The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, has announced the nominees for their 44th annual Annie Awards, and for the Independent category of their Best Animated Feature award, Japanese animation has a very strong showing, nabbing three of the five nominations.

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The three Japanese nominations are all critically-acclaimed works, and they are none other than Michael Dudok de Wit and Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle, Production I.G.’s Miss Hokusai, and of course, Makoto Shinkai’s juggernaut of a film, your name.

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They are nominated along with Long Way North and My Life As A Zucchini. Meanwhile, Makoto Shinkai and Red Turtle’s Michael Dudok de Wit are also nominated for the Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production award. The Red Turtle also got nominated for Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production. For their Best Animated Feature category, the nominees are Kubo and the Two Strings, Finding Dory, Kung Fu Panda 3, Moana, and Zootopia.

Meanwhile, Makoto Shinkai and Red Turtle’s Michael Dudok de Wit are also nominated for the Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production award. The Red Turtle also got a nomination for Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production.

For their Best Animated Feature category, the nominees are Kubo and the Two Strings, Finding Dory, Kung Fu Panda 3, Moana, and Zootopia.

Below are a list of notable nominations,

Best Animated Feature

  • Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios
  • Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA
  • Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation
  • Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios
  • Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated Feature – Independent

  • Long Way North – Produced by Sacrebleu Productions, Maybe Movies, Norlum Studios, France 3 Cinéma and 2 Minutes
  • Miss Hokusai – Production I.G
  • My Life As A Zucchini – Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM
  • The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions
  • Your Name. – CoMix Wave Films

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial

  • Duelyst – Powerhouse Animation Studios, Inc.
  • LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer – Plastic Wax
  • Lily & the Snowman – Hornet
  • Loteria ‘Night Shift’ – Passion Pictures Ltd
  • The Importance of Paying Attention: Teeth – Bill Plympton Studio

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production

  • Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Lead Effects Artist: David Horsley, CG Look Development Lead: Eric Wachtman, Senior Compositor: Timur Khodzhaev, Compositor: Daniel Leatherdale, Lead CG Lighter: Terrance Tomberg
  • Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation – Effects Sequence Lead: Matt Titus, Effects Sequence Lead: Jeff Budsberg, Effects Sequence Lead: Carl Hooper, Effects Sequence Lead: Louis Flores, Effects Sequence Lead: Jason Mayer
  • Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Head of Effects Animation: Marlon West, Effects Lead: Erin V. Ramos, Effects Lead: Blair Pierpont, Foundation Effects Lead: Ian J. Coony
    Effects Lead: John M. Kosnik
  • The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Special Effects Supervisor: Mouloud Oussid
  • Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Effects Lead: Thom Wickes, Effects Lead: Henrik Fält, Effects Animator: Dong Joo Byun, Effects Animator: Rattanin Sirinaruemarn, Effects Animator: Sam Klock

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production

  • Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios – Character Development and Animation: Erick Oh Character: All Characters
  • Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Animator: Jan Maas Character: Multiple
  • Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation – Animation Supervisor: Ludovic Bouancheau, Character: Various
  • Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Animator : Dave Hardin Character: Judy Hopps, Stu Hopps, Bonnie Hopps, Chief Bogo, Nick Wilde
  • Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Animator : Chad Sellers Character: Mr. Big, Koslov, Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Flash

You can check out the complete list of nominees here: http://annieawards.org/nominees/#