On February 25th, the Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films presentation will be back in theaters nationwide thanks to SHORTS TV. The combined length of the five nominees is 93 minutes — one of the longest combined runtimes EVER for this group.
The craftsmanship on display is exceptional. I’ve had the chance to interview the directors of all five nominated films for Animation Scoop. You can check out these Q&As below.
For “Affairs of the Art” (16 min.), I spoke with director Joanna Quinn and producer Les Mills (her life partner) over Zoom. They bring back the iconic character of Beryl for this new chapter of her story. Quinn was previously an Oscar nominee in this category in 1998 for “Famous Fred”. Mills now joins her on the ballot.
“Bestia” (also 16 min.) comes from director Hugo Covarrubias. I conducted an email Q&A with him about this dramatic short with real-life inspiration. “Bestia” is also nominated for the 2022 Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject and was shown as part of the Sundance Film Festival last month.
“BoxBallet” (15 min.) is directed by Anton Dyakov. Through this email Q&A, Dyakov shared his motivations for combining the art of boxing with the art of ballet in creating a moving, hand-drawn romantic drama.
“Robin Robin” (31 min.) is the Aardman holiday treat starring the voices of Richard E. Grant and Gillian Anderson that debuted on Netflix in November. Last Fall I talked with directors Dan Ojari and Mikey Please over Google Hangout. They even showed me a few of the characters! Aardman is no stranger to the Academy Awards, with wins for the 2005 “Wallace & Gromit” feature and classic shorts, as well as “Creature Comforts” — and nominations for other “W&G” shorts, “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” and both “Shaun the Sheep” movies.
And “The Windshield Wiper” (15 min.) is a bold and visually striking short that provides a variety of detailed, unique answers to the question “What is Love?” I spoke with innovative director Alberto Mielgo over Zoom.
Which of these shorts will win the Academy Award on Sunday March 27th? Start making your predictions… and I’ll reveal mine closer to the show. Most importantly, take the opportunity to see these animated shorts on the big screen if they’re playing near you — and enjoy these interviews with some of the world’s most talented filmmakers working in the industry today.