Animated short from Vietnamese director advances to Oscar shortlist
"My Home" by Paris-based director Nguyen Phuong Mai has been named among 10 animated short films that will contend for Oscar nominations this year.
The short, known in France as “Chez Moi,” is a 12-minute story of a boy named Hugo, who wakes up and finds black feathers all over his house.
Mai told news website Zing that she finished the film last year and it was her first professional cinematic debut. She has been studying animation directing and editing since moving to France at the age of 15 years.
"My Home" has been released at several film festivals and received positive reviews and has also entered the shortlist of 12 animated shorts at the César Awards, France’s highest film honor.
Among the Oscar shortlist is Pixar’s “Sanjay’s Super Team" and "Bear Story," an acclaimed short from Chile. Observers noted that there are only two female directors in the shortlist.
Screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December. Five nominees will be announced on January 14, before the 88th Academy Awards on February 28.
Mai, who was born in Ho Chi Minh City, said her film is going to attend several more international film festivals and she cannot release it online yet.