10 Animated Shorts Move Ahead in Oscar Race

The 10 animated shorts that will advance in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Thirty-seven works had originally qualified in the category. The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

• THE CAT PIANO, Eddie White and Ari Gibson, directors (The People’s Republic of Animation)
• FRENCH ROAST, Fabrice O. Joubert, director (Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films)
• GRANNY O' GRIMM'S SLEEPING BEAUTY, Nicky Phelan, director, and Darragh O’Connell, producer (Brown Bag Films)
• THE KINEMATOGRAPH, Tomek Baginski, director-producer (Platige Image)
• THE LADY AND THE REAPER (La Dama y la Muerte), Javier Recio Gracia, director (Kandor Graphics and Green Moon)
• LOGORAMA, Nicolas Schmerkin, producer (Autour de Minuit)
• A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH, Nick Park, director (Aardman Animations Ltd.)
• PARTLY CLOUDY, Peter Sohn, director (Pixar Animation Studios)
• RUNAWAY, Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada)
• VARIETE, Roelof van den Bergh, director (il Luster Prods.)

The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in New York and Los Angeles.

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January 2010.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Feb. 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.