Catalan-produced 'Robot Dreams' loses out on Oscar for Best Animated Feature

'Robot Dreams' has missed out on the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, with 'The Boy and the Heron' instead taking home the statuette.

Pablo Berger's film was up against the odds on the night, competing with two big-budget blockbusters in Studio Ghibli's eventual winner, as well as the latest 'Spider-Man' film.

Nevertheless, Berger explained to the Catalan News Agency earlier in the week that his dream was to head to the Oscars, and despite half-jokingly admitting to already have been practicing his speech, he will be happy to have made it to the Academy Awards in Hollywood.  

"This nomination means that more people will see Robot Dreams. The movie has not been released in the United States yet, and we did a sneak preview in 100 cities and the numbers were incredible", said the director Pablo Berger. 

Love letter to New York

Robot Dreams follows the story of Dog and his robot companion. It is set in 1980s New York City and is a "love letter" to the place director Berger called home for ten years.  

The script of the film – a story about friendship, its importance, and its fragility – was written by the director and is an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by American artist Sara Varon. 

Since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Robot Dreams has won multiple awards, including the Contrechamp Grand Prix at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France, and prizes at Spain's Goya Awards and Catalonia's Gaudí Awards. Its Spanish premiere came at Sitges Film Festival, where it won the Grand People's Choice Award. It also won the Special Jury Prize at the Animation is Film Festival in Los Angeles. 

The film was produced by Barcelona-based Arcadia Motion Pictures. 

'A simple film with a lot of heart'

A film brought to life through simple strokes, a romantic touch, and a lot of heart. That is the secret behind the success of Robot Dreams. 

When illustrator Daniel Fernández Casas was offered the opportunity to work on Robot Dreams, his first impression was that it was "very simple, with a romantic touch that reminded him of childhood."

This was both a "challenge" and a "release," the film's lead character designer told the Catalan News Agency (ACN), because it was totally different to projects he had worked on before, like The Secret Life of Pets, Klaus, and the Minions saga. 

"It's a humble, unpretentious project that takes its time to tell a story," he says.