A scene of animated film My Home. — Photo animafest.hr

HA NOI (VNS) — Animated short film My Home, made by overseas Vietnamese Nguyen Phuong Mai, is among 10 movies nominated for the Best Animated Short Film Award at the 88^th Academy Awards 2016.

My Home is Mai's first professional film about a boy named Hugo. The day after his mother returns home, Hugo wakes up to find black feathers all over his house.

"It's a poignant film about a boy who struggles to come to terms with someone, or something, new living in his house. With excellent use of colour and texture, we can expect to see some great things from this up and coming filmmaker," the 29^th Leeds International Film Festival's press release recently said.

My Home has also been pre-selected for the French Cesars 2016. It has won many awards such as the Animation First Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival 2015; Young Audience Award - 3-7 years old in the Paris Silhouette festival 2015 and the Special Prize of the Jury at the Kuandu International Animation Festival 2015 in Taipei.

Born in 1988, Mai lived in HCM City till the age of 15. Then she went to Paris and graduated from Estienne high school in applied arts. She has been living in Paris and working in various commercials, TV series and short films as art designer, director and/or animator.

Mai and Melisa Johnson from the US, who has made Love in the Time of March Madness, are only two female filmmakers who have made it to the Oscars' animated short films shortlist.

The other nominees include Gabriel Osorio's Bear Story; Claude Cloutier's Carface and Richard Williams' Prologue.

The ten nominations were selected from 60 entries by the academy's members. The Best Animated Short Film Award shortlist will be officially announced on January 14, 2016. — VNS