Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby’s National Film Board of Canada (NFB) animated short The Flying Sailor has been nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the Academy Awards.
Quotes
“We are absolutely blown away by this fabulous news and, like our sailor, we’re flying high! The National Film Board of Canada has our endless gratitude for their unwavering support, and for making films like ours possible in the first place. We share this honour with our stellar creative team, especially producer David Christensen and sound designer Luigi Allemano.” – Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis
“Congratulations to Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, to producer David Christensen and to the crew who helped bring The Flying Sailor to life. NFB excellence in animation goes back to pioneers Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart, and the tradition of innovation and experimentation they established. Today, we’re proud to be the creative home for visionary animators and storytellers from across the country and around the world.” – Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and NFB Chairperson
About the film
The film is inspired by the incredible true-life story of a man blown two kilometres through the air by the 1917 Halifax Explosion-the largest accidental non-nuclear explosion in history.
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 and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
The Flying Sailor is also currently nominated for Best Short Subject at the 50th Annie Awards, honouring excellence in the field of animation, which will be presented on February 25.
About the nomination
This is the third trip to the Oscars for the Calgary-based animation duo of Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, who previously shared Best Animated Short Film Academy Award nominations for their NFB films When the Day Breaks (1999) and Wild Life (2011). Wendy Tilby was also nominated individually for her first film with the NFB, Strings (1991).
NFB films have now received 77 nominations, more than any other film organization based outside of Hollywood. NFB productions and co-productions have won the big prize on 12 occasions.
How to watch The Flying Sailor
Online:
- The Flying Sailor is now online at The New Yorker’s digital channels (Canada and U.S.) and nfb.ca (Canada).
Sundance Film Festival:
- Screening January 24 and 29 and streaming online from January 19 through 29.
Canada’s Top Ten screenings, presented by TIFF:
- The Flying Sailor will be screened as part of the short film program at TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 3 in Toronto on Saturday, January 28, at 1 p.m.
Quick facts
The Flying Sailor, directed by Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis (7 min 45 s)
Produced and executive produced by David Christensen
