"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" Makes List For 2009 Oscar Contenders

Fairy tales might be going to the Oscars again - at least in short form.

In the "Animated Short Films" category, Brown Bag Film's "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" made the list of ten from which the official five Academy Award Nominees will be chosen.

You can see the list of contenders and see some excerpts HERE and HERE.

Here's a description from the website:

We all know the Grimm fairytales. Granny's are grimmer... once upon a time there was a granny who dreamed of being the best granny in the world. Unfortunately, this granny was tormented by a lifetime of rage against the world and everyone in it. Luckily, nobody noticed what an angry old woman she had become because they took no notice of her one way or another. But there's only so much an anger an old woman can repress before it BURSTS OUT FROM THE DEPTHS OF HER SOUL IN A SCREAMING FIREBALL OF BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT!

... or a bedtime story, as Granny herself likes to call it.

Granny O'Grimm is a 26 x 11 min animated series. Each episode features Granny O'Grimm's desperate attempts to be the perfect granny to her three grandchildren, before the fairytales unleash her demons. Produced by Brown Bad Films and directed by Nicky Phelan, the series will be created in 3D and 2D computer animation.

The website, with lots of great little behind-the-scenes and 'Granny comments', is HERE (a hint: click on the red fairy tale book next to the TV to see some of Granny's versions of fairy tales and nursery rhymes).

The SurLaLune Blog posted a great entry on the short film HERE so I won't repeat all the information except to show you a trailer:

You can see a little more of the story at the website HERE.

I love this little film for so many reasons, not the least of which it shows an amusing example of how, in the oral tradition of telling fairy tales to children, our own prejudices can get in the way.The Nominees who will actually be 'walking' that red carpet to the Oscars will be announced on February 2, 2010. I wish Brown Bag Films all the best. There's some fierce competition but I have a feeling Granny will do a good job of holding her own.

In the meantime Granny has a lot to say via Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE (along with an Agony Granny column both on Facebook, in 'tweets' and at the official website). From her 'advice' I'd say she's the lovably cantankerous sort. Not to be missed.