Thursday, October 30, 2025

Short animated film by Fil-Aussie shortlisted for an Academy Award

Filipino-Australian animation director and producer Robertino Zambrano’s film LOVE IN THE TIME OF MARCH MADNESS has been shortlisted in the short animation category for the 2016 Academy Awards.

Narrated (and co-produced and co-directed) by the USA’s Melissa Johnson, the 9-minute animated short film is based on Melissa’s own life story. A lifetime in the making, LOVE IN THE TIME OF MARCH MADNESS was written by Melissa and draws from her unique and unusual life vantage point as a tall woman on the dating scene. After hitting 6’4″ in the 8th grade and becoming a college basketball star, the film follows her hilarious and awkward misadventures in romance as she dates shorter men and gets cheered or jeered wherever she goes.

It is one of ten short films to be shortlisted for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar.

Blazing with honesty and dark humour, LOVE IN THE TIME OF MARCH MADNESS is a ‘tall short’ – a true story that dip’s into Melissa’s thoughts and memories and is all about embracing difference.

Melissa Johnson describes it best when she says: “After all, we don’t see other people the way that they are, we see them the way that we are.”

Powerful storytelling and narration is brought to life by Australian animators KAPWA Studioworks. With Aussie director and animator Robertino Zambrano at the helm, KAPWA used a combination of traditional 2D animation techniques, hand-generated textures and digital 2D and 3D animation techniques. The result is a stunning frame-by-frame oil paint-like technique giving the short film an amazing hand-made look and feel.

The film was selected from 60 other entries that had qualified in this Academy Awards category, with five nominees ultimately being selected from this shortlist in January 2016.

This is the latest in a long list of awards and accolades for the short film. These include: Tribeca Film Festival (Best Online Short Film), Abu Dhabi Film Festival (Winner, Best Short Documentary), Sydney Underground Film Festival (Winner, Audience Choice Award), Flickerfest (Honourable Mention), 4th Annual AACTA Awards (Nominee, Best Animated Short Film), Annecy International Animation Festival (Best Animated Documentary), Official Competition Selection at the Annecy International Animation Festival, and Animatou International Animation Festival (Best Animated Documentary) and selection for the 17th Animation Show of Shows.

Hot this week

How to Create a Strong Safety & Wellbeing Culture in Your Workplace

Safety should be a priority for any business. Unfortunately,...

Can I Apply for Another Visa While on a Bridging Visa E? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you’re currently on a Bridging Visa E (BVE),...

Year-Round Gifting: 5 Great Ideas for Any Occasion

Gift-giving doesn’t have to be limited to birthdays or...

How to Build the Ultimate Home Theatre in Your Australian Home

Remember when going to the movies was simple? Twenty...

Topics

How to Create a Strong Safety & Wellbeing Culture in Your Workplace

Safety should be a priority for any business. Unfortunately,...

Year-Round Gifting: 5 Great Ideas for Any Occasion

Gift-giving doesn’t have to be limited to birthdays or...

How to Build the Ultimate Home Theatre in Your Australian Home

Remember when going to the movies was simple? Twenty...

Sydney celebrates 35 years of the Grand Philippine Fiesta Kultura

The 35th Grand Philippine Fiesta Kultura delivered a truly...

Business Foundations: How to Set up a Small Business in Australia

Australia’s business landscape overwhelmingly consists of sole traders and...

Australian Office Culture: What to Expect from Your First Job

What should I wear? How do I act professionally?...

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_img