Since 2011, at least one Kickstarter-funded film has been nominated for an Academy Award each year. In 2013, Inocente even won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject.
And this year, the Kickstarter Film team is thrilled to announce that the cinematic results of two Film projects we worked closely with have been recognized with Oscar nominations.
Kahane Cooperman’s Joe’s Violin is nominated for Best Documentary (Short Subject). Post-production — including additional shooting, editing, animation, archival fees, and music — was completed with the support of 272 backers who pledged more than $49,000 to the project. You can watch the short here on the New Yorker’s website.
Robert Valley’s Pear Cider and Cigarettes is nominated for Best Animated Short Film. Eight-hundred ninety-five backers pledged more than $29,000 for music rights and help with post-production. And did you know? The Canadian animator also ran a campaign for the graphic novel series that sparked the idea for the film. His past works include Aeon Flux, Wonder Woman shorts, and Gorillaz music videos.
We’ll be crossing our fingers for a win (or two) this weekend!
“Kickstarter is a huge part of our success — it’s the platform that allowed us to complete all the fundraising we needed to make this film possible. It also helped us reach new supporters that we would never have otherwise reached,” says Joe’s Violin producer Raphaela Neihausen. Pear Cider and Cigarettes director Robert Valley added, “I could have never fished this project without my backers on Kickstarter. It also helped to promote my film project in the crucial early days of this project.”
Kickstarter’s Director of Documentary Film, Liz Cook, who worked with Cooperman and their team on the Joe’s Violin audience engagement campaign says, “I am so incredibly excited for Kahane and the team behind Joe’s Violin for their nomination. It’s an emotional story that immediately resonates with everyone, making it a perfect film to bring to Kickstarter for initial support in getting it made. As one the backers of this film, I feel that we — the backers — are privileged to have played a role in bringing this film to life.”
Indeed, backers on Kickstarter have played an essential role in getting these incredible works nods from the Academy. And to date, 16,349 backers have been a part of the Oscar journey for the thirteen Kickstarter-funded projects that have been nominated since 2011.
If you’re curious, here’s the complete list of Kickstarter-funded films that have been nominated for Academy Awards:
2017: Joe’s Violin, Nominated for Best Documentary Short
2017: Pear Cider and Cigarettes, Nominated for Best Short Film (Animated)
2016: World of Tomorrow, Nominated for Best Animated Short
2016: Anomalisa, Nominated for Best Animated Feature
2016: Racing Extinction, "Manta Ray" Nominated for Best Original Song
2015: Finding Vivian Maier, Nominated for Best Documentary Feature
2014: The Square, Nominated for Best Documentary Feature
2013: Inocente, WINNER for Best Documentary Short
2013: Kings Point, Nominated for Best Documentary Short
2013: Buzkashi Boys, Nominated for Best Live Action Short
2012: Incident in New Baghdad, Nominated for Best Documentary Short
2012: The Barber of Birmingham, Nominated for Best Documentary Short
2011: Sun Come Up, Nominated for Best Documentary Short
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