2017 Oscar Nominations

Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 24, 2017. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.

The films dominating the Oscars across all categories are no surprise, since the Golden Globes generally spoil the nominations every year about two weeks before they are announced. With “Toni Erdmann”, a German film is competing in the “Best Foreign Film” category. Also noteworthy: the creative minds behind the original film project are two women. Director Maren Ade and producer Janine Jackowski are both graduates of HFF Munich (and work together under the production company name “Komplizen Film”).

Animated Feature Film

• The Red Turtle
• Kubo – The Brave Samurai
• My Life as a Courgette
• Vaiana (original title: Moana)
• Zoomania (original title: Zootopia)

In the animated feature film category, “The Red Turtle”, a film entirely without dialogue, even made the selection. The film is a co-production between Wild Bunch and Studio Ghibli. In a reduced illustrative look, it tells the story of a man who, like Robinson Crusoe, lands on a desert island, where he encounters neither a Friday nor a volleyball, but a gigantic red turtle. Michaël Dudok de Wit directed it; it is his feature-film debut.

“Kubo – The Brave Samurai” is a stop-motion film by director Travis Knight from Studio Laika, which previously made films such as “ParaNorman” and “The BoxTrolls”. Knight had previously worked as producer on the films; this is his first directorial work. The film has already received the rating “especially valuable” from the German Film and Media Assessment.

This year, stop-motion films in particular appealed to the Academy’s taste. Even if you might think that “My Life as a Courgette” deals with a topic similar to “Sausage Party”, only healthier, you would be mistaken. Courgette is the nickname of a nine-year-old boy whose life is anything but a walk in the park. After his mother’s death, he enters a children’s home; this film from France recounts his experiences there. Claude Barras directed it, and at only 66 minutes it is the shortest among the nominees.

Disney made it into this category twice: with “Vaiana” and “Zoomania”. We personally gave our hearts to “Zoomania”, but the ocean animations in “Vaiana” naturally also make a mighty impression.

Visual Effects

• Kubo – The Brave Samurai
• Doctor Strange
• The Jungle Book
• Deepwater Horizon
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Laika’s “Kubo” also made it into the VFX category. Since the stop-motion figures and the numerous models were filmed for real, numerous VFX adjustments were necessary for the final result.

Last year’s most visually impressive Marvel film was also nominated. In the upcoming DP issue, we will talk with Luma Pictures and production designer Charles Wood about “Doctor Strange”.

You can find the making-of for “The Jungle Book” about MPC’s and Weta Digital’s mammoth achievement in the field of photorealistic animals in DP 05 : 16.

We are also working on a story about “Deepwater Horizon”. ILM’s fire simulations for credibly staging the BP oil-disaster drama were deeply impressive. Other VFX studios that supported ILM included Iloura, Hybride, and Base FX.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is also among the VFX nominees. Hardly anyone can resist the charm of Darth Vader.

Short Film (Animated)