Oscar for Best Animated Feature 2013

[Sotiris]

• It has been announced that next year's Oscar ceremony will be held on March 02, 2014 to avoid the Winter Olympics.

• Ernest & Celestine has won the top prize at this year's New York International Children's Film Festival. The film already won a few other awards including the César for Best Animated Film in 2013.

• Rio 2096: A Story of Love and Fury won the Cristal for Best Feature at the International Animation Film Festival in Annecy, 2013.

• Monsters University received the Hollywood Animation Award, the first major award of the Oscar season.

• Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco received the Original Vision Award for The Croods at the World Animation & VFX Summit.

• The Academy has adopted a new system to expand the number of Animated Feature nominations voters and allow screeners.

• Uruguay has submitted the animated film Anina to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

• Disney has released the categories in which they will be submitting their films for the awards season.

• The Wind Rises and Ernest and Celestine have been submitted to the Golden Globes in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

[estefan]

Here's the official press release of what films have been submitted in the Best Animated Feature category.

So, it looks like there will be five this year. I'm guessing The Wind Rises, Frozen, Monsters University, Ernest and Celestine will take the first four slots with the last one being The Croods, Despicable Me 2 or (hopefully, since it's my favourite animated film of the year thus far) Epic. Though I could see one of the smaller titles like Rio or Letter to Momo possibly getting that last spot.

[Linden]

^I didn't realise The Wind Rises would be eligible. Is it being screened somewhere?

I hope Epic gets nominated too. It's really not the best movie, but it's so pretty, and it's grown on me. It's one of those movies that if I had seen it when I was little, it'd be a favourite. Plus, it's such an improvement for Blue Sky lately, I want them to be commended.

[estefan]

^I didn't realise The Wind Rises would be eligible. Is it being screened somewhere?

Disney/Touchstone is releasing the subtitled version in New York and Los Angeles for Academy Award eligibility and then opening it wide in dubbed form in February.

[PatrickvD]

I don't get why Disney is so eager to shoot itself in the foot. The Wind Rises is serious competition for Frozen.

And WDAS has yet to win the oscar.

[Linden]

.

^I didn't realise The Wind Rises would be eligible. Is it being screened somewhere?

Disney/Touchstone is releasing the subtitled version in New York and Los Angeles for Academy Award eligibility and then opening it wide in dubbed form in February.

Hopefully this time I'll get around to seeing a Studio Ghibli film in theatres. I keep missing them. That's pretty generous of Disney to submit both Frozen and The Wind Rises. But I think it's the right thing to do. Both deserve Oscar consideration, and both are likely to be nominated. Although From Up on Poppy Hill didn't get nominated, and The Secret World of Arrietty didn't either, in case we needed any more reason to doubt the Academy Awards.

[qindarka]

I don't get why Disney is so eager to shoot itself in the foot. The Wind Rises is serious competition for Frozen.

And WDAS has yet to win the oscar.

It would mean more if it won in a tougher field. And it might be one of the terms of the partnership that they had to submit The Wind Rises for consideration.

Linden, From Up on Poppy Hill didn't deserve a nomination, really. Not everything Ghibli puts out is gold, they have been struggling for about a decade now and I have always found their non-Miyazaki films to be unremarkable overall.

[PatrickvD]

I don't get why Disney is so eager to shoot itself in the foot. The Wind Rises is serious competition for Frozen.

And WDAS has yet to win the oscar.

It would mean more if it won in a tougher field. And it might be one of the terms of the partnership that they had to submit The Wind Rises for consideration.

I mean their decision to release it this year. Obviously they're going to submit it. I don't think it's possible not to. But the limited release suggests they were simply trying to squeeze it in for a nomination.

[Linden]

Linden, From Up on Poppy Hill didn't deserve a nomination, really. Not everything Ghibli puts out is gold, they have been struggling for about a decade now and I have always found their non-Miyazaki films to be unremarkable overall.

I wasn't sure about that one to be honest. I still haven't seen it. I've heard nice things about it. I figured it's better than one or two of the nominees.

But I really do think The Secret World of Arrietty is a work of art. It deserved, at the very least, a nomination, and it's not a stretch for me to say it deserved the win. I understand that's not a widespread opinion, but it did get great critical reviews (94% on rottentomatoes). I would think that would at least garner it a nomination, but no.

[frankf3]

But I really do think The Secret World of Arrietty is a work of art. It deserved, at the very least, a nomination, and it's not a stretch for me to say it deserved the win. I understand that's not a widespread opinion, but it did get great critical reviews (94% on rottentomatoes). I would think that would at least garner it a nomination, but no.

