Summary: It was a David and Goliath battle waged with pencils and computers. Let's Pollute, the social satire with a green message nominated for the Best Animated Short Oscar®, was created on a shoestring budget by former Pixar animator turned indie filmmaker Geefwee Boedoe. The budgets and staffing of the other films to receive the nomination, Pixar's "Day & Night" and three foreign productions, dwarf those of Mr. Boedoe's labor of love. "Let's Pollute," Boedoe's first independent film, took more than three years of solitary work in a home studio and was completed for under $15,000 plus some volunteer labor. Its credits are barely long enough to scroll. Like most short films, it has gone largely unnoticed by the public, though it was well received at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, was awarded Best Animated Film at the Orlando and Big Muddy festivals and took the Silver SpIFFy at the Spokane International Film Festival last week. In stark contrast, Pixar's nominee, "Day & Night," gained a huge audience as the short preceding the $200 million Disney-Pixar box office hit Toy Story 3, and is available for purchase on i-Tunes. "Let's Pollute," a satire animated in the style of 1950s educational films, uses humor to address a serious subject: our heritage and potential legacy of toxic, irresponsible living. "It follows an average family who wants to do their part and pollute to their maximum capacity for a better, blighted tomorrow," explained Mr. Boedoe, tongue firmly in cheek. Listen to more Mr. Media® interviews like this one!
