MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY OF: ARTS COUNCIL

Pat Moylan, Chairman of the Arts Council, extends her congratulations to the Irish artists whose work was today nominated for Academy Awards.

Granny O’ Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty, directed by Nicky Phelan and produced by Brown Bag Films was nominated in the animated short category and The Secret of Kells directed by Tomm Moore and produced by Cartoon Saloon was nominated in the animated feature film category.

Granny O’ Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty was funded through the Frameworks scheme a joint initiative of the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and RTÉ while The Secret of Kells received funding from the Arts Council at an early stage in its development.

Pat Moylan, Chairman of the Arts Council, said: “The nominations of The Secret of Kells and Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty are an incredible achievement and a testament to the creative talent of Irish animators. Both films are delightful and beautifully-made and are deserving of recognition on the international stage. The Arts Council is proud of its role in supporting the creative teams behind the films and wish all involved the very best of luck at the Oscar ceremony in March.”

Ms Moylan also congratulated Richie Baneham an Irish born animator is also among the nominees for Best Special Effect for his work on Avatar, Juanita Wilson and James Flynn for their nomination in the Short Film (Live Action) category for The Door, and Peter J. Devlin for his nomination in Sound Mixing for Star Trek.