Several Canadians have landed Oscar nominations.
The category for best animated short includes the Pixar production “Bao” by Toronto-raised Domee Shi.
Also on that list is “Animal Behaviour” by Vancouver’s David Fine and Alison Snowden, and “Weekends” by Canadian-born director Trevor Jimenez.
Meanwhile, the live action short film category has two finalists from Montreal — Jeremy Comte for “Fauve” and Marianne Farley for “Marguerite.”
Other Canadians up for the golden statuette this year include sound mixer Paul Massey for “Bohemian Rhapsody” and set decorator Gordon Sim for “Mary Poppins Returns.”
Shi is the first female director to helm a Pixar short film.
The eight-minute “Bao” is the story of an older Chinese woman who gets another chance at motherhood when one of her steamed dumplings comes to life.
Fine and Snowden are a husband-and-wife filmmaking team who won an Oscar in 1994 for best animated short for “Bob’s Birthday.”
“Animal Behaviour” was produced at the National Film Board of Canada and gives a comedic look at animals in a group therapy session.
Jimenez has been a story artist for more than 10 years, at companies including Disney Feature Animation and Pixar, where he currently works.
His film “Weekends” is set in 1980s Toronto and features hand-drawn animations.
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
