Special Event: Academy Awards

animated shorts ANIMATIONWorld

Torill Kove Tells the Story Behind the Imagery in ‘Maybe Elephants’

Oscar-winning animator Torill Kove, known for her unique style of personal storytelling, now dives into the inspiration for the images in her award-winning short ‘Maybe Elephants’ and how they were crafted.

On the Road to the Oscars Headline News

Academy Announces Shortlists in 10 Categories for 97th Oscars

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 11:38am

VFX category narrowed down to 10 films, animated shorts to 15; voting for nominations runs next month, January 8-12, with nomination announcements set for January 17, 2025.

It’s Not All For Kids ANIMATIONWorld

Magnets, Lube and an R-Rating: Adam Elliot Discusses ‘Memoir of a Snail’ at SAVFF

The Oscar-winning director of ‘Harvie Krumpet’ discusses his new, award-winning, decidedly not-for-kids stop-motion feature, including the use of sophisticated magnetic puppets, being forced to play board games as a kid, and how personal lubricant makes the best tears because it can go all day and not evaporate.

Awards Headline News

31 Animated Features Eligible for Academy Awards Consideration

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 11:52am

Academy members will vote to determine five nominees for best animated feature film award at the 97th Oscars; films also qualify for other categories including best picture.

In Passing Headline News

Legendary Producer Jon Landau Passes at 63

The Oscar-winning producer of  the hugely successful 'Titanic' and the 'Avatar' film franchise and longtime producing partner to James Cameron at Lightstorm Entertainment passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer. 

Is This Miyazaki’s Last Film? Headline News

Digital, Blu-ray Release Dates Announced for ‘The Boy and the Heron’

Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning animated feature will be available to rent and purchase digitally in 4K Ultra HD on Prime Video and Apple TV starting June 25, while physical copies to hit stores July 9.

New Oscar Eligibility Rules for Animation Headline News

Oscars Rule Change Allows New Consideration for International Animation Entries

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled multiple rule changes for the 97th Annual Academy Awards; among them, international feature films can now also be considered in the animated feature film category if they meet eligibility requirements.

Humorous and Relatable Stories ANIMATIONWorld

Binocular Briefs - Spotlight on Torill Kove

This month’s edition of AWN’s survey of under-the-radar animated shorts that are currently travelling the festival circuit or are new to online viewing looks at the Oscar-winning animator’s new film and revisits her award-winning body of work.

Straddling the Earth and Cosmos VFXWorld

Re-VIEW: ‘Oppenheimer’ – Clarity of the Fractured Lens

Christopher Nolan’s 7-time Oscar-winning biopic invites audiences to share the ‘father of the nuclear bomb’s insight and vision through extraordinary images of exploding stars, spinning atoms, and esoteric phenomena that depict his co-existence between earthly and cosmic realms and begs the question: ‘Is he blessed or cursed?’

Awards Headline News

‘The Boy and the Heron,’ ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Take Home Oscar Gold

By Dan Sarto | Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 9:03pm

The two films finish out the 2024 awards season with wins for Best Animated Feature and Best Visual Effects, respectively, on a night that also saw ‘WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko’ win for Best Animated Short Film and ‘Oppenheimer’ take home 7 statues, including Best Picture and Best Cinematography. 

Oscar Contenders Headline News

Hulu Drops ‘Poor Things’ Trailer Ahead of March 7 Streaming Debut

The BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated film from Yorgos Lanthimos, starring producer Emma Stone, follows a young Victorian woman brought back to life by the unorthodox Dr. Godwin Baxter; stream it before the 96th Academy Awards on March 10.

On the Road to the Oscars ANIMATIONWorld

On the Road to the 96th Oscars: The Animated Shorts Nominees

Take a deeper look at ‘Letter to a Pig,’ ‘Ninety-Five Senses,’ ‘Our Uniform,’ ‘Pachyderme,’ and ‘War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko,’ all vying for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards coming March 10, 2024.

On the Road to the Oscars VFXWorld

On the Road to the 96th Oscars: The Visual Effects Nominees

Take a deeper look at ‘The Creator,’ ‘Godzilla Minus One,’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ and ‘Napoleon,’ all vying for the Best Visual Effects Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards coming March 10, 2024.

