LOS ANGELES - Two film shorts from the National Film Board of Canada are among the projects vying for animation prizes at the prestigious Annie Awards.
The nominations come after "Sunday" and "Wild Life" also made the short list of animated shorts in the running for an Oscar.
Johnny Depp's "Rango," Anne Hathaway's "Rio," Antonio Banderas' "Puss in Boots" and Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" are the big titles competing for best-animated film at the Annies.
They face off against James McAvoy's "Arthur Christmas," Owen Wilson's "Cars 2," Jack Black's "Kung Fu Panda 2" and three overseas contenders: "A Cat in Paris," "Arrugas" and "Chico & Rita."
Cast members earning voice-acting nominations for the Annie Awards include "Arthur Christmas" co-stars Bill Nighy and Ashley Jensen, "Kung Fu Panda 2" co-stars Gary Oldman and James Hong and "Puss in Boots" co-star Zach Galifianakis.
Presented by the International Animated Film Society, the Annie Awards will be handed out Feb. 4 at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
"Sunday," from Patrick Doyon, centres on a boy who spends his dull Sunday placing a few coins on train tracks.
"Wild Life," by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, is set in 1909 Alberta and follows a refined Englishman who tries his hand at ranching.
With files from The Canadian Press
