Pixar is no stranger when it comes to awards season. The animated films have earned a wealth of nominations in the short history of the studio, adding to Pixar’s respectable status as one of the elite studios in the film industry. Even now, after the animation house has released its first films that were not universally beloved, the brand carries a certain sense of quality. Monsters University, the latest great Pixar film, extends that quality and is racking up some love from awards organizations. Today, it was announced that the film had earned a BAFTA nomination.
Monsters University, directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Raie, is nominated in the Animated Film category of the BAFTAs, short for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and another name for the EE British Academy Film Awards. The awards is the highest honor across the pond, and one can liken it to the region’s version of the Academy Awards. The Pixar film is nominated alongside Frozen, the recent film from the studio’s sister, Walt Disney Animation Studios. The third and final nominee in the category is Despicable Me 2 from Illumination Entertainment. Left out of the race is Studio Ghibli’s The Wind Rises, the Hayao Miyazaki film that has been garnering some recognition in the early part of awards season. (You can view the full list of nominees here.)
Monsters University has been overshadowed a bit lately with the recent success of Disney Animation’s Frozen, but if you know awards season, you know that neither of those two films is guaranteed to walk away with the awards. There are plenty of surprises that have been known to rear their head, as voters seek to crown who they believe should win. The Pixar film features a solid story with quite the emotional punch that surprised many upon first viewing. Although opinions differ on whether Monsters, Inc. or Monsters University is the better film, it is clear that the studio has not lost the ability to tell a great story with memorable characters.
The BAFTAs will be handed out on Sunday, February 16th.
