Mia and the Migoo (top); Niko & the Way to the Stars (middle); The Secret of Kells (bottom)
The European Film Academy has announced the three nominees for the new European Film Award category "Best Animated Feature Film."
They are:
Mia and the Migoo (Mia et le Migou) (France 2008)
by Jacques-Rémy GirerdA young girl sets out looking for her father, a worker at the building site of a luxury hotel in the middle of a hidden forest. Deep in the woods, she comes face to face with the mysterious creature Migoo.
Niko & the Way to the Stars (Niko – Lentäjän poika) (Finland / Germany / Denmark / Ireland 2008)
by Kari Juusonen & Michael HegnerWhile still learning how to fly, Reindeer Niko sets out in search of his father, a famous member of the legendary Santa Flying Forces.
The Secret of Kells (Brendan et le Secret de Kells) (France / Belgium / Ireland 2009)
by Tomm MooreRecently screened in Los Angeles as part of the local Irish Film Festival, The Secret of Kells is set in 9th-century Ireland, where twelve-year-old Brendan discovers a way to protect the locals from Viking raids.
The nominated films will now be submitted to the EFA members. The winner will be announced at the European Film Awards ceremony on Saturday, 12 December, in Bochum, Germany.
The nominations jury was composed of EFA Board Members Per Holst (producer, Denmark) and Antonio Saura (producer, Spain), in addition to CARTOON (the European Association of Animation Film) representatives Agnès Bizzaro (program consultant/ editor, France/Germany), Enzo d'Alo (director, Italy), and Joanna Quinn (director, UK).