Among the 19 animated features submitted for the Oscar consideration yesterday, two were directed or co-directed by women.
Both Nancy Savard, who helmed the Canadian production The Legend of Sarila, and Jennifer Lee, who collaborated with Chris Buck on Disney’s Frozen, are first-time directors. Coincidentally, both films take place in the tundra. In The Legend of Sarila, three Inuit nomads search for a more hospitable land during the early 20th century, while a pair of princess sisters (voiced by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel) duke it out over sudden and extreme climate change in Frozen.
Last year, Brave’s Brenda Chapman became the first female director to win a Best Animated Feature Oscar, a prize she shared with co-director Mark Andrews.
