s animated feature race

    I honestly didn’t expect the list to hit so soon on the heels of my item earlier this afternoon, but hit it has.  And it actually appears that “The Dreams of Jinsha” was the other title submitted, not “Chico & Rita.”

    Alas, there are only 15 titles that qualified, meaning we will only see three nominees in the category this year.  “Yogi Bear,” predictably, did not qualify, while “Idiots and Angels,” it turns out, did.  I’d LOVE to see Bill Plympton in an Oscar race.

    The rest are the usual suspects, but it’s a real shame we can’t have a full slate this year.  Speaking solely for myself, I’m liking a lot of feature animation in 2010.  TheGolden Globes, however, could still see five nominees as long as 14 titles were submitted to the HFPA for consideration.  Check out Oscar’s field of animated feature contenders after the jump.

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  • 16 animated features submitted, but what will qualify?

    The Academy will be announcing the list of qualifying films for this year’s Best Animated Feature Film Oscar some time this week.  For now, we know of 16 titles that have submitted.  They are indicated on our dedicated page.

    There was some confusion recently over which film was the 16th submission, but I’m told it was “Chico & Rita,” which bowed at this year’s Telluride film festival (it was the first film I saw at the fest, in fact).  (CORRECTION: Turns out it was “The Dreams of Jinsha” instead, as noted here.)  If all 16 films qualify, then we’ll be looking at a slate of five nominees after all.  But if just one falls out, then it’s back to three.

    The most dubious contenders could be “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” and “Yogi Bear,” which may not meet eligibility requirements.  But the language is a bit loose, noting that “a significant number of the major characters must be animated, and animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time.”

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  • 11/15 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Oscar’s shortest perf, gauging 16 animated submissions, Menken and Moore on ‘Tangled’

    • John Lopez talks to “The Way Back” star and Best Supporting Actor hopeful Ed Harris. [Little Gold Men]

    • From last year, Stinkylulu writes up the shortest performance ever nominated for an Oscar: Herminone Baddeley’s 2 minutes and 26 seconds in 1959’s “Room at the Top.” [Stinkylulu]

    • Scott Feinberg smartly tracks down the HBO doc “High on Crack Street,” featuring prominently in “The Fighter.” [ScottFeinberg.com]

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  • 10/29 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: O’Barry biopic on the way, stumping for Bell in ‘Exorcism,’ Reznor talks ‘Network’ synth

    • Across the pond, Deborah Orr on a 15 rating due to harmless swearing weighing down an uplifting film like “Made in Dagenham.” [The Guardian]

    • A feature biopic is in the works about “The Cove” activist Ric O’Barry. [Deadline]

    • The deadline for animated feature submission nears. [Oscars.org]

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  • DreamWorks’ ‘Megamind’ brings out the best in Will Ferrell

    Was I just in a really good mood Saturday night or did DreamWorks’ “Megamind” send me out of the theater with a legitimate smile on my face?  The 3D never gets in the way, the concept is sound and crisp, the voice talent is top notch and it doesn’t feel like everyone’s just going through the motions (probably because Will Ferrell was passionate about the story, which he had a hand in conceiving).

    Most importantly, it was a damn good time at the movies.

    I’m fairly high on animation in general this year.  Pixar’s “Toy Story 3,” of course, is one of the year’s best, as is DreamWorks’ own “How to Train Your Dragon.” Disney’s “Tangled” manages to stay fresh and progressive within the familiarity of the studio’s classic fairytale offerings and Sylvain Chomet’s “The Illusionist” is as touching as they come (with the year’s best score to boot — though a recently filed lawsuit over the copyright of the title could keep the film off the books this year).

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  • 10/25 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Desplat honored, Watts and Plame on ‘Game,’ animated feature hopefuls reach 14

    • Colin Firth talks royalty and “The King’s Speech.” [Awards Campaign]

    • Alexandre Desplat named composer of the year. [Variety]

    • Scott Kraft chats with “Fair Game” star Naomi Watts and subject Valerie Plame. [Los Angeles Times]

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 37 — The early year forgotten, Michael Douglas’s dueling Oscar campaigns, the animated feature race and more

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk.

    In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

    After a week with four on the mic, it’s back to just Anne and myself as we mull over something of a slow news week. But there’s always some grist for the mill here and there, catch-up screenings, parties, etc., so let’s see what’s on the docket today…

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  • Animated titles up to 12

    I’ve been making notes on this in the comments section of yesterday’s Off the Carpet column throughout the morning, but it’s looking more and more like the magic number of 16 won’t be reached in this year’s animated feature film race.  By my count, we have 12 titles.