Arrietty wasn't eligible for last year's Oscar actually because it was released in Japan in July 2010.

[DisneyJedi]

Then why the hell did Spirited Away get nominated for the Oscare of 2003 Best Animated Feature when the movie came out in Japan in 2001?!

[estefan]

The ceremony was in 2003, but it was honouring films released on American screens in 2002. Hence why Spirited Away was eligible.

[qindarka]

It would mean more if it won in a tougher field. And it might be one of the terms of the partnership that they had to submit The Wind Rises for consideration.

I mean their decision to release it this year. Obviously they're going to submit it. I don't think it's possible not to. But the limited release suggests they were simply trying to squeeze it in for a nomination.

Perhaps Ghibli insisted, this is the best chance for it with Miyazaki's retirement announcement still fresh in the memory.

Linden, From Up on Poppy Hill didn't deserve a nomination, really. Not everything Ghibli puts out is gold, they have been struggling for about a decade now and I have always found their non-Miyazaki films to be unremarkable overall.

I wasn't sure about that one to be honest. I still haven't seen it. I've heard nice things about it. I figured it's better than one or two of the nominees.

But I really do think The Secret World of Arrietty is a work of art. It deserved, at the very least, a nomination, and it's not a stretch for me to say it deserved the win. I understand that's not a widespread opinion, but it did get great critical reviews (94% on rottentomatoes). I would think that would at least garner it a nomination, but no.

Arrietty was good and deserved a nomination, though there was confusion as to in which year. (Released in Japan in 2010, in the UK in 2011 and in the US in 2012).

Really wanted to love From Up on Poppy Hill but it really isn't all that good.

[Disney's Divinity]

Personally, I thought FUoPH was better than Arrietty, although neither of them were great. I just found Arrietty a little dull and borrowed too heavily from so many other (better) female characters Ghibli has had.

But those films deserved to be nominated, when you consider what was nominated.

[Pokeholic_Prince]

Personally, I feel like this is a weak year for animation. Not as week as 2011, but pretty close. Not having seen the foreign films, the ones that came out in the states so far are solid. They don't reach the highs of Years prior. Luckily, none of them are bad movies.

The best of the year so far is "The Croods," which is amazingly animated and directed. The script/story is a little weak, but the characters, humor, and emotions are all executed effectively. The climax really got to me.

"Monster's University" would be next. Followed by "Epic,
" and "Despicable Me 2."

I'm hoping that "Frozen" will be the saving grace of this year and be leagues better than the rest. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like it will be.

As for prediction of the nominations:

I think "Despicable Me 2" will get a nomination for sure because it is the highest grossing amongst the contenders and love by everyone. Plus, it's a solid film.

"Monster's University" is gonna get a nomination too because, come on, it's Pixar. Last year, they let the weaker movie win because it was Pixar.

From all the buzz, "Frozen" sounds like a lock for a nomination and a potential win.

"The Wind Rises" seems to be a lock in for nomination as well because it is Miyazaki's last film. I think Disney's gonna aggressively advertise it as well. However, I don't think it'll win.

This is where it gets tough, but I think it'll be "Ernest and Celeste," from what I've been hearing.

[frankf3]

Why does everyone say 2011 was a weak year for animation? I personally don't consider that a weak year given that I consider Rango, Kung Fu Panda 2, and Arthur Christmas (underrated imo) to be outstanding films.

I liked those three movies above better than Monsters University (best 2013 animated movie so far) by a mile.

[Pokeholic_Prince]

I think it's a weak year because it had to follow 2009 and 2010, probably the best years ever. Then 2012 followed, which was a really good year. So 2011, was sandwiched between some of the best years of animation and in perspective none of those films are considered ever in talks of great animated films. Don't get me wrong those movies are solid as well and I like KFP2 more than any animated movie this year.

[Sotiris]

But those films deserved to be nominated, when you consider what was nominated.

So true!

[estefan]

The short list for the Best Animated Short category has been announced.

Usually, we found out which shorts were submitted and screened, so it's surprising that we're already at the short list. Also surprising is The Blue Umbrella didn't make the cut. I guess that increases the likeliness of Get a Horse winning (and remember, because of new rules, everybody in the Academy will vote and I have a feeling they will go with the popular, studio-produced short over the smaller, indie ones).

[Lady Cluck]

WHAT? Why wouldn't The Blue Umbrella make the cut? That enrages me to my very CORE.

I hope Get a Horse wins though! It's getting rave reviews for being both entertaining and innovative.