As uneventful as the Academy Awards were, there were a couple surprises that few thought would prevail and receive an Oscar. One of those was in the Best Animated Short Film category in which many assumed Pixar’s La Luna would win. This was not the case and out of the ashes rose a film many probably have never heard of to take the golden statue, that film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.
Now it should be stated that although Pixar is clearly the powerhouse in the animated film industry, it doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to their short films. Pixar has only won twice out of their nine nominations. Though being nominated nine times is still pretty impressive.
Enough with Pixar and let’s get back to the winner. Directed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore is a remarkable animated short and is a beautiful masterpiece by the duo. The animation looks amazing and the story is very heartfelt and riveting.
Here is the official synopsis from the official site
Inspired in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation), award-winning author/illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. “Morris Lessmore” is old-fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.
Unfortunately, La Luna won’t actually be available for the public until it is released in front of Pixar’s next film Brave but, until then, enjoy the Oscar winning short below and tell us what you think.
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