Cleveland Conquers Pixar: Two Chagrin Falls Filmmakers Up for Animation Oscars

'Coco,' top, and 'LOU,' both directed by Clevelanders and up for Oscar

If you’re wondering who to root for during Sunday’s Oscars telecast, I have two names for you: Lee Unkrich and Dave Mullins. Both are Chagrin Falls, Ohio, natives. Both work for animation powerhouse Pixar. And both are nominated for Academy Awards in animation.

Unkrich directed Coco, the Pixar Animation Studios 2017 hit up for Best Animated Feature Film. The film tells the tale of Miguel Rivera, a 12-year-old boy who is transported to the land of the dead. There, he seeks the help of his ancestors to get back to the land of the living. The story is Unkrich’s too, although he didn’t write the screenplay.

Mullins wrote and directed the Pixar short Lou, which played alongside Pixar’s summer hit, Cars 3. Lou, the main character in the short, is made from the assorted unclaimed items of a kindergarten class. Lou’s gifts allow him to reshape the life of a class bully. Lou is up for Best Animated Short Film.

Clevelanders conquer Pixar

Unkrich was an actor in his youth, performing at Cleveland Playhouse. He would later attend the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. He joined Pixar in 1994, eventually co-directing Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo and Toy Story 3.

Mullins graduated from Chagrin Falls High School and attended classes at the Cleveland Institute of the Arts. He has more than 20 years at Pixar, working as a supervising and directing animator, working in some way on nearly every Pixar film to date, including Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, all three Cars films, Up, Brave, Inside Out and the upcoming Incredibles 2.

Comments

Aaron Schoonover and Nic Neary return to Wadsworth to shoot 'Meteor Anne' this summer

Filmmakers and friends, Aaron Schoonover and Nic Neary >>> What happens when an ordinary life collides with something extraordinary? Ohio filmmaker Aaron Schoonover brings that question to life this summer as he begins production on Meteor Anne in Wadsworth, Ohio , alongside producer, friend and fellow Wadsworth High School alum, Nic Neary. Inspired by true events, Meteor Anne tells the story of a woman struck by a meteorite — the first person in recorded history, in fact — whose life goes viral once the news hits the 24-hour cycle. At first, Anne avoids the spotlight. But as her husband encourages her to embrace her newfound fame, she’s swept up in interviews, public appearances, and even meets her celebrity crush at a live TV taping. When her 15 minutes end as quickly as they began, Anne struggles to return to normal life. The project was one of 14 projects recently awarded support from Ohio’s Motion Picture Tax Credit Program . We caught up with Schoonover and Neary to...

Mike Judge's 'Automated Trucking' one of several films awarded tax credits for 2025

Mike Judge and Alec Berg, creators of 'Automated Trucking' >>> Automated Trucking , a new comedy feature from Mike Judge, creator of Office Space , Beavis and Butthead , and King of the Hill , will shoot in Ohio this year - but where in Ohio is the real question. Automated Trucking was one of 14 projects awarded more than $26 million of $33 million in tax credits from the Ohio Department of Development’s Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Program (OMPTC) aimed at boosting production and infrastructure across the state. The newly launched Ohio Film & Theater Capital Improvements Tax Credit Program (OFATCI) will provide more than $7.3 million to support capital improvements for film and theater production. "Our film tax credits bring producers and stars to Ohio, and they create opportunities for the local businesses, skilled trades, and creatives already here," said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The expansion of film in...

What's so 'Freaky' about Cleveland screenwriter Michael Kennedy?

Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn When Michael Kennedy was 16 years old, growing up in North Olmsted, Ohio, a group of his high school friends convinced him to get in a car, cruise to Westgate Mall , and buy tickets to see this new Drew Barrymore romantic comedy titled Scream. You know, the “romantic comedy” in which the masked killer dispatches Barrymore within the film’s first 10 minutes? The “romantic comedy” that completely turned the horror genre on its head, created by Cleveland’s own Wes Craven ? The uber meta motion picture that would change 16-year-old Michael Kennedy’s life forever? Yep, that Scream . “The thing is, I didn’t grow up on a diet of horror movies, and I think my friends knew this,” Kennedy says. They probably imagined they’d get a bit of bonus entertainment watching Kennedy squirm in his seat. “But here’s the thing. Within the first five minutes, I was completely enamored.” Flash forward nearly 25 years. Now it’s Kennedy’s turn to splatter the screen with lov...

Midwest Movie Maker

Search This Blog