A Montreal-based filmmaking duo is on the centre of Canada’s success at this 12 months’s Academy Awards, successful greatest animated quick movie for The Lady Who Cried Pearls and serving to drive a complete of 4 Canadian victories on Hollywood’s largest evening.
Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski earned their first Oscar for the 2025 stop-motion movie, produced with the Nationwide Movie Board of Canada. The win additionally marks the twelfth Academy Award for an NFB manufacturing.
Maciek Szczerbowski, left, and Chris Lavis settle for the award for animated quick movie for “The Lady Who Cried Pearls” through the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, on the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP – Invision, Chris Pizzello
Lavis mentioned the movie’s story is rooted within the metropolis the place it was created.
“For us, it is a fable set in Montreal. There’s a romantic high quality to it and for that sort of story, puppet animation is the perfect automobile,” he mentioned.
Szczerbowski mentioned making the movie in Montreal was key, crediting a close-knit inventive neighborhood for its success.
“We’re very glad that we did that. Frankly, that’s the place the credit score is due,” he mentioned. “That’s the place we dwell. We began households there, and we dwell in a small little radius of simply an insane wealth of expertise.”
He mentioned the venture introduced collectively collaborators throughout disciplines, from musicians to visible results artists, many situated inside strolling distance.
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“What we managed to drag out of our small little neighborhood is probably the most significant factor to us,” he mentioned, including such a manufacturing would have been tough to copy in a sprawling hub like Los Angeles.
Charlie Keil, a professor on the College of Toronto’s Cinema Research Institute, mentioned the second additionally highlighted Canadian illustration on stage, noting actor Will Arnett was among the many presenters.
The win was considered one of 4 for Canadians at this 12 months’s Oscars.
Toronto-born director Maggie Kang took dwelling greatest animated function for Ok-Pop Demon Hunters, a world hit she has described as a “love letter” to Korean tradition.
Mark Jones of Sheridan School in Oakville, Ont., mentioned the movie linked with audiences due to its authenticity.
“I feel a part of what hooked audiences in was the truth that this was a really authentically advised story from the angle of Korean tradition,” he mentioned.
Canadians had been additionally a part of the award-winning crew behind Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
Two Canadians contributed to the movie’s greatest make-up and hairstyling win, reworking actor Jacob Elordi into the monster. Two others shared the Oscar for greatest manufacturing design, acknowledged for elaborate units that included a large ship inbuilt a Toronto car parking zone.
Keil mentioned del Toro steadily chooses to work in Canada, pointing to the nation’s depth of expertise.
“Guillermo del Toro is an enormous Canada stan. He chooses to make his movies in Canada each time doable,” he mentioned.
Set designer Shane Vieau mentioned Canadian crews proceed to show their experience on a world stage.
“There’s no higher artisans than in Toronto. I imply, we’re positively on the world market,” he mentioned.
The wins mark the second time Canadians have collected 4 Oscars in a single 12 months, matching a earlier excessive set in 2023.
