Animated in Cape Town by Triggerfish, with South African Daniel Snaddon as co-director, The Snail and The Whale follows the amazing journey of a tiny snail who longs to see the world and hitches a ride on the tail of a huge humpback whale. It’s a joyous, empowering tale about our wonderful world and discovering that, however small you are, you can make a difference.
The animated short is currently shortlisted in the Oscars’ Best Animated Short category. The nominees will only be announced on 15 March, but the film is an early favourite, with Variety predicting a two-horse race.
Among other prizes, the short has won the Venice TV Award for Children/Youth, Best Short Film at Cartoons on the Bay, Best Children’s Animation at the BANFF Rockie’s Awards, and the Audience Award: 3-5 at New York International Children’s Film Festival as well as Best Voice Performance (for Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins as the snail) at the 2020 British Animation Awards.
The Snail and the Whale is produced by the Oscar-nominated Magic Light Pictures with two-time Oscar nominee Max Lang (The Gruffalo and Room On The Broom) co-directing with Snaddon. British Comedy Award winner Rob Brydon voices the whale and Golden Globe nominee Dame Diana Rigg is the narrator. Rigg – best known as Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones; Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers; and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, James Bond’s wife in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – passed away in September 2020.
The animated short is now available to stream on Showmax.