Here’s your chance to tell us which animated feature, short, and vfx-nominated movie you think deserves to win the Oscar on March 7. Let your voice be heard now or forever keep your peace!


Best Animated Feature Film

 Coraline
Studio: Laika, Focus Features
Director: Henry Selick
Written By: Henry Selick, story by Neil Gaiman
Voice Talent: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, Robert Bailey Jr., John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Ian McShane
Synopsis: Selick's stop-motion take on Gaiman's spooky kids book centers on a young girl, ritually ignored by her parents, who discovers a secret portal to an alternate reality in their new house populated by "Other" versions of her family and neighbors, with buttons for eyes. While at first she thinks her dreams have come true, her Other Mother's wicked intentions soon become alarmingly clear.
Release Date: February 6
The Highs: The film combines a highly original story with fantastic design and animation so meticulous you'd think it was a CG effort. Selick's flair for mixing the unsettling with the endearing always wins over audiences and critics alike.
The Lows: Bambi this ain't. Will the Academy lean for a film with more frights than tear-jerker moments, and from an underdog studio?
Vote Here!
     
Up
Studio: Disney/Pixar
Director: Pete Docter
Written By: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Voice Talent: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Delroy Lindo, John Ratzenberger, Bob Peterson
Synopsis: An elderly man embarks on a fantastical journey to South America by launching his house into the sky with a mass of colorful balloons. Things get complicated when a young scout stows away on his makeshift aircraft, and once they land a giant bird and talking dog join the fray while the unlikely group squares off against a mad old adventurer/inventor and his dirigible full of hyper intelligent hounds.
Release Date: May 29
The Highs: The unusual choice of a hero lends perfectly to the film's emotional message about embracing life, no matter where it takes you. Pixar once again delivers gorgeous, texturally rich CG landscapes and moments of improbable levity in this adventure tale which has won over even the skeptics.
The Lows: While the film delivers, its unconventionality might not be enough to trump the film snobbish tendency to dismiss "Disney-ish" films and the persistence of CG, a trend which has begun to unravel this year.
Vote Here!
     
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Studio: Fox, Regency Ent., Indian Paintbrush
Director: Wes Anderson
Written By: Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbauch, from the book by Roald Dahl
Voice Talent: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Jarvis Cocker, Owen Wilson, Willem Defoe
Synopsis: Roald Dahl's tale of an exceptionally crafty fox who constantly outwits his curmudgeonly farmer neighbors comes to life with Anderson's unique style in beautiful, vintage-y stop-motion (think Wind in the Willows meets Royal Tenenbaums).
Release Date: November 13
The Highs: Anderson is one of the hottest directors around, and the excellent preview clips showcasing his aesthetic flair and the utterly perfect casting choices are generating plenty of excitement among animation fans and film enthusiasts in general.
The Lows: This being the director's first animated foray, we have to admit we're a little nervous about the well publicized fact that most of his directing was done via e-mail! There are some things even Facebook can't accomplish.
Vote Here!
     
The Princess and the Frog
Studio: Disney
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Written By: Clements, Musker, Rob Edwards
Voice Talent: Anika Noni Rose, Oprah Winfrey, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis, John Goodman, Bruno Campos, Terrence Howard
Synopsis: Set in Jazz-age New Orleans, the film follows a young African American girl whose life is turned upside down when she helps a voodoo-cursed Prince who's been transformed into a frog, setting them off on an exciting adventure through the Louisiana bayous.
Release Date: November 25 [limited]
The Highs: Disney's return to the princess genre--and traditional animation--comes highly anticipated. With the toon house's first African American heroine, a jazzy soundtrack by Randy Newman and less common fairytale source material (however loosely interpreted), it looks to be a triumphant return indeed.
The Lows: While the animation and musical numbers are sure to wow, it remains to be seen whether straddling the classic/contemporary line will be eye catching enough for the Academy.
Vote Here!
     
