Proving that the Academy is made up of dog lovers, Feast, like, has a dog at the centre of the story. Its director, Patrick Osborne, had also worked on Disney's recent Oscar-winning short animation, Paperman, so it was always likely to fare well. Winston is a dog living on the street until he is taken in by a couple who work at a restaurant. Despite apparently horribly overfeeding him, Winston maintains a healthy weight and when the couple's relationship hits the rock only he can save it.
Mr Hublot by Laurent Witz (2013) (France/Lux) (11m) *
Mr Hublot won the Best Short Animation Oscar in 2014. It tells the story of the routine obsessed Mr Hublot, who lives in a robotic world. He spends his time alone until he rescues an abandoned robot dog. The only problem is that the dog grows to a huge size and, when he breaks the television, it seems the situation is impossible to continue. Mr Hublot has to make a hard decision. It is a simple story about the love between a man and his dog.
Paperman by John Kahrs (2012) (USA) (6m) *
The story for Paperman, fairly reminiscent of the nicely made live-action short, came from Clio Chiang and Kendelle Hoyer and won everyone involved, including Disney, an Oscar. I have to admit I find the generic Disney characteristics somewhat kitsch but this animation is certainly likeable. It follows the story of a man who has a brief encounter with a woman and sees she works in the office block opposite him. but how to get her attention?
The Jockstrap Raiders by Mark Nelson (2011) (USA) (19m)
The Jockstrap Raiders won a Student Academy Award although its director, Mark Nelson of UCLA, had been working in the visual effects industry for the previous decade. It is a nicely made computer animation set during World War I. A group of misfits from a Leeds rugby club are excluded from duty due to various abnormalities. However, when they learn of Germany's plan to build a bridge across the channel, they take it upon themselves to stop him.
