It took nearly a year of work for nine film students from ESMA to bring Cows to life, from the very first idea to the final version. Between the long production hours, unexpected challenges, and moments of doubt, the project ultimately took a direction that probably no one would have dared to imagine at the start.
In mid-September, the Lyon-based team won first prize at the Student Academy Awards in Toronto, Canada. A particularly meaningful achievement since this competition is organized by the same Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that presents the prestigious Oscars every year.
Voir cette publication sur Instagram
Around twenty festivals already under its belt
Since launching on the festival circuit, Cows has been racking up international selections and already boasts around twenty festival appearances. This growing visibility allows the film made in Lyon to travel far beyond the school and the region.
For Eireen, 22, who notably worked on special effects, this adventure has been a real school within a school. Beyond technical skills, the young graduate especially valued the importance of teamwork and the need to find solutions to problems that come up during production.
Voir cette publication sur Instagram
And now, the Oscars ?
The award won in Toronto could especially open an even more prestigious door : that of the Oscars for best animated short film. Among 2,972 competing films, Cows has already managed to stand out and now finds itself in the running to make it onto the shortlist for the next ceremony.
The pitch, meanwhile, fits almost in a single line : a cow simply dreams of being able to graze in the grass of the neighboring meadow. A seemingly simple story, but one that apparently has enough charm to have taken its Lyon creators all the way to Canada… and perhaps soon to Hollywood. While waiting to see if Cows will make it to the next stage, the film should soon be available for free on the ESMA's YouTube channel. A chance to discover this project by nine students from Lyon before, perhaps, being able to say
: « We had seen them before the Oscars. »