Hand-Drawn, Critically-Acclaimed Film is Also Winner of Top Audience Award at AFI Fest; Recognized by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review for “Best Animated Feature” Honors; and a Current BAFTA, Producers Guild, and Multi-Annie Award Nominee
GKIDS, the distributor of multiple Academy Award®-nominated animated films, is has announced its latest, WOLFWALKERS, was nominated for an Oscar for “Best Animated Feature” this morning by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The film marks GKIDS’ historic twelfth Oscar nomination since its inception in 2010. It also marks the fourth consecutive nomination—a streak in this category—for award-winning Ireland-based animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, which has made only four features films to date.
The best-reviewed animated film of 2020, WOLFWALKERS is directed by two-time Academy Award -nominated director Tomm Moore and director Ross Stewart, and is the final installation in Cartoon Saloon’s hand-drawn Irish folkloric trilogy, which include “The Secret of Kells” (2010) and “Song of the Sea” (2015).
GKIDS has a long-standing relationship with Cartoon Saloon, having served as the U.S. distributor for all of the studios’ Academy Award nominated films including Moore’s “The Secret of Kells” and “Song of the Sea,” and Nora Twomey’s “The Breadwinner.” In addition to handling distribution, GKIDS CEO/Founder Eric Beckman and President Dave Jesteadt are executive producers on both “The Breadwinner” and WOLFWALKERS.
“From everyone at GKIDS, we extend our sincere, heartfelt congratulations to Tomm, Ross and the entire ‘Wolfwalkers’ team on a much-deserved Academy Award nomination!” said Jesteadt. “Over the past ten years, GKIDS has been honored to support Cartoon’s Saloon’s commitment to hand-drawn animation, starting with their first Oscar-nominated film, ‘The Secret of Kells,’ to ‘Song of the Sea,’ and ‘The Breadwinner.’ We are proud to celebrate this morning’s acknowledgment of ‘Wolfwalkers’ by the Academy, which reinforces Cartoon Saloon’s reputation for cinematic artistry and its status as one of the greatest animation studios in the world.”
GKIDS is the producer and distributor of award-winning feature animation for both adult and family audiences. Since 2010, the company has scored an astounding 12 Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations with The Secret of Kells in 2010, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita in 2012, Ernest & Celestine in 2014, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and Song of the Sea in 2015, Boy and the World and When Marnie Was There in 2016, My Life as a Zucchini in 2017, The Breadwinner in 2018, Mirai in 2019, and now WOLFWALKERS in 2021.
An Apple Original Film, WOLFWALKERS made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year to rapturous reviews and won the top audience award at AFI Fest, the first time an animated film has taken home the prize. To date, it has earned a number of Best Animated Feature nominations from industry groups, including BAFTA, the Producers Guild Awards, the Critics’ Choice Super Awards, and the Golden Globes, and garnered 10 Annie Award nominations, including Best Animated Feature – Independent. WOLFWALKERS is also is recognized as a 2020 Top Film from the National Board of Review, and received Best Animated Film awards from 20 major critics groups including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, Chicago Film Critics Association, Dublin Critics Circle, Seattle Film Critics Society, San Diego Film Critics Society, and the Toronto Film Critics Association.
GKIDS announced last week that they are bringing WOLFWALKERS back into cinemas starting with a New York theatrical run at the Angelika Film center beginning Friday, March 19. In celebration of the film’s Irish roots and Kilkenny storyline, a special St. Patrick’s Day sneak preview is also set for Wednesday, March 17 at the venue. Tickets are available now at WolfwalkersMovie.com and participating theater box offices. Additional theaters in major North American markets will be added in March and April.
