The animated documentary 25 April about the WWI Gallipoli campaign is the first New Zealand movie to qualify for a Best Animated Feature Academy Award.
25 April was produced by Matthew Metcalfe, directed by Leanne Pooley and animated by Flux Animation Studio. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, has screened at animation festivals around the world and was released theatrically in New Zealand on ANZAC Day 2016. One of 27 movies being considered for the Animation Feature Oscar, 25 April is the only film in the category to have been directed solely by a woman.
Director Leanne Pooley commented on the announcement. “I’m thrilled that 25 April is in the Oscar race. The odds are long but it’s great to know that an animated documentary from New Zealand can hold its own on the international circuit. I’ve enjoyed watching it with audiences from France to Korea but to be on the Oscar list is really special. As a female filmmaker, as a New Zealander, and as a documentarian it’s exciting to be pushing boundaries.”
Last updated:
Friday, 25 November 2016