Three films will vie for the best animated feature honor at the European Film Academy’s annual awards show.
The nominated films are:
‘ Mia and the Migoo, an ecologically themed, 2D-animated French film directed by Jacques-Remy Girerd (Raining Cats and Frogs) that tells the story of a girl’s encounter with a mysterious creature while searching for her father.
‘ The Secret of Kells, Tomm Moore’s festival-circuit favorite about a boy who helps defend 9th century Ireland from a Viking invasion.
‘ Niko and the Way to the Stars, a Christmas tale about a young reindeer seeking his father, directed by Kari Juusonen and Michael Hegner.
The nominees were selected by a jury made up of producers Per Holst of Denmark and Antonio Saura of Spain, and Agnes Bizzaro, Enzo d’Alo and Joanna Quinn, all reps of the European Assn. of Animation Film.
Sadly none of these three acclaimed features have secured an official U.S. theatrical release to date. Niko was released as a direct-to-DVD feature by the Weinstein Co. last year with the U.S. title The Flight Before Christmas . The team at Cartoon Saloon recently told Animation Magazine that The Secret of Kells will be getting a theatrical release in the U.S. shortly.
The winner will be announced at the European Film Awards ceremony in Bochum, Germany, on Dec. 12.
