Oscar Shortlist Interviews: Director John Kelly’s Favorite Shot From ‘Retirement Plan’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Kelly shares a playful scene that precipitates a drop in tone, and the one retirement dream that he shares with its protagonist, Ray.
Kelly shares a playful scene that precipitates a drop in tone, and the one retirement dream that he shares with its protagonist, Ray.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ scored 11 VES Awards nominations, while ‘Zootopia 2,’ ‘Elio,’ and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ lead animation titles with five each.
The turning point scene shows Goya realize that his past and his madness are inescapable, yet he continues painting as the audience watches in helpless silence.
We asked the filmmakers of all 15 shortlisted shorts to send us the first piece of artwork they created for their films and to explain what inspired the look.
The double-win for Netflix and Sony’s animated hit gives the musical feature major momentum in the race for this year’s Oscars.
The film’s emotional climax was also one of its most technically challenging, combining a moving camera, animated background, and emotional performance.
In two seconds, the film’s heart is revealed as an undeserving adopted prodigal son receives a selfless act of grace, sacrifice, and hope.
The Annecy-winning explains how meticulous pinscreen animation was used to create the woodland adventure’s coziest shot.
Split framing, shifting scale, and sound place the audience inside Éiru’s disorientation, collapsing time and space as her torch light fades.
The give a behind-the-scenes explanation of the pivotal shot where story, music, and performance align to create cinematic “sorcery.”
Falileieva talks about building the entire film around this one shot, imagined just two days after she escaped the Russian attack on Ukraine.
We’re also excited to announce that we’re sponsoring a new honor at the festival, the Cartoon Brew Award for Excellence in Filmmaking.
Bronzit explains why the opening shot from ‘The Three Sisters’ is his favorite, and what he teaches aspiring animators about kicking off a film.
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ wins made sense, but ambitious shows like ‘Common Side Effects’ or ‘Long Story Short’ seemed more deserving of best animated series.
ASIFA-Hollywood reveals the 53rd Annie Awards nominees, including features, series, shorts, VFX, games, and craft categories ahead of the Feb. 21 ceremony.
In a man’s final swim, the aging champion revisits love, joy, and trauma, as water becomes a living passage between memory, loss, and survival.
The director describes the film’s Sparrow Lady as a grandmother figure tied to memory and roots, defined by hidden eyes, gentle sadness, and familiar warmth.
In this intimate moment, ‘Cardboard’ uses just a few frames to convey a single father’s sense of loss, softened by a hopeful light at the end of the tunnel.
The Czech director breaks down perspective, surprise, and setting behind the film’s first reveal, from frozen time to Prague’s iconic skyline.
Disney legend Aaron Blaise discusses the emotional centerpiece of his Oscar-shortlisted animated short ‘Snow Bear’ and what the moment means to him.