Chico and Rita nominated for 2012 Oscar

January 24, 2012

Chico and Rita has been nominated for an Oscar in the Animated Feature Film category of this year’s Academy Awards.

The animated film tells the love story of musician Chico and singer Rita, as their lives take them from Cuba to the USA in the turbulent years of the 1940s and 50s. The film, which was accompanied by a graphic novel of the same name, was well received by critics upon its release, and has so far won awards for best animated film at the 25th Goya awards and the 24th European Film Awards. The beautiful graphics of the film compliment the arresting love story between Chico and Rita.

The film has recreated not only the music and feel of a bygone era, but gone to great lengths to create a vision of 1940s Cuba. Director Javier Mariscal undertook an intense research trip where he found archive photographs chronicling the appearance of every corner of Havana in 1949.

The films it is up against include Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rango and A Cat in Paris. The 84th Academy Awards show will be hosted by Billy Crystal at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on 26 February 2012.