The 94th Academy Awards nominations are in, marking a remarkable year for animation. Here’s how the best animated feature and shorts nominees are reacting to the news:
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Best Animated Feature)
“We’d like to THANK THE ACADEMY (WHAT IS HAPPENING!??!?!?) for this nomination. We’re so happy that our amazing team of artists and filmmakers are getting recognized for this film. Our family of hundreds of crew set out to make the most original, heartwarming, funny, surprising and groundbreaking film we could make, and to do it with the love and enthusiasm of a movie lover making her first film.
“Our art team constantly proved that you could break formulas and invent new tools to have CG animation reveal our artists’ humanity instead of hiding it. Our LGBTQ+ teammates helped us make our main character authentically queer. And all our artists infused every shot with the love and passion and infectious joy of our fellow first time filmmaker main character: Katie Mitchell.
“This movie is a celebration of humanity, and we’re so grateful to the humans who made it, and just as grateful to the humans who loved it.”
— Mike Rianda (director, co-writer), Phil Lord (producer), Chris Miller (producer), Kurt Albrecht (producer)
Robin Robin (Best Animated Short Film)
“On behalf of the incredible team that brought this little bird and her world to life, we’re completely thrilled with the news of the Academy nomination. The shorts on the long list were made by some of our favorite artists and we feel very fortunate to have made it through to this next round. Wishing the other nominees the best of luck and whatever happens on the night, we’ll see you on the dance floor, where the real competition begins.”
— Mikey Please & Dan Ojari (co-directors)
The Windshield Wiper (Best Animated Short Film)
“As a filmmaker, I can’t think of anything more fulfilling and satisfying than your film getting nominated for an Oscar. I’m not going to lie, but this is something I fantasized about many times, always distant as a real possibility. Film is my favorite of the arts BY FAR. I love animation as an art and as a tool, and I have spent what I lived so far experimenting, studying, honoring and enhancing an art form that fascinates me. I am very happy to witness that my fellow animated short nominees are films that do not necessarily meet the requirements of what is mainstream or commercial. What happened today is extremely important for the industry of animation because the Academy is also honoring this art by selecting these new narratives. I consider animation the winner today.”
— Alberto Mielgo (writer/director)
“Wow, we are so overwhelmed by this honor. This is all totally surreal, I am so happy, it’s hard to find the words. The Windshield Wiper was a passion project for the past seven years that we worked hard to keep on track in between life and work. We are so thankful to all of our friends in the industry who jumped on board and believed in the film from the start. They helped us take it to the finish line to a point where we could share it with the world. We are so excited to see what comes next with this amazing recognition!”
— Leo Sanchez (producer)
