January 23rd, 2025 
Jerry Beck 
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that nominations for its 97th Annual Academy Awards. The 5 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their directors:
Best Animated Feature nominees are:
• Flow – Gints Zilbalodis
• Inside Out 2 – Kelsey Mann
• Memoirs Of A Snail – Adam Elliot
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengence Most Fowl – Merlin Crossingham and Nick Park
• The Wild Robot – Chris Sanders
Best Animated Short nominees are:
• Beautiful Men – Nicolas Keppens
• In The Shadow Of the Cypress – Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi
• Magic Candies – Daisuke Nishio
• Wander To Wonder – Nina Gantz
• Yuck! – Loic Espuche
The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2nd, 2025, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
In addition to the above – animated features were represented with nominations in other categories:
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE – Flow
BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE) – The Wild Robot
BEST SOUND – The Wild Robot
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoirs Of A Snail
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
FILMMAKER REACTIONS: FEATURES:
Wallace & Gromit: Vengence Most Fowl
“We are immensely honoured that our film has been nominated for an Academy Award, and it is especially meaningful to receive this recognition from our peers around the world. This nomination is a testament to the enduring love for Wallace & Gromit, as well as the incredible talent and hard work of our entire team, in the UK and beyond.”
– Directors, Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham
Memoirs Of A Snail
“As an indie auteur, when I won an Academy Award 22 years ago, I would have never thought I’d get nominated for another one. My producer Liz Kearney and I are tickled pink to get this far and be acknowledged for our years of hard work. On behalf of all our artists, animators, technicians, producers and partners, we are honoured to be nominated, especially amongst such sublime and well crafted nominees that span the full spectrum of the medium.”
– Director: Adam Elliot
Flow
“When we started working on this film, we never could have imagined that it would lead to this. A Latvian film has never before been nominated and for a small independent film to be recognized in the Best Animated Feature category is unbelievable.
For over five years, myself and a small group of young and passionate creators worked on telling this story about an anxious cat surviving in an unforgiving landscape — a cat who learns that friendship comes when you trust those around you.
I want to emphasize that this film was made using completely free tools that anyone can access. I learned filmmaking by watching Youtube videos and experimenting on my own. I am so proud of this film and what it means for the next generation of animators.”
– Director: Gints Zilbalodis
The Wild Robot
“It’s been a challenging few weeks processing a wide range of emotions. Today’s recognition from the Academy means more that I could ever express – and not just to myself, but to our entire Wild Robot family. This acknowledgement belongs to our cast and crew, whose ingenuity and artistry created the gentle miracle that made it to the screen. As impressed as I was to watch them break every rule about how we make these movies, I am even more humbled to see the way they have all supported each other and their communities in the wake of recent events. The grace, kindness, and quiet strength that created ‘The Wild Robot’ was not a momentary thing. It’s just the way each and every one of them carries themselves as a matter of course. They will prevail again, I know it. On their behalf, I thank every member of the Academy from the bottom of my heart.”
- Chris Sanders, writer-director, “The Wild Robot”
“Thank you to the Academy for this tremendous recognition, particularly among such a diverse and sophisticated array of films. Everyone on “The Wild Robot” team shared a powerful connection to this project and to us it represented the life’s work of our respective careers in expanding the narrative and visual boundaries of the art of animation. The world continues to need stories which promote kindness and community, and we are deeply grateful for the Academy’s response to our film.”
- Jeff Hermann, producer, “The Wild Robot”
FILMMAKER REACTIONS: SHORTS:
BEAUTIFUL MEN
“We are more than happy and touched by the choice to give Beautiful Men a place next to four other gorgeous tales. Our goal was to show a journey of opening up to tenderness. It’s wonderful to see that others find it as relevant and worth telling as we do.
– Nicolas Keppens (Director) and Brecht Van Elslande (Producer)
WANDER TO WONDER
“AAAGGGHHH! OVER THE MOON! We worked on this film for 8 years, and there were so many times I thought we’d never finish it. For it to now be heading to the Oscars is a mind-boggling experience! I’m so glad it resonates with so many people, because although it’s absurd and dark, it’s ultimately about very human and real emotions.
“A heartfelt thank you to the Academy and everyone who has already watched and shared their reflections on the film—your support means the world to us!
“Huge congratulations to the incredible team that worked on the film!”
– Nina Gantz (Director & Producer)
YUCK!
“A thousand thanks to the members of the Academy for this nomination! It’s just amazing! Yuck! is a film about the birth of feelings and the fear of other people’s gaze, all from a child’s point of view. It’s a film about childhood, but it’s not just for kids! I wanted to make a film that would bring generations together to share a moment of cinema.”
– Loïc Espuche (Director) and Juliette Marquet (Producer)
IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS
“To be recognized by the Academy with an Oscar nomination is an immense honor. This profound acknowledgment of our more than six-year journey, undertaken amidst the challenges of severe sanctions and economic crises, serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. We embarked on this project with a singular goal: to give voice to the untold stories of Iranian PTSD veterans through a film brimming with love, hope, and artistic integrity. This nomination validates our dream of sharing this poignant work with a global audience.
“We understand that this is not the end, but a beginning. It reinforces our responsibility as filmmakers to continue creating meaningful and impactful stories. Our dream of producing our first feature-length animated film burns brighter than ever, and this recognition provides invaluable momentum towards that goal.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Academy, to our extraordinary team whose unwavering dedication brought this vision to life, to our beloved families, especially to our mothers whose unwavering love and support have been the foundation of our journey, and to everyone who embraced “In the Shadow of the Cypress” with their heartfelt encouragement.”
– Shirin Sohani (Director & Producer) and Hossein Molayemi (Director & Producer
MAGIC CANDIES
(Producer) Takashi Washio’s quote:
“Thank you so much to the Academy members and everyone involved for the nomination of Magic Candies. I believe this nomination is a recognition of the sincere dedication of every member of our team, who worked tirelessly to convey the charm of the original book through animation while delving deeply into what is truly important in filmmaking.
“This nomination is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our entire team, who worked tirelessly to bring the charm of the original book to life through animation while delving deeply into what is truly important in filmmaking. We sincerely hope that this film will continue to reach and be loved by people all over the world. We hope this film continues to resonate with audiences and be cherished by people around the world.”
(Director) Daisuke Nishio’s quote:
“It is an incredible honor, and I can hardly believe it. First, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who supported this nomination, and to all those involved in organizing the Academy Awards. First, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this nomination possible and to all those involved in organizing the Academy Awards.
“I also want to extend my highest praise to all the crews and casts of Magic Candies. I also wish to commend the remarkable efforts of the entire cast and crew of Magic Candies. Their sincere and tenacious efforts brought the world of this film to life in such a vivid way. Their unwavering commitment and creativity brought this story to life in such a vivid and compelling way.
What touches me the most is that so many people from around the world have connected with this story. What moves me the most is how this story has resonated with so many people around the world. I am filled with immense gratitude to everyone who has watched Magic Candies, and even those who have yet to see it. To everyone who has watched Magic Candies—and even those who have yet to discover it—I am profoundly grateful. Thank you so much.
- TRAILER: Disney’s Live Action/CG “Lilo & Stitch” - March 12, 2025
- Van Eaton Gallery Auctions “The Bob Clampett Collection” March 22nd and 23rd - February 28, 2025
- Bill Plympton Brings Back his Online Animation School - February 24, 2025
Posted in 
Tags: 
