Pixar is no stranger at the Oscars. The studio has been a mainstay at the Academy Awards since it started to release animated shorts in the 1980s. Pixar’s roots were recognized once again at the 89th Annual Academy Awards, as Piper, the stunningly beautiful short from director Alan Barillaro, was nominated in the Animated Short Film category. Not only did it earn the nomination – it took home the big prize.
It is the 13th time that a Pixar film has been nominated in the category. It has been some time since we have seen a Pixar short take the prize – the last was For The Birds, which was released over 15 years ago, in 2000. Disney Animation has had some recent success in the category, with 2012’s Paperman and 2014’s Feast walking away with the Oscar.
The five nominees for this year’s show were:
Barillaro and producer Marc Sondheimer took to the stage to accept the award. Among those who were thanked included John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lindsey Collins, Jim Morris, and Ed Catmull. On a fun note, Gael Garcia Bernal presented the award alongside Hailee Steinfeld – Bernal is currently in production, providing the voice for Hector in Coco, Pixar’s holiday 2017 film.
Congratulations to Pixar, Barillaro, Sondheimer, and all those who worked on Piper.
