Apple has won its first Oscar for an animated short film with the piece called “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse”. A short animated story created by writer and artist Charlie Mackesy, which the Cupertino company has produced together with the BBC.
The film follows the friendship between a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse who travel together in search of a home. Featuring the voices of well-known actors such as Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, Gabriel Byrne and Jude Coward Nicoll, the short film has managed to touch the hearts of viewers with very clean animation, a very simple visual aesthetic and a very well paced tempo.
His first Oscar for an animated short film
The short film was acquired by Apple Original Films last year and was released on Apple’s streaming platform, Apple TV+, and on the BBC during Christmas 2022. A release that at the time was already renowned for one of the names involved in the production and now receives well-deserved recognition at the 2023 Oscars.
Tim Cook has congratulated the entire team, citing how “this beautiful short film tells an enduring story about the meaning of kindness, acceptance and hope.” Beyond this, Zack Van Amburg, head of Worldwide Video at Apple, has weighed in as follows:
“We are so proud of Charlie and the brilliant team that brought The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse to the screen and sincerely thank the Academy for tonight’s recognition.”
“This powerful story has deeply affected audiences around the world and has shown that no matter how old you are or where you live, it is never too late to spread more compassion, empathy and kindness in our daily lives. Congratulations to everyone involved, including our teams around the world. We are all celebrating with you tonight.”
This is Apple’s first Oscar win for an animated short film, one that features the name of renowned former Apple designer Jony Ive as executive producer. Meanwhile, last year, the company took home the Best Picture award for “CODA” at the Academy Awards, which was a record, as it became the first streaming service to win this award for Best Picture. In addition, the Cupertino-based company’s service also won awards for Troy Kotsur for Best Supporting Actor and for director Siân Seder for Adapted Screenplay.
It is clear that Apple is becoming an important player in the entertainment and film industry, thanks to its in-house productions and its acquisitions of films and series. The company is demonstrating its ability to tell unique and exciting stories through both animation and live action and, with the help of technology, is creating a new entertainment landscape. Something that clearly, along with all the winners, deserves recognition.
