March 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
Apple TV+ won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes an Apple Original film that honors the strength of our shared humanity
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Tonight, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored Apple Original Film The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse with the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, at the 95th Annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
“We are so proud of Charlie and the brilliant team who brought The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse on screen and we sincerely thank the Academy for the recognition tonight,” said Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “This powerful story has deeply impacted audiences around the world and shows 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 everyday- daily life Congratulations to everyone involved, including our teams around the world. We are all celebrating with you tonight.”
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse shines a light on the magic of discovering connection in unexpected places, and we’re honored that the Academy has honored this beautifully moving film tonight,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “Bringing the wonderful world of Charlie to vibrant animated life, this short reinforces the strength found in our common humanity and we’re bringing the entire creative team to bear on this exciting cinematic achievement.”
Oscar winner The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, based on the beloved book by Charlie Mackesy, has been hailed as a “profound and stunning work of art” (Collider) “translating exquisite illustrations into hand-drawn animation” (IndieWire), while telling the story of a moving “a story of love and hope” that’s “half an hour of unrelenting joy” (The Independent). The acclaimed film was also recently honored with a BAFTA Film Award win, four Annie Awards including Best Special Production, and an NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Short Form (Animated) film.
Apple made history in 2022, earning three Academy Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for CODAwith a streamer’s first win for Best Picture, along with awards for Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Siân Heder. CODA was also the first motion picture starring a majority of Deaf people in leading roles to win Best Picture; Troy Kotsur, the first Deaf male actor to win Best Supporting Actor; and writer-director Siân Heder earned his first Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
To date, Apple Original movies, documentaries and series have garnered 345 wins and 1,421 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy Ted Lasso and Oscar Best Picture winner CODA.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
The extreme journey follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox, and a horse who travel together in search of the boy’s home. The film, featuring Mackesy’s unique illustrations brought to life in full color with beautiful hand-drawn animation, 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 film Charlie Mackesy was produced by Matthew Freud, Academy Award nominee Cara Speller (Pear Cider and Cigarettes) of NoneMore Productions, and JJ Abrams and Hannah Minghella of Bad Robot Productions. Directed by Peter Baynton (The Tiger That Came to Tea) and Mackeny, the film was adapted from the original book in collaboration with Jon Croker (Paddington 2). The film was executive produced by Jony Ive and Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). The original score is from composer Isobel Waller-Bridge, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and conducted by Geoff Alexander. The film was presented in collaboration with the BBC.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch on everyone’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch globally, and premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut.
About Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO , TCL and others , Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and on tv.apple.com, for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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