The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Valerie Taylor was kind enough to let me know that the final nominees for this year’s BAA -- British Animation Awards -- in both the juried and the public voted Children’s Choice categories, have just been announced today and national treasure Aardman Animation is leading the field with no less than four noms in the television categories, with the brilliant Wallace and Gromit: a Matter of Loaf and Death and their Shaun the Sheep picking up multiple nominations. One of my favourite films of last year, the Irish-joint European production The Secret of Kells is the only English language movie to make the final nominations in Best European Animated Feature, competing with French language films Lascars (Round da Way, France) and Panique au Village (A Town Called Panic, Belgium). And once again it leaves me asking UK film distributors, why the smeg has Kells not had a general release in British cinemas? Seriously, its done well on the Continent, its been nominated for several presitgious awards so why aren’t audiences here getting to see it outside of a festival screening? Come on distributors, give some support to a wonderful animation that doesn’t rely on 3D CG…

The BAAs cover quite a spectrum of animation, from the obvious (best animated feature film) to the sort of important work that lets animators earn a crust and also hone their skills at the same time with work for adverts or the likes of music videos as well as student works. The full list of nominees:

Best Animated Special

Varmints
Director:Marc Craste, Producer: Sue Goffe, Produced by Studio A.K.A.

Wallace & Gromit: Matter of Loaf & Death
Director:Nick Park, Producer:Steve Pegram, Produced by Aardman Animations.

Lost and Found
Director: Philip Hunt, Producer:Sue Goffe,
Animation: Lucas Vigroux, Johannes Weiland, Perrine Marais, Fabienne
Produced by Studio A.K.A.

Best European Animated Feature

LASCARS (Round da Way, 2009)
Directors: Albert Pereira-Lazaro & Emmanuel Klotz
Producers: Roch Lener & Philippe Gompel
A Millimages SA Production.

The Secret of Kells (2008)
Director: Tomm Moore
Co-Director: Nora Twomey
Producers: Didier Bruner, Paul Young & Viviane Vanfleteren
A Les Armateurs/ Vivi Film/ Cartoon Saloon/ France 2 Cinéma co-production.

Panique au village (A Town Called Panic, 2009)
Directors: Vincent Patar & Stephane Aubier
Producers: Philippe Kauffmann, Vincent Tavier & Stephan Roelants
Screenplay: Vincent Patar, Vincent Tavier, Stéphane Aubier, Guillaume Malandin
A La Parti / Melusine Productions / Made In co-production.

Best Pre school Series

Roary the Racing Car: Cici Spectacular
Produced by Chapman Entertainment Ltd for Five in association with Nickelodeon.

My Favourite Bedtime Stories: The Cat & the Rooster
Produced by Blue-Zoo Productions for NickJr.

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom: Big Bad Barry
Produced by Astley Baker Davies/E1 Kids for Nick Jr.

Best Children’s Series

KNTV Sex: The Act of Sex
Director: Garry J Marshall, Producer: Harry Bell
Produced by Tern Television Productions Ltd. for Channel 4.

Shaun the Sheep: Ewe’ve Been Framed
Director: Richard Webber, Series Director: Chris Sadler
Producer: Gareth Owen
Produced by Aardman Animations for BBC & WDR.

Stitch Up Showdown: Bad Boxing
Director: Oli Hyatt & Adam Shaw, Producer:Adam Shaw
Animation: Blue Zoo Productions
Produced by Blue Zoo Productions for Nickelodeon.

Children’s Choice

Roary the Racing Car, As previously listed

Shaun the Sheep, As previously listed

A Matter of Loaf and Death, As previously listed

Best Short Film

The Black Dog’s Progress
Director: Stephen Irwin
Produced for Animate Projects.

Tad’s Nest
Director: Petra Freeman
Produced for Animate Projects.

TXT ISLAND
Director: Chris Gavin

Best Sound

The Black Dog’s Progress
Director: Stephen Irwin, Produced for Animate Projects.

Yellow Belly End
Composer: Stuart Earl, Sound Design: Zhe Wu, Director: Philip Bacon
Produced at The National Film & Television School.

Tad’s Nest
Music: Sofia Gubaidulina, Sound Design:Pete Howell, Director: Petra Freeman
Produced for Animate Projects.

Best Film/TV Graphics

Animal Planet
Director: Howard Watkins, Producer: Kenny Reid
Produced by The Discovery Channel/Lipsync Post

Holland Animation Film Festival Title Sequence: Robin
Director: Lee Wilson Wolfe & Pete Bishop, Producer: Pete Bishop
Produced by The Shop

Five Creative Burst: Love Story
Director: The Plant, Producer: Jonathan Bairstow, Animation: The Plant
Produced by Sherbet

Best Student Film 2010

Heartstrings
Director: Rhiannon Evans
Produced at the International Film School of Wales

Yellow Belly End
Director: Philip Bacon
Produced at The National Film & Television School.

Wolves
Director:Rafael Sommerhalder, Producer:Animation Staff, Royal College of Art
Produced at the Royal College of Art .
New Media: Best Commissioned Animation

WOLVES (Excerpt) from Crictor on Vimeo.

Harmonix: The Beatles Rock Band -- Intro
Director: Pete Candeland, Producer:Pete Maguire & Debbie Crosscup
Produced by Passion Pictures.

Converse: Pool
Director: George Gendi, Producer:Jonathan Bairstow
Animation: George Gendi & Bishoy Gendi
Produced by Sherbet.

DJ Hero
Director: Marco Puig
Producer: Sarah Hiddlestone, Simon Whalley, Mike Woods & Diarmid Scrimshaw
Sound: Pepper Post, Produced by Framestore in association with Warp Films.

Best Music Video

Tom Fun Orchestra: Bottom of the River
Director: Alasdair + Jock, Producer: Richard Barnett
Produced by Trunk Animation for Company House Records.

Animal Kingdom: Chalk Stars
Director: Thomas Hicks, Animation: Thomas Hicks & Paddy Molloy
Music: Animal Kingdom
An independent production for Warp Records.

Flogging Molly: Float
Director: Karni & Saul, Music:Flogging Molly
Produced by Rokkit for Sideone Dummy.

Best Commercial Director

Comparethemarket.com: Jingle
Director: Darren Walsh
Produced by Passion Pictures for VCCP.

IOC: All Together Now
Director: Fx & Mat
Produced by Nexus Productions for Cole & Weber United, USA.

Audi Q5: Unboxed
Director: Russell Brooke & Aaron Duffy
Produced by Passion Pictures & 1st Ave Machine for BBH, London.

Best Commercial: Craft

Audi Q5: Unboxed
Director: Russell Brooke & Aaron Duffy
Produced by Passion Pictures & 1st Ave Machine for BBH, London.

Neotel: No Restrictions
Director: Jeremy Holden
Produced by Riverstone Films Johannesburg & Framestore for TBWA/Hunt Lascaris.

Alko: Father & Son
Director: Jonathan Hodgson, Producer: Jonathan Bairstow
Produced by Sherbet for Grey Direct, Helsinki.

Applied Animation

Show Me, Show Me
Animation Director: Siri Melchoir, Producer: Richard Barnett
Produced by Trunk for CBeebies.

Show Me Show Me- welly from trunk animation on Vimeo.

War for Resources: Age of Stupid
Animation Director: Jonathan Hodgson, Producer: Jonathan Hodgson & Lizzie Gillett
Produced by Spanner Films.

Age Of Stupid: Clips: War for Resources from Age of Stupid on Vimeo.

The Violent Highway
Animation Director: Tony Comley, Producer: Jonathan Bairstow & Sarah Essam
Sound & Music: Blast Films, Produced by Sherbet for BBC.

The Violent Highway from Tony Comley on Vimeo.

The awards will be announced on Thursday April 8th at the British Film Institute in London and fellow animation fans can view the finalists in a series of special screenings at the BFI between the 1st and 14th of March; there are a range of DVD of previous winner’s animations available from the BAA site which are a treasure trove of fascinating work for anyone who loves the art of animation.