A few weeks ago, Brave won best animated film at the Golden Globes, the Pixar film’s first major award of the season. With the Academy Awards just two weeks away, the question was whether Brave would be able to maintain momentum. The BAFTAs, often referred to as the overseas version of the Oscars, were held earlier tonight in London, and it looks like good fortune remains on the film’s side as it took home the prize for Best Animated Film. Watch the acceptance speech after the break!
The nominees in the category were:
- Brave
- Frankenweenie
- ParaNorman
Brave won the prize and co-directors Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman accepted the award. Below is their acceptance speech, followed by a longer conversation with the filmmakers:
This marks the first time that Chapman accepted an award for the film on stage. After the Golden Globes, she publicly explained on Twitter that she was invited to the Globes but was not invited to go on stage should the film win (which it did). Producer Katherine Sarafian accompanied Andrews on stage that night. It appears that any battles that were going on behind the scenes were set aside and the celebration of the film was put first, as it should be. Chapman was the writer for the film’s original story, and while she did not stay on to finish directing, it is safe to say that there would have been no Brave without her. This is not meant to imply that Sarafian did not deserve to be on stage – actually, she was a strong supporter of the project and was essential in the film’s journey to the big screen. She has been at Pixar since A Bug’s Life, and she deserves credit for Brave‘s success as well.
Interestingly, Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, considered one of the frontrunners stateside, was left off the list, although all three of the BAFTA nominees made it onto the final Oscar ballot. Whether the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences follows in tonight’s footsteps with regards to animation is a great question that we will have the answer to on Sunday, February 24, when the Academy Awards are handed out.
