On & Backstage: Best Animated Short Film

Posted: Sunday, February 25th, 2007 by Michael van Poppel at 10.28 pm EDT.

CATEGORY: BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
AWARD RECIPIENT: TORILL KOVE
FILM: "THE DANISH POET"

ONSTAGE
"Thank you. First I have to apologize to Tom Hanks because I did bring a list just in case. But I want to thank the Academy for this wonderful award, it's such an honor and also for continuing to support this animated short category. That really means a lot to us.

I want to thank the National Film Board of Canada and all the funders and supporters in Norway for helping us make this film. My producers Marcy Page and Lise Fearnley of Mikrofilm in Norway. I want to thank Liv Ullmann for just her beautiful narration. It was really amazing of her to participate in this. And for everyone else who helped make me this film, I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. You know who you are, I know who you are and I know that without you I wouldn't be standing here with this little guy. Thank you very much."

BACKSTAGE
Q. Torill Kove here. Congratulations on your win.
A. Thank you very much.

Q. You've been traditionally involved in 2-D animation for a long time. After your experience this past week seeing all the studios, any features you're intending in which to work on or maybe connecting with studios and even changing the mediums you'd like to work in?
A. I think mostly my experience this week in L.A. is that I've met a lot of really, really great animators so I've gotten to know all the other nominees fairly well, we spent the better part of a week together, and that has been really inspiring. And as far as medium is concerned and length of film, I'm still quite attached to the short film format. And I like to draw, you know, so I'll probably keep doing that for a while longer.

Q. Bruce Kirlkland from the Toronto Sun?
A. Hi.

Q. Congratulations.
A. Thank you.

Q. I wonder if you can expand on what you said about thanking the Academy specifically because we know that animation and all short films were an endangered species at one point.
A. Uh-huh.

Q. And obviously it's been saved at least for the time being so could you expand on the need for the recognition of these kinds of films in this kind of format?
A. Well, I don't actually think that any animated shorts are an endangered species, I think they're doing really, really well at the moment, but I think what the Oscars do and what the Academy is doing for animators is they're bringing the animated short forum out to -- I mean, I hate to call it the mainstream because that sounds maybe a bit condescending, that isn't what I mean but I think the animated short community, it's a wonderful eclectic, inclusive community, but it is a little bit insular and I think to have the Academy recognize this film. forum every year by having a category included in the awards, it's really really wonderful, and I think -- I mean, all the films are now available and i-Tunes some -- and I don't know about the other films but mine has been shown all across the states and all across Canada in movie theaters which is unheard of these days so I think it's tremendously important. And like I said, I think what the Academy is doing for us is really important and we're really grateful for it.

Q. Congratulations.
A. On my left, okay.

Q. Hi, how are you?
A. Hi.

Q. They often say that making a short can be a liberating experience. What is a liberating experience for you and what did you learn and what can you apply to the next one?
A. Liberating, I don't know, I felt pretty liberated before actually so I don't know about that, but it's a really rewarding experience, and I say you could say in terms of sort of creative urges and desires, it is liberating to be able to do what I do and I really just -- I just really want to do it again, I'm completely hooked on it, it's wonderful.

Q. Thank you and congratulations?
A. Thank you very much.