Oscar shines a light on 10 years of animation changing the world

The Best Animated Feature category has certainly been one of the most exciting Oscar races over the past 10 years.

This year's Oscar for Best Animated Feature was extremely dramatic, clearly reflecting the filmmaking trend of the past 10 years - Photo: Animation Magazine

Not only developing in terms of content, the excellent animated films of recent years are also aiming for cultural diversity, pioneering in technology and art. Many films are revolutionary, completely changing the audience's perspective on animated films.

Oscar as a mirror for audiences and filmmakers to look back and see how far animation has come in just 10 years. The potential candidates for the 2025 Oscar are also directly influenced by the groundbreaking animations below.

Oscar for cultural diversity

Although they won Oscars four years apart, Coco and Encanto are two works that represent the same values that are increasingly being promoted in the modern animation industry.

Both films bring under-explored cultures to the big screen, giving audiences a deeper and more authentic look at each individual identity.

Coco introduces global audiences to Mexican traditions, particularly Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), through an emotional and culturally rich story.

Although the musical storytelling style is not new, Coco and Ecanto cleverly blend folk elements of two cultures, making them much deeper and more unique - Photo: Disney

Meanwhile, Encanto celebrates Colombian culture by combining magical realism with folk elements, helping the world better understand Latin America's rich heritage.

The success of the two films encouraged studios to collaborate with filmmakers from different cultures, aiming to bring more authentic and rich works.

Coco was developed with advice from Mexican cultural experts, and the voice cast is predominantly Latin American, allowing the film to fully capture the spirit and traditions of Mexico.

Likewise, Encanto involved Colombian experts in its production, ensuring cultural accuracy and providing a vivid picture of the country.

Revolution in film industry

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the 2019 Oscar winner, follows a boy named Miles Morales, who accidentally gains Spider-Man's powers and meets many versions of Spider-Man from other universes.

Together they fight against Kingpin - who is creating a machine that can destroy reality. The film's unique combination of 2D and 3D animation, hand-drawn effects, vibrant colors and comic book textures create a new and groundbreaking visual style.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has completely changed the contemporary animation industry - Photo: Sony

Animation techniques and experimentation in the use of frame rates were studied and hailed as revolutionary by many filmmakers.

Many studios now view Into the Spider-Verse as a benchmark for pushing the boundaries of animation to new heights, encouraging them to take more risks with their animation styles, leading to films like The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

The Triumph of Japanese Anime

The Boy and the Heron tells the story of Mahito, a boy who lost his mother in the war and discovers a surreal world behind his home through the invitation of a mysterious grey heron. This mysterious journey helps him face his grief and find the meaning of his life in the midst of the chaos of war.

Director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's win at the 2024 Oscars once again reinforces the notion that animation is not just a commercial entertainment medium, but can also be deeply personal and artistic.

Japanese anime fans hope the Oscars will be more open to other anime works after the success of The Boy and the Heron - Photo: Studio Ghibli

Unlike many films that follow the traditional three-act structure, The Boy and the Heron uses a non-linear, surreal, and allusive storytelling style.

In addition, in the era of CGI animation and AI technology, the presence of The Boy and the Heron makes audiences appreciate even more hand-drawn films with meticulous attention to every frame.

Despite concerns about Studio Ghibli's future as Miyazaki repeatedly announced his retirement, this victory affirms Ghibli's solid position as a monument in the world animation industry.

In addition, the Oscars once again marked an important milestone for Japanese animation (anime), continuing to affirm that anime is still a strong force and can compete fairly in the academic arena with major Western film studios such as Disney or Pixar.

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