Animation Gets Its Do Headline News

The Academy to Split Short Films and Feature Animation Branch

Short Films and Feature Animation part ways; Board of Governors votes to create 2 new distinct branches: the Animation Branch and Short Films Branch.

Pushing the Filmmaking Envelope VFXWorld

ILM’s Ian Comley and Charmaine Chan Talk ‘The Creator’ VFX

By Dan Sarto | Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 4:51pm

The VFX supervisors explain director Gareth Edward’s innovative, slightly radical new approach to filmmaking, a type of ‘reverse engineering,’ including the integration of visual effects, when during the process they’re created, and when it’s best not to use them, on his multiple VES Award-winning sci-fi thriller that’s been nominated for a Best Visual Effects Oscar. 

On the Road to the Oscars ANIMATIONWorld

On the Road to the 96th Oscars: The Animated Feature Nominees

Take a deeper look at ‘The Boy and the Heron,’ ‘Elemental,’ ‘Nimona,’ ‘Robot Dreams,’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ all vying for the Best Animated Feature Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards coming March 10, 2024.

Anyone Can Wear the Mask VFXWorld

Mike Lasker Breaks Down the Breakdown of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ VFX

The visual effects supervisor on Sony Pictures Animation’s Oscar-nominated, VES and Annie Award-winning animated masterpiece discusses how artistic and technical innovations were pushed to the limit to take audiences into visual storytelling realms they’ve never experienced before.

VFX for Film Headline News

Union VFX Shares ‘Poor Things’ VFX Breakdown Reel

Studio creates ‘authentic artificiality’ for Yorgos Lanthimos’ BAFTA winning, Oscar-nominated feature starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe and Ramy Youssef.

Opposites React ANIMATIONWorld

‘Elemental’: The Little Film That Could

When director Peter Sohn and Pixar set out to create a 3DCG world in which a fiery young woman found a way to get together with a fun, ‘go-with-the-flow’ guy, they never dreamed it would take quite some time, slowly but surely, through word of mouth, to successfully find a global audience for their film.

And the Winner Is… Headline News

PreView Panel Set: ‘Oscar Contenders for Best Animated Feature’

Join the free February 21 online conversation and Q&A with the directors/creatives of ‘Nimona,’ ‘Elemental,’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Robot Dreams’ and ‘The Boy and the Heron,’ hosted by the VIEW Conference in partnership with the VFX Festival.

And the Winner Is… Headline News

PreView Panel Set: ‘Oscar Contenders for Best Animated Short Film’

Join AWN’s own Dan Sarto on February 20 for a free online conversation and Q&A with the directors of the nominated films, ‘Letter to a Pig,’ ‘Ninety-Five Senses,’ ‘Our Uniform,’ ‘Pachyderme,’ and ‘WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko,’ hosted by the VIEW Conference in partnership with the VFX Festival.

One Last Ride Headline News

Watch: 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' VFX Breakdown Reel - The Orgoscope

By Dan Sarto | Monday, February 12, 2024 at 4:17pm

Sony Pictures Imageworks has just shared with AWN and VFXWorld a look at how their team, led by Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated VFX supervisor Theo Bialek, were tasked with building the planet-sized organic structure known as the Orgoscope.

Awards Headline News

Nominations Announced for the 96th Academy Awards

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 7:10am

‘The Boy and the Heron,’ ‘Elemental,’ ‘Nimona,’ ‘Robot Dreams,’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ nab noms for best animated feature, while ‘The Creator,’ ‘Godzilla Minus One,’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ and ‘Napoleon’ take the top spots for best visual effects.

Honoring Tech That Makes Movies Great Headline News

16 Scientific & Technical Achievements to be Honored at Academy Sci-Tech Awards

Ceremony, to be held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on February 23, celebrates individuals and companies whose discoveries and innovations have contributed in significant and lasting ways to the motion picture industry.

Do Robots Dream of Electric Dogs? Headline News

Neon Drops First Teaser Trailer for ‘Robot Dreams’

The animated Oscar hopeful, which premiered at last summer’s Cannes Film Festival, follows a lonely dog who buys a robot companion, based on the graphic novel by Sarah Varon. 

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