The Secret of Kells
Studio: Cartoon Saloon
Director: Tomm Moore
Written By: Fabrice Ziolkowski, story by Tomm Moore
Voice Talent: Evan McGuire, Christen Mooney, Mick Lally, Brendan Gleeson
Synopsis: Set in the 9th century, this graphically intoxicating 2D film follows a youth named Brendan living in a monestary in Ireland. When he befriends a monk who opens his eyes to the wonders of art through his illuminated manuscripts, Brendan embarks on a dangerous journey outside the monestary to complete the historically important Book of Kells.
Release Date: -
The Highs: We've been talking up this Belgian-French-Irish co-pro for what feels like forever, and festival juries and film critics around the world have joined in to sing the praises of Kells' striking illumination/scrollwork-inspired animation, charming story and overall enchantment.
The Lows: As of publishing, it still hasn't been confirmed whether Kells will see an Oscar qualifying theatrical release this year! Sure the competition is stiff, but like our moms used to say, "You'll never know until you try!"
Vote Here!

Best Animated Short Film
 French Roast
Director: Fabrice Joubert, France
Winner: Atlanta Film Festival, SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival
Website: www.frenchroast.fr
Vote Here!
     
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
Directed by Nicky Phelan, produced by Darragh O’Connell
(Brown Bag Films)
Website: www.grannyogrimm.com
Vote Here!
     
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Directed by Javier Recio Gracia
(Kandor Graphics and Green Moon)
Website: www.theladyandthereaper.com
Vote Here!
     
Logorama
Produced by Nicolas Schmerkin,
(Autour de Minuit)
Website: www.logorama-themovie.com
Vote Here!
     
Wallace and Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death
Director: Nick Park (Aardman Animations), U.K.
Winner: Annie Award Best Animated Short Subject, BAFTA Film Award Best Short Animation
Website: www.wallaceandgromit.com/film
Vote Here!

Best Visual Effects
 Avatar
 20th Century Fox
Director: James Cameron
Written By: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang
Studios: BUF, Framestore CFC, Gentle Giant Studios, Giant Studios, Halon Entertainment, Hybride Technologies, Hydraulx, Industrial Light & Magic, Lola Visual Effects, Pixel Liberation Front, Stan Winston Studio, The Third Floor, Weta Digital.
Supervisors: Joe Letteri; Steve Ingram, John Bruno, Jonathan Fawkner (Framestore), Anthony Ivins (LOOK Effects), John Knoll (ILM), Daniel Leduc (Hybride), Dan Lemmon, Erik Liles (Hydraulx), Richard Martin (Hybride), Steven Quale, Stephen Rosenbaum (WETA), Jonathan Rothbart, Eric Saindon, Wayne Stables, David Stinnett (Blur), Mathilde Tollec (BUF), R. Christopher White, Edson Williams (Lola), Guy Williams
Synopsis: A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Release Date: December 18
Vote Here!
     
District 9
 TriStar Pictures
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Written By: Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt
Studios: The Embassy, Goldtooth Creative, Image Engine Design, MXFX Special Effects, Weta Digital, Weta Workshop, XYZ-RGB (scanning), Zoic Studios
Supervisors: Matt Aiken (WETA), Keegan Douglas (Goldtooth), Steve Ingram, Dan Kaufman (Image Engine), Max Poolman
Synopsis: An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.
Release Date: August 14
Vote Here!
     
Star Trek
Paramount
Director: J.J. Abrams
Written By: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana
Star Trek
Studios: Digital Domain, Evil Eye Pictures, Industrial Light & Magic, Kerner Optical, Lola Visual Effects, OOOii, Persistence of Vision Entertainment, Quantum Creation FX, Svengali Visual Effects, The Third Floor, Tinsley Transfers, Vital Distraction
Supervisors: Roger Guyett, Russell Earl (ILM), Christopher James Hall (Kerner), Matt McDonald (Evil Eye Pictures), Kelly Port (Digital Domain), Daniel P. Rosen (Evil Eye), Stefano Trivelli (Svengali), Edson Williams (Lola)
Synopsis: A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.
Release Date: May 8
Vote Here!

 

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