Oscar shortlist for Croatian animated film

by croatiaweek
December 22, 2023
in Entertainment

(Photo: Eeva/HAVC)

Eeva, a short animated film by the creative duo Lucija Mrzljak and Morten Tšinakov, has made it to the shortlist of 15 short animated titles worldwide, vying for a nomination at the 96th Academy Awards.

Produced by Croatian Adriatic Animation and Estonian Eesti Joonisfilm, the film is among the selected few being considered for an Oscar nomination by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Out of the initial 93 qualified entries in the Short Animated Film category, only 15 were chosen for the final consideration by the members of the Academy. Eeva, a Croatian animated film, is the work of Lucija Mrzljak and Morten Tšinakov, with production credits going to Draško Ivezić from Adriatic Animation studio and Kelav Tamm from the Estonian studio Eesti Joonisfilm.

(Photo: Eeva/HAVC)

“We were pleasantly surprised by this news. Although it doesn’t guarantee a nomination, it’s an exceptional honour considering the large number of qualified entries. I truly didn’t expect it because the competition was excellent. It’s a confirmation of the quality of Croatian animated film and our studio, Adriatic Animation, and also a commendation for the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, which recognises good projects and encourages the cultural development of Croatia. We hope that this list will translate into nominations,” commented producer Draško Ivezić on the news.

Among the 15 shortlisted titles is the winner of the Cannes Golden Palm for Best Short Animated Film, 27 by Flóre Anne Buda. The complete list of shortlisted titles in the Short Animated Film category can be viewed at THIS link, along with shortlists in a total of 10 categories.

Another Croatian film considered for the “shortlist” and nomination in the Short Animated Film category among the 93 qualified entries was Sjeti se kako sam jahala bijelog konja by Ivana Bošnjak Vold and Thomas Johnson Vold.

It’s worth noting that in 2021, Dalibor Barić’s feature-length animated film, The Random Marvels of the Transparent Water Rebus, was among the 27 titles considered for an Oscar nomination.

(Photo: Eeva/HAVC)

Since its premiere in Tallinn (PÖFF Shorts), Eeva has been screened and acclaimed at various global festivals, including the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, where it won the “Alexeïeff – Parker” award, and the World Festival of Animated Film Animafest Zagreb, where it was awarded the Best Film in the domestic competition. Eeva also received the ASIFA Croatia award for the best professional film of the year.

The film has been showcased at prestigious events such as the Berlinale and ShortFest in California, and it won the award for Best Sound Design (Jure Buljević) at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.

The animated film depicts the saddest day in Eeva’s life when she unexpectedly becomes a widow. Rain falls at the funeral. There is a lot of crying, too much wine, a few woodpeckers, and a couple of dreams that fill the voids. In addition to directing, Lucija Mrzljak and Morten Tšinakov are responsible for editing, screenplay (Tšinakov), and design (Mrzljak), while animation was also contributed by Goran Stojnić and Noemi Ribić, along with Estonian colleagues Egert Kesu and Tarmo Vaarmets. Sound design is credited to Jure Buljević.