Two animators are up for an Oscar and they have Alberta connections

Jan 24 2023, 4:48 pm

Alberta’s impact on the film industry is booming, and now two animators are up for an Oscar who, naturally, have Alberta connections.

The short NFB animation The Flying Sailor picked up a nomination Tuesday morning for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the awards ceremony in March.

Calgary-based animators Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis were behind the project, which was inspired by the incredible true-life story of a man blown two kilometres through the air by the 1917 Halifax Explosion

The Alberta connections don’t just end in Calgary — Tilby was born in St. Albert and lived there until the age of six, before moving to Edmonton.

This is the third trip to the Oscars for the Calgary-based animation duo of Forbis and Tilby, who previously shared Best Animated Short Film Academy Award nominations for their NFB films When the Day Breaks (1999) and Wild Life (2011). Tilby was also nominated individually for her first film with the NFB, Strings (1991).

The Flying Sailor is produced by David Christensen at the NFB’s North West Studio in Edmonton.

The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC.

Laine MitchellLaine Mitchell

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