    One of them, Bill Plympton’s “Idiots and Angels,” may not have submitted the proper paperwork (I’m unsure at the moment).  But it opened last week in New York regardless and will hit Los Angeles screens on October 29.  Wouldn’t it be great to see Plympton in the mix, though?

    I had originally though the Japanese “Tales from Earthsea” would be eligible, but while opening in a foreign territory one year prior is permitted (more of this arbitrary nonsense — it’s scattered throughout AMPAS rules and regs), more than that is not.  The film opened in 2006 in Japan.

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  • ‘Tangled’ trailer

    Disney’s latest throwback, “Tangled,” could make a real dent this fall, which could harness a nomination for Best Animated Feature Film by season’s end.  But it’ll have DreamWorks’s “Megamind” to contend with in the same frame.  Gerard doesn’t seem to think it’ll make the cut, and I’ll confess I’m not entirely impressed by the latest trailer, but I’m looking forward to the film regardless.  Check out the trailer via Apple by clicking the link below or watch an embed after the jump.

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  • ‘Megamind’ trailer

    DreamWorks has already released a couple of trailers for the animated “Megamind,” but the latest (via Apple) is probably the last full-length one we’ll get in advance of the November 5 release.  I really liked what I saw of the film at Comic-Con this year and given that we’re likely to see five nominees in the animated feature category this year due to a rule change broadening what is considered feature length, it could have a fighting chance.  But the competition is stiff, and not just from the usual suspects.  Check out the trailer by clicking the image below or watch the embed after the jump.

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  • DreamWorks fires off first FYC ad and site of the year

    I don’t remember there being an earlier “For Your Consideration” ad than September 1 before, but nevertheless, DreamWorks Animation has seized an opportunity to surge out in front of the fray on behalf of “How to Train Your Dragon” with the first ad of the season, as well as the first FYC site.  The ad primes the film for not just an animated push, but an all out Best Picture push as well, and it hits at a time when toon competitor “Toy Story 3” is bringing in record-breaking box office.

    And why not?  It was one of the most critically and popular films of the first half of the year, even if its accomplishments have been eclipsed by Pixar’s this summer.  I sometimes go back and forth on which film I like better.  I’ll bet there are Academy members who’ll be doing the same.  And will Disney be as aggressive with its campaign?  Will the studio even feel a need to be?  Time will tell.

    The ad and site also promote upcoming screenings for the film in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and London, all of them happening in the next two months.  So, start your engines.  It looks like we’re already off to the races.  Check out the full ad after the jump (and note the “visual consultant,” who seems to be making the animated rounds lately.)

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  • Rule changes for animated features and Best Visual Effects

    A few weeks ago the Academy’s visual effects committee was set to vote on expanding the Best Visual Effects category to five nominees. Today, the rule has officially gone into the books, according to a press release. The rules governing animated feature eligibility have also been altered to make room for films that run at least 40 minutes, rather than 70 minutes, which could allow space for some obscure entries.

    The release, in part:

    The governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences finalized the rules for the 83rd Academy Awards at its most recent meeting (June 22). The most significant change is in the Visual Effects category, which will now feature five nominees rather than three…

    In the Animated Feature Film category, the rule governing running time for a motion picture to qualify was changed from at least 70 minutes to greater than 40 minutes, which is consistent with the running time requirements for feature films in all other categories. The running time for a motion picture to qualify as an animated, live action or documentary short film has been and continues to be a maximum of 40 minutes. The previous 70-minute threshold for an animated feature had left a gap for films that ran between 40 and 70 minutes, effectively preventing them from being able to qualify as either features or shorts.

    Also, regarding motion capture, new language was put in place to indicate, clearly, that the technique will not be considered animation.

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  • Edinburgh fest kicks off with ‘The Illusionist’

    Last year’s Edinburgh Film Festival served me rather well, giving me my first look at “Antichrist,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Fish Tank,” “35 Shots of Rum,” “Mary and Max” and “London River,” all of which wound up in my Top 20 of 2009. (It was also where a little film called “The Secret of Kells” made its first awards bow, more than seven months before Hollywood cottoned on to it.)

    This year’s edition begins today; unfortunately, I’m unable to cover the entire fest this time, though I will be there for five days next week. Thanks to my other festival exploits this year, however, I am already acquainted with tonight’s opening film, “The Illusionist.”

    I reviewed Sylvain Chomet’s sublime beyond-the-grave Jacques Tati collaboration out of Berlin in February, and the film still sits comfortably atop my Best of 2010 list. Tonight’s Edinburgh premiere should be a sweet one, given how besotted the film is with that very city.

    More on the film, including a new trailer, after the cut.

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