The 2010 Animated Shorts

The 2010 nominees are:

“French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert (French, 8 min.)
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell (English, 6 min.)
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia (Non-dialogue, 8 min.)
“Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin (English, 16 min.)
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park (English, 30 min.)

The animated program is appropriate for all audiences except for the final film, LOGORAMA, which includes vulgar language and some (animated) violence, so parents are cautioned about that one. There is a title card beforehand that says “the final film in the program contains strong language and violence,” so people do have the option of leaving at that time should they want to. All the other films in the animated program would be MPAA rated G or PG and perfectly appropriate for children.

FRENCH ROAST FRANCE/8 MINS
Director/Writer: Fabrice O. Joubert
Producers: Louis Viau, Bibo Bergeron, Pascal Chevé

In a fancy Parisian Café, an uptight businessman is about to pay the check when he finds out that he has lost his wallet. To save time he decides to order more coffee.


GRANNY O’GRIMM’S SLEEPING BEAUTY IRELAND/6 MINS
Director: Nicky Phelan
Writer: Kathleen O’Rourke
Producer: Darragh O’Connell
Cast: Kathleen O’Rourke

Granny O’Grimm, a seemingly sweet old lady, loses the plot as she tells her version of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ to her terrified granddaughter.


THE LADY AND THE REAPER SPAIN/8 MINS
Director/Writer: Javier Recio Gracia
Production Company: Kandor Moon
Producers: Antonio Banderas, Manuel Sicilia, Juan Molina, Enrique Posner, Raul Garcia, Marcelino Almanso, Antonio Meliveo

A sweet old lady lives alone on her farm, waiting for death so that she can see her beloved husband once again. One night, she is invited to enter death's domain, but someone will ruin it for her.


LOGORAMA ARGENTINA/16 MINS
Producer/Writer/Director: H5 (Franςois Alaux, Hervé de Crécy, Ludovic Houplain)

Spectacular car chases, an intense hostage crisis, wild animals rampaging through the city and even more in Logorama!


A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH UNITED KINGDOM/30 MINS
Director: Nick Park
Writers: Nick Park, Bob Baker
Producer: Steve Pegram
Cast: Peter Sallis, Sally Lindsay

Wallace & Gromit have started a new bread baking business, ‘Top Bun’ and converted 62 West Wallaby Street into a granary with ovens, robotic kneading arms and an old-fashioned windmill on the roof. The transformation is perfect.

Although business is booming, Gromit is concerned by the news that a dozen local bakers have ‘disappeared’ this year – but Wallace isn’t worried. He’s too distracted and ‘dough-eyed’ in love with former beauty and bread enthusiast, Piella Bakewell.

While they enjoy being the ‘Toast of the Town’, Gromit soon realises his master’s life is in jeopardy, and turns sleuth to solve the escalating murder mystery – in what quickly becomes ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death.’

Cast your predictions for this year’s Oscar® nominated short film winners at www.shortshd.com/theoscarshorts.

In the Live Action category The New Tenants starring Law & Order: Criminal Intent star Vincent D’Onofrio is currently in the lead, closely followed by the Swedish entry Instead of Abracadabra in second place and slave drama Kavi in third.

The Animation race is even tighter. Nick Park’s A Matter of Loaf & Death is being chased by the double whammy of Logorama and Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty in second and third place respectively

With the programme entering its second weekend in cinemas across the US, the voting is set to continue all the way up to the Academy Awards ceremony on March 7th.

To cast your predictions, visit www.shortshd.com/theoscarshorts.