‘We just won an Oscar’: Charlie Mackesy’s much-loved animation shines in Los Angeles

The screen adaptation of Charlie Mackesy’s best-selling book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has won an Oscar – four weeks after winning a BAFTA.

The heartwarming story, which was released on television at Christmas, won the best animated short film category at the 95th annual Academy Awards, in Los Angeles yesterday (12 March). It beat competition from The Flying Sailor, Ice Merchants, My Year of Dicks, and An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse features Charlie’s distinctive illustrations in full colour with hand-drawn animation, and stars Tom Hollander as the Mole, Idris Elba as the Fox, Gabriel Byrne as the Horse, and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as the Boy. The tale follows an unlikely friendship between the four, as they travel together in the boy’s search for home.

The Oscar comes a month after Charlie Mackesy’s film won the British short animation category at the BAFTAs .

Charlie shared a picture of a napkin with “We just won an Oscar” from the ceremony.

He said he was “speechless”, and thanked the film’s production team and actors, including producer Matthew Freud, Cara Speller, and co-director Peter Baynton.

“Thank you to the 120 animators who poured their hearts into this film,” he said.

“This Oscar is for all of us. Thank you to my family, and to Richard (Curtis) and Emma (Freud). Thank you to you on Instagram for always being so kind and encouraging,” he said.

Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of worldwide video, said the company is “so proud” of Charlie and the “brilliant” team who brought The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse to the screen

“We sincerely thank the Academy for tonight’s recognition,” he said. “This powerful story has deeply affected audiences around the world and has shown that no matter what age you are or where you live, it’s never too late to spread more compassion, empathy, and kindness in our daily lives. Congratulations to everyone involved, including our teams across the globe. We are all celebrating with you tonight.”

James Erlicht, Apple’s head of worldwide video, added that the film “shines a light on the magic of discovering connection in unexpected places”.

“We are honoured that the Academy has awarded this beautifully moving film tonight,” he said.

“Bringing Charlie’s visually stunning world to such vibrant animated life, this short reinforces the strength that can be found in our common humanity and we toast the entire creative team on this uplifting cinematic achievement.”

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse can be streamed on BBC iPlayer or Apple TV+.

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