The industry’s animators have spoken and their endorsement on the theatrical side of the business is clearly for Walt Disney Animated Studios‘ “Zootopia.” The critically acclaimed Oscar frontrunner took six Annie Awards Saturday night, inducing Best Animated Feature, Directing Animated Feature and Voice Acting in a Feature Animation (Jason Bateman). The former was a tie with “Moana,” and other notable animated films such as “The Little Prince,” “Kubo And The Two Strings” and “The Red Turtle” took home major honors.

Continue reading ‘Zootopia’ Takes Six Annie Awards Honors Including Best Animated Feature at The Playlist.

A lot can happen in an hour and twenty minutes. A man can be shipwrecked and left alive but stranded on the shores of an uninhabited island; he can accept his fate, fall unexpectedly in love with a mysterious woman, and become a father; he can thrive, he can endure natural disasters, he can lead a simple existence that’s no less full or rich for its modesty. If we’re to ascribe a basic outline and structure to Michaël Dudok de Wit’s “The Red Turtle,” the latest addition to the Studio Ghibli stable, that’s it in summation: the film is a one-man show that evolves into a tight ensemble, a portrait of a single lifetime that expands into a triptych.

Continue reading Animated ‘The Red Turtle’ Is Poetry Made Cinema & An Exquisite Existential Allegory [Review] at The Playlist.

Among so much 2016 coverage, we’re particularly proud of our collective Best Films of 2016 feature, but we do realize its paucity in one area: animation. Only one animated film made it onto the list, and that doesn’t really reflect just what a strong year it was for the form — in fact, it was possible that there were so many outstanding ones over the past 12 months that the votes got split and a couple more potentials narrowly missed the cut as a result.

Continue reading The 11 Best Animated Movies Of 2016 at The Playlist.

Happy new year dear Playlist readers (or: how I learned to stop worrying and try to forget that 2016 ever happened). As we move forward in these crazy times, we look to the movies for not just entertainment, but perhaps a little hope, guidance and perspective. And so, we kick off 2017 with a look at what’s coming to theaters this month.

As per usual, this time of year sees most theaters still packed and playing awards titles and the latest Disney mega blockbuster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is, of course, still killing it at the box office), with slim pickings in the truly new release department.

Continue reading 10 Films To See In January at The Playlist.

2016 needs to end for so many reasons. Frankly, I’m not convinced 2017 will actually be better, but at least there is always the hope great new movies will distract us from the authoritarian government that is quickly swooping into power. Keep hope alive, right?

As we enter the annual the “best of” season many have commented on “what a great year for movies” 2016 was. This writer thinks that hot take may exaggerating the overall mediocrity of the past 12 months.

Continue reading Gregory Ellwood’s Top 10 Movies of 2016: ‘Moonlight,’ ‘Personal Shopper,’ ‘Rogue One’ at The Playlist.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association announced their 2016 year-end awards and “Moonlight” won Best Picture with Barry Jenkins taking Best Director. “La La Land,” which won the top prize from the New York Film Critics Circle earlier this week, was runner-up in both categories. “Moonlight” winning LAFCA now creates an effective three-way split from the most notable critics groups, with “Manchester By The Sea” taking the Best Picture prize from the National Board of Review.

Continue reading ‘Moonlight’ Wins Best Film And Best Director From Los Angeles Film Critics Association at The Playlist.

The International Animated Film Society announced the nominations for the 44th Annie Awards this morning and there some unexpected surprises among the nominees.

DreamWorks Animations’ “Kung Fu Panda 3″ was a surprise Best Animated Feature nominee over “The Little Prince,” “Sing,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” “Sausage Party” or even DWA’s own “Trolls.” Similarly, Walt Disney Animation’s “Inner Workings” didn’t make the Best Animated Short Subject cut and “Sausage Party” didn’t earn a writing nomination.

Continue reading ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Surprises As ‘Zootopia’ Dominates 44th Annie Awards Nominations at The Playlist.

Prediction based on nominations [Updated Feb. 5]

NOMINEES
1. “Zootopia”
2. “Kubo and the Two Strings”
3. “Moana”
4. “The Red Turtle”
5. “My Life as a Zucchini”

PREVIOUS CONTENDERS (for historical context)
“The Little Prince”
“Long Way North”
“Sausage Party”
“Sing”
“The Secret Life of Pets”
“Finding Dory”
“The Angry Birds Movie”
“April and the Extraordinary World”
“Bilal”
“Ice Age: Collision Course”
“Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV”
“Kung Fu Panda 3”
“Miss Hokusai”
“Monkey King: Hero Is Back”
“Mune”
“Mustafa & the Magician”
“Phantom Boy”
“Snowtime!”
“Storks”
“Trolls”
“25 April”
“Your Name”

Other categories:

Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture
Director
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography 
Production Design
Animated Feature Film
Foreign Language Film
Documentary Feature
Original Score
Original Song
Costume Design
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing

Continue reading 2017 Best Animated Feature Film Oscar Predictions at The Playlist.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a record 27 film submissions  for the Best Animated Picture Oscar and, as expected, it looks like a very competitive race even for a nomination.

This year “Zootopia,” “Finding Dory” and “Moana” are expected locks for a nomination not just because of quality, but because the strength of the Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar brands are so strong within the animation branch.

Continue reading ‘Zootopia’ And ‘Sausage Party’ Among Record Number of Films In Animated Feature Oscar Race at The Playlist.

While the conversation during fall film festival season tends to be dominated by the Oscars, and which pictures are poised for awards glory, one of the most important roles that Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York have in the next few weeks is serving as a stage for the next great filmmaking voices. And while the movies and names in TIFF’s Discovery Programme may not be on the A-list yet, there’s a good chance they will be very soon.

Continue reading TIFF’s 2016 Discovery Lineup Features Films By The Next Wave Of Great Directors at The Playlist.

Oh, what a difference a year makes. The Oscar hyperbole was so strong on the Croisette last year you couldn’t turn a corner without someone prognosticating that Todd Haynes’ “Carol” was a slam dunk Best Picture player, that George Miller would win Best Director for “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Amy” might go all the way and take Best Documentary.

Continue reading Cannes: ‘American Honey,’ ‘Paterson,’ ‘Toni Erdmann’ & More Oscar Contenders That Emerged On The Croisette at The Playlist.