Nicolas Keppens is an Oscar-nominated film director and artist born in Aalst, Belgium.[1] He is mostly known for his Oscars-shortlisted film Beautiful Men (2023)[2][3] and his award-winning short Easter Eggs (2021), an animated short film about finding extraordinary things in ordinary places.[4][5]
Nicolas Keppens | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1989 |
| Citizenship | Belgian |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Known for | Beautiful Men Easter Eggs |
| Awards | European Film Award for Best Short Film |
Career
editKeppens first studied animation at KASK School of Arts in Ghent, graduating in 2012. He then obtained a film degree at the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels.[6] After his studies, Keppens first worked as a cleanup and in-between animator at Lunanime for Phantom Boy. From 2015 to 2021, he worked as production manager for the Hans Op de Beeck contemporary art studio.[6] Since 2021, Keppens has been an animation lecturer at the KASK School of Arts.[7]
Work
editFilm
edit- 2012: Superstars (short film) - director, writer, animator.[8]
- 2017: Wildebeest (short film) - director, writer, animator.[9]
- 2021: Easter Eggs (short film) - director, writer, editor.[8]
- 2023: The Miracle (short film) - set designer.
- 2023