Here in the Philippines, it is very rare to see a Philippine produced animated film. Despite the talent of Filipinos in drawing, most are working out of the country. I feel that the animated short category is one category that the Philippines can truly shine.
The following are Oscar Award Winning Shorts (Best Animated Shorts) for 2005 and 2007. Makes me wonder when the Philippines can be up to par with the world in animation.
The first one is entitled "Ryan" by Chris Landreth. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Short for 2004.
Four decades ago, filmmaker Ryan Larkin produced some of the most influential animations of his generation. Years later, plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse, he was destitute on the streets of Toronto. In this haunting film, his friend and fellow animator, Chris Landreth, examines Ryan's life through the voices of those who know him best. Combining real interviews with strange, disembodied computer-generated characters, "Ryan" won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Watching "Ryan", it has given me hope that a talented Philippine artist will one day wake up and decide to create animations such as these that are both visually stunning and have a real good original story to boot.
I'm taking a chance here by holding my breath...
You can view the full length, high quality version here.
The second Oscar winning short is called "The Danish Poet" by Torril Kove. It won the award in 2007.
Can we trace the chain of events that leads to our birth? Is our existence just coincidence? Do little things matter? The narrator of The Danish Poet considers these questions as we follow Kasper, a poet whose creative well has run dry, on holiday to Norway to meet the famous writer Sigrid Undset. As Kasper's quest for inspiration unfolds, it appears that a spell of bad weather, an angry dog, slippery barn planks, a careless postman, hungry goats and other seemingly unrelated factors, all play a role in the big scheme of life after all. Directed by Torrill Kove, The Danish Poet won the 2007 Academy Award for Animated Short.
"The Danish Poet" is how life is so dynamic that even the smallest thing can lead to the most wonderful of results. It's amazing how something like this that is under 15 minutes can affect how you see the world throughout your life. I may be exaggerating a bit here but I am talking about myself and it is how I feel for this film.
Besides, this is the Philippines and at this point in time, I only have hope for this country. And my life...
You can watch "The Danish Poet here.
There are a bunch of Philippine animated films in the works and hopefully, we can catch up and come up with an award winning animated film in a few years. I really believe that Filipinos have a real good chance in this category.
