Monsieur Hublot is the winner of the 2014 Academy Award for animated short film. The man is an accountant living in an apartment in a big city. While watering the plants on his balcony, he looks down to the street to see a driver abandon a puppy. The story is funny and heartwarming. I saw the film at the Oscar Showcase in Feb. 2014 presented by
Ron Diamond. I was eligible thanks to my membership in
ASIFA-SF, the San Francisco chapter of the international animated film society. Director Laurent Witz was on hand for Q&A after the screening. The design of the character and his world was inspired by the work of European sculptor Stephane Halleux. I understand the film is computer animated with a stop motion look. It deserved to win the Oscar.
Laurent came to the
CTNX Animation Expo in Burbank this year and was showing an advance copy of an art book for the film. They will be offering the DVD in the future as well. After chatting a bit, I asked Laurent for a sketch.
