Academy Award-Nominated Animated Shorts 2006

Not reviewed at press time. The distributor only made a portion of the five nominees in this category available in advance to the press. Included were the Canadian/Norwegian co-production "The Danish Poet," a charming fable directed by Torill Kove and narrated by Liv Ullmann, that's also full of intranational Scandinavian digs. "The Little Matchgirl" is a technically stunning Disney-produced animation that was made for a Fantasia sequel that never coalesced. "Maestro" by Hungarian Géza M. Tóth is a reality-based fantasy that takes place in front of a dressing-room mirror. The other two nominees are American-made: "No Time for Nuts" by Chris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier and "Lifted" by Gary Rydstrom. The program will be filled out with an assortment of other worthy animated selections.