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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, January 22, 2015 | 46 Sheridan alums up for best animated feature Oscar by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Three former Sheridan Oakville students will vie for an Oscar next month as the trio find outs which of the films each directed will win best animated feature. Last week, the Oakville Beaver reported graduate Dean DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon 2 (HTTYD2) received an Oscar nod when nominations were announced last Thursday for the 87th Academy Awards, which recognizes the best in film. The Boxtrolls, co-directed by Graham Annable, and Big Hero 6, directed by Chris Williams, are also nominated for the Oscar -- rounding out the best animated feature category are Song of the Sea and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Sheridan said many of its graduates also contributed their talent to HTTYD2, The Boxtrolls and Big Hero 6. "Sheridan is exceptionally proud of its strong role in educating and nurturing some of the finest animators in the world," said Jeff Zabudsky, president and CEO of Sheridan. "To have Sheridan-trained animators behind three of the five nominated films in this category is truly a cause for celebration." This year's Oscars ceremony is on Feb. 22 and will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Annable graduated from Sheridan's classical animation program in 1991 and worked at LucasArts as an animator for 10 years. He went on to work as creative director at Telltale Games before joining LAIKA as a storyboard artist in 2006. Annable made his directorial debut with The Boxtrolls, which he codirected with Anthony Stacchi. The award nomination came just days after DeBlois' animated movie won the Golden Globe on Jan. 11 for best animated feature film. A 1990 graduate of Sheridan's animation program, DeBlois wrote, directed and was the executive producer for HTTYD2. Williams earned a bachelor of fine arts degree at the University of Waterloo before enrolling in Sheridan's animation program. He was hired to work at Disney before completing the full program when the studio's recruiters visited Sheridan. However, Williams credits the college with launching his animation career. While at Disney, he contributed to such films as Mulan, The Emperor's New Groove, and Chicken Little. Clockwise from bottom left, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Big Hero 6 and The Boxtrolls are all up for an Oscar for best animated feature. The three films are also directed by three former Sheridan Oakville animation students. | Oakville Beaver photo illustration This will be the second Oscar nomination in the best animated feature category for both Williams and DeBlois. In 2011, DeBlois was nominated for How to Train Your Dragon, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Chris Sanders, while Williams received a nomination for Bolt in 2009. This is also the first time three former Sheridan students have been nominated at the same time since the college started its animation program in 1971. Sheridan has planned a series of events and activities to celebrate this year's Academy Award nomi- nations, culminating in an Oscar night party on Feb. 22. The festivities began last Friday with screenings of How to Train Your Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon 2 at Oakville's Trafalgar Campus, 1430 Trafalgar Rd. For more information, contact the Alumni Office at 905-815-4078. General $8.50 | Children & Seniors $6.50 | All seats Tues $5.00 Opening this week: MORTDECAi, STRAnGE MAGiC Fri - Sun: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 8:50 Mon: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00 Tue: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 8:50 Wed - Thu: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00 ShOWTiMES fOR JAnuARy 23-29 Dramatic comedy Padre Pio comes to St. Matthew Parish In centre, Johannes Linstead performs on guitar, alongside bandmates Geoff Hlibka (on guitar, at left) and Jordan Abraham (on accordion). | photo by Hugo Lacroix, special to the Beaver American Sniper (14A) The imitation Game (PG) Fri - Sun: 1:15, 3:45, 6:30, 9:00 Mon: 1:15, 3:45, 6:30 Tue: 1:15, 3:45, 6:30, 9:00 Wed - Thu: 1:15, 3:45, 6:30 Fri - Sun: 12:30, 2:35, 4:40, 6:45, 9:45 PaddingTon in French (g) SaT: 11:30 Mon: 1:00, 3:15, 6:45 Tue: 1:00, 3:15, 6:45, 9:45 Wed - Thu: 1:00, 3:15, 6:45 Paddington (G) Johannes Linstead at OCPA Saturday Local musician Johannes Linstead and his bandmates will be heading to the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts stage Saturday (Jan. 24) with Cuban violinist Osvaldo Rodriguez. The concert comes months after the release of the group's latest album Midnight Rhumba, which has reached the No. 10 spot on the U.S. Billboard charts in the New Age category. The album features 11 tracks of Linstead's award-winning Spanish guitar, accented with the Gypsy violin, played by Vasyl Popadiuk, as well as an accordion, piano and Latin percussion. "The various rhythms on the album are reminiscent of Spain, Italy, the Caribbean and Argentina, making Midnight Rhumba a welcomed journey away to warmer climates," said Linstead. Tickets for Saturday's show cost $55 for regular admission, $48 for Big Ticket members and $44 for Big Ticket Plus members, and can be ordered online at www.oakvillecentre.ca or by calling 905815-2021. The show starts at 8 p.m. Strange Magic (G) Mortdecai (14A) Fri - Sun: 1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:50 Mon: 1:30, 4:00, 7:30 Tue: 1:30, 4:00, 7:30, 9:50 Wed - Thu: 1:30, 4:00, 7:30 Fri - Sun: 12:45, 2:55, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30 Mon: 1:10, 3:30, 7:15 Tue: 1:10, 3:30, 7:15, 9:30 Wed - Thu: 1:10, 3:30, 7:15 171 Speers Road, Oakville (at Kerr St.) | 905-338-6397 (MEWS) www.film.ca The Classical Theatre Company is putting on a dramatic comedy show at St. Matthew Parish Thursday, Jan. 22 to benefit Ian Anderson House (IAH). The Oakville church is one of three stops the show will be making; others include churches in Hamilton and Stoney Creek, with each location choosing the charity recipient of its choice. The show, Padre Pio, is an original work by Peter Tassi and John Cope and traces the life of Italian St. Pio of Pietrelcina from his years in San Giovanni Rotondo to his death. The saint was said to also have been gifted with the stigmata, ability to prophesize and perform miracles. The Oakville show runs from Jan. 22-24 at the 1150 Monks Pass church and begins at 8 p.m. each night. Tickets cost $15, with 25 per cent of the proceeds going to IAH, and can be purchased by contacting info@classicaltheatre.ca or 289-442-2266. For more information on the Hamilton and Stoney Creek shows, visit www.classicaltheatre. ca.