The five nominees for the Critics Choice Award for Best Animated Feature are the same five up for the Academy Award. The Critics Choice winner will be announced on March 13th and the Oscar winner will be named on March 27th.
I’ve had the chance to interview makers of all five nominees for Animation Scoop. In the case of one of the nominees — the groundbreaking “Flee” — I also met its director, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in Brooklyn, NY last November.
You can click on the links to read my in-depth Q&As with some of the brightest talents in the industry:
For “Encanto”, I spoke with Oscar winning directors Byron Howard & Jared Bush (“Zootopia”) and co-director Charise Castro Smith in September after screening about 30 minutes of footage.
For “Flee”, I talked with composer Uno Helmersson a little over a year ago, just after its virtual Sundance premiere. I knew, in Winter 2021, that “Flee” was going to have an impact on the next awards season.
For “Luca”, I interviewed director Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren after seeing some of the film and then once again after screening the entire movie.
For “The Mitchells vs. the Machines”, I had a fun conversation last spring with director Mike Rianda on the eve of its Netflix debut (following a major acquisition from Sony).
And for “Raya and the Last Dragon”, I spoke with director Don Hall (Oscar winner for “Big Hero 6”), director Carlos Lopez Estrada and writer Qui Nguyen after seeing a half-hour of the film.
Which film do you think will win Best Animated Feature at Critics Choice… at the Oscars… or both? Maybe there will be a tie (Critics Choice is known for them; the Oscars has only had a handful over its 94 years). Let me know your picks on Twitter @LCJReviews.