previous page
TOC Awards Season
The Big Award Season Contenders Your guide to the wide list of 2021 animated movies that will be vying for the Oscars, the Annies and other year-end prizes! By Michael Mallory
W
hatever else 2021 turns out to be or not to be, it has been a great year for feature animation! This year’s slate is almost an embarrassment of riches, with so many films that are destined not to make the Oscar nominations cut, because there can only be five, but still registering as genuinely
worthy examples of animated filmmaking. And this is despite a year in which production, distribution and exhibition of movies has been the most logistically challenging of any era in modern history. Still, there can only be five, therefore…
BEST BETS Belle (a.k.a. Belle: The Dragon and
the Freckled Princess) Director: Mamoru Hosoda Released by: GKIDS Production Studio: Studio Chizu Voice Cast: Kaho Nakamura, Takeru Satoh, Kōji Yakusho Synopsis: A teenager divides her time between the real world and a virtual world called “U” in which she is a pop music icon. Release Date: July 15 (Cannes), July 16 (Japan), October 23 (L.A.) Director Talk: “My daughter is five years old. I thought a lot about her future while making this film … I
imagined what it would be like when my daughter and her generation, who were born with the internet, are grown up.” — Mamoru Hosoda The Word: “Though constructed around teenage neurosis, which can get pretty grim at times, Belle is an immersive experience for anyone willing to give anime a try.” — Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter Nomination Chances: Possible, given Hosada’s name recognition among Academy voters and his previous work (Mirai, Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt through Time). The social media plotline may be a bit convoluted, but the animation is simply stunning. Also, GKIDS has an amazing track record when it comes to the Oscar and Annie races.
Encanto
Directors: Byron Howard, Jared Bush Released by: Walt Disney Pictures Production Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios Voice Cast: Stephanie Beatriz, Wilmer Valderrama, Angie Cepeda Synopsis: A young woman, the only one in her family who does not possess a super-power, must find her natural strength when the magic of her enchanted Colombian village is threatened. Release Date: November 24 Director Talk: “The dancing is so much a part of the Colombian culture that inspired this movie. We’ve leaned into choreography in this like never before. It’s amazing what the animators accomplished with Jamal Sims, our choreographer, and [dancer] Kai Martinez.” — Byron Howard Nomination Chances: Outwardly good, though it’s a very crowded year both for Disney releases and for cultural animated films, which means something has to get squeezed out. The holiday release timing, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songs and the beautiful Colombian setting gives this colorful musical a huge advantage.
Flee
Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen Released by: NEON (U.S.) Production Studios: Final Cut for Real, Sun Creature, Vivement Lundi!, Mostfilm, Mer Film, VICE Studios, Left Handed Films Voice Cast: Riz Ahmed, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (English version) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% Synopsis: An Afghani refugee in Denmark discloses a 20-year-old secret upon the eve of his marriage to another man, which will either ruin or save his life. Release Date: January 28 (Sundance), December 3 (U.S.) Director Talk: “I didn’t intend to do a refugee story; I
wanted to do a story about my friend. That’s where it came from: our friendship.” — Jonas Poher Rasmussen The Word: “Beautifully animated to protect the identity of the main subject, Rasmussen’s film examines the lengths we will go to in order to survive and protect those we love.” — Josh Flanders, Chicago Reader Nomination Chances: In an ideal world, this groundbreaking, multinational animated documentary would be a shoo-in … but visibility (and competition) might complicate its chances. The timely message about the political and social turmoil in Afghanistan and the plight of LGBTQ+ people and refugees makes this film the perfect contender for 2021. In addition to the animation race, it also has a very strong chance of showing up in the Best Documentary Feature category.
www.animationmagazine.net 48
TOC
december 21
previous page
