João Gonzalez directs Ice Merchants, one of the 15 2023 Academy Awards Best Animated Short Film finalists. It’s about a father and son who live in a house on the edge of a cliff. Each day, they dive way, way down, providing ice to townspeople. Their lives are exciting… and quite dangerous. Gonzalez details the […]
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INTERVIEW With The Team Of Shortlisted “My Year Of Dicks”
January 16th, 2023 
Jackson Murphy My Year of Dicks is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. Director Sara Gunnarsdottir, writer Pamela Ribon and producer Jeanette Jeanenne present a memorable year in the life of a teen girl, who goes through some personal ups and downs, learning what it truly means to have a […]
INTERVIEW With The Team From “More Than I Want To Remember”
January 15th, 2023 Jackson Murphy More Than I Want to Remember screened earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival. It’s now available to watch on Paramount+ and is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. Director Amy Bench presents the story of Mugeni Ornella. At age 14, she became separated from her family […]
INTERVIEW: Preparing For The “Black Slide”
January 14th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Uri Lotan is the director of Black Slide, one of the 15 finalists for this year’s Best Animated Short Film Academy Award. It’s based on true events from his childhood. A boy named Eviah is nervous about going down a massive, black slide at a water park. But there’s more that’s on his mind. Lotan […]
INTERVIEW: A Four-Course Q&A About “Steakhouse”
January 13th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Director Spela Cadez’s Steakhouse was nominated for an Annie Award last awards season. It’s now one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Academy Award. Cadez shares details on making the intense, surprising drama. (This Animation Scoop interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.) […]
INTERVIEW: Greetings To “Goodbye, Don Glees!”
January 12th, 2023 Jackson Murphy GKIDS’ Goodbye, Don Glees! screened in theaters in September, was recently released on Blu-Ray and DVD, and is now one of the 27 qualified films vying for 2023 Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations. This story of three friends on an unforgettable journey is packed with adventure, humor, heart and purpose. Director Atsuko Ishizuka explains the […]
INTERVIEW: Treasuring Memories Of “The Garbage Man”
January 11th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Laura Goncalves’ new documentary animated short film The Garbage Man is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. Goncalves interviewed members of her family about her uncle Manuel, a unique man who had a major impact on her life. In this Animation Scoop Q&A, Goncalves shares how she was […]
INTERVIEW: Andy Gent On Humane Society Short “Save Ralph”
January 10th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Stop-motion animation legend Andy Gent, who teamed-up with Wes Anderson on Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs, also worked on The Humane Society’s campaign and short film Save Ralph. It’s about a rabbit who’s a tester for cosmetics. Through Taika Waititi’s voice work as the title character, and the animation work from Gent and […]
INTERVIEW: SpongeBob’s Next Stop — “The Tidal Zone”
January 9th, 2023 Jackson Murphy This Friday The 13th at 7pm, Nickelodeon presents a new one-hour SpongeBob SquarePants special, The Tidal Zone. It’s five surreal, bizarre, unpredictable and entertaining stories featuring beloved characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, The Patrick Star Show and Kamp Koral. Executive Producers and Bikini Bottom aficionados Vincent Waller and Marc Ceccarelli discuss the new special, the success […]
INTERVIEW: Chronicling The Journey Of “The Flying Sailor”
January 8th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis are no strangers to the prestige of the Academy Awards. Tilbis was on the Best Animated Short Film ballot for 1991’s “Strings”. She and Forbis were nominated for 1999’s “When the Day Breaks” and 2011’s “Wild Life”. They’re in contention once again — on the 2023 Oscar shortlist for The […]
INTERVIEW: Examining Oscar Shortlisted “It’s Nice in Here”
January 7th, 2023 Jackson Murphy It’s Nice in Here is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. This has been a passion project for director Robert-Jonathan Koeyers, who joins me for this Animation Scoop Q&A to discuss the powerful, thorough short that presents multiple sides to a complicated, heartbreaking story of two best friends […]
INTERVIEW: Presenting Oscar Shortlisted “The Debutante”
January 6th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Elizabeth Hobbs is on the 2023 Oscars shortlist for The Debutante. It’s about a young woman who befriends a hyena. They seek to shatter the norms of behavior and societal expectations in shocking, wild ways. This is an animated short that will definitely get people talking. (This Animation Scoop interview with Hobbs was conducted as […]
INTERVIEW: “SuperKitties” Play And Save The Day
January 5th, 2023 Jackson Murphy Disney Junior’s new family animated series SuperKitties premieres this Wednesday January 11th at 10:30am. Episodes will also be on Disney+. Creator and executive producer Paula Rosenthal and Co-EP Kirk Van Wormer join me for a cat-tacular conversation. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.) Paula Rosenthal: It’s really paw-some to be here! […]
INTERVIEW: “New Moon” Team Full Of Joy And Gratitude
January 4th, 2023 Jackson Murphy New Moon is one of the 15 finalists for the 2023 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. The story is taken from “A Boy and His Soul”, a stage play by Emmy winner Colman Domingo (“Euphoria”, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”). Domingo, in such vivid and moving ways, details growing-up with his mother in Philadelphia and, specifically, […]
INTERVIEW: Stop-Motion Comedy “An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It”
January 3rd, 2023 Jackson Murphy Lachlan Pendragon recently won a Student Academy Award for his stop-motion animation short about stop-motion animation, An Ostrich Told Me The World is Fake and I Think I Believe It. Now he’s on the 2023 Oscars shortlist as one of the 15 finalists for Best Animated Short Film honors. Pendragon, from Brisbane, Australia, made this […]
