The directors of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts pose at the Academy in Beverly Hills. All photos © AWN, Inc. unless otherwise noted.

Over the course of the past year, I've reviewed more than 50 short films, ranging from the brilliant to the deranged (and at least a few that were brilliant and deranged). I was pleased to find out last month that several of my favorite films from the past year had been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, and I was especially pleased when I was tapped to interview the directors of these shorts for this pre-Oscar article.

Konstantin Bronzit, Lavatory Lovestory director.

Konstantin Bronzit, Lavatory Lovestory

Andrew Farago: I'm at the Dolby Laboratories Theater in San Francisco for Animation World Network's Oscar Showcase Tour, and I'm speaking with Konstantin...

Konstantin Bronzit: Bronzit!

AF: Bronzit.

KB: Brrrrrrrronzit!

AF: First of all, how did you find out that you were nominated for an Academy Award?

KB: Ron Diamond. He called me at the end of the workday, as I was preparing to leave the office.

AF: How did you celebrate when you received the news?

KB: Normally, in Russia, we do not hug other men. But when I got the news, I hugged everyone. We had a drink at the studio, and it was a good way to end the day.

AF: How long ago did you start work on Lavatory Lovestory?

KB: From start to finish? Probably about three years, but we worked on this and that in between.

AF: Did you imagine that you would receive this much positive attention for your work?

Lavatory Lovestory © Melnitsa Animation Studio.

KB: No, not really. You do your best work, you finish your film, then you start on the next.

AF: What was the inspiration for your film?

KB: I have a bad kidney, and I have to go to the bathroom all the time. I am kidding. I go to bathroom... slightly more than other people, and it seemed like a good idea to do a story about the bathroom. And then, I added love story to it.

AF: Bathroom attendant is not a very desirable job, is it? What is the worst job that you have ever had?

KB: I've been very lucky. I've always worked in animation, as assistant, as copier... never anything too bad, though.

AF: How long have you been involved in animation?

KB: My whole life. Since I was born. Twenty-five years, at least. Many, many years of suffering.

AF: Do you plan to continue working on animated shorts for the time being, or do you have other career aspirations? Do you have any interest in experimenting with other forms of animation?

KB: For this, there was much drawing, and there was some computer animation... but you have to what is best for the story. That might be 3D, it might be hand drawing, it might be puppets... whatever is best for the story.

AF: What have been the highlights of the AWN tour so far?

KB: It has been a very fast trip. We have seen Pixar and ILM... I met George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, and I have seen a lot of things in a very short time. It has been enjoyable to talk with the other directors. It's complicated, because we all speak different languages, but we are talking about many, many things, not just animation. It is a nice break from work.

AF: Will you be attending the Academy Awards? Whom would you most like to meet when you're in Hollywood?

KB: I look forward to attending. It might be fun to meet... um... I don' know... Brad Pitt? Or Angelina Jolie, maybe. That's a good answer, isn't it?