Disney’s Pixar may have taken home top honors six out of the last ten times, but that is all changed now. An announcement from Disney today stated they have withdrawn from the Hollywood chapter of the International Animated Film Society, a group who hands out awards for achievment in animation.
Disney has made no secret of its feelings regarding the group in recent years. While not the case with most organizations that hand out awards, Disney feels the group responsible for the Annie Awards allows people to buy into membership, and this, in turn, gives more power to rival DreamWorks. Employees of DreamWorks are reported to receive free membership with this Hollywood guild.
Last year, Disney Pixar’s Oscar-winner for animation, “Wall-E”, was shut out of the Annies, and DreamWork’s “Kung Fu Panda” received a number of the awards. Disney sought changes in the voting process after this.
“We believe there is an issue with the way the Annies are judged, and have been seeking a mutually agreeable solution with the board,” Ed Catmull, president of Disney Animation and Pixar Animation, said in a statement. “Although some initial steps have been taken, the board informed us that no further changes would be made to address our concerns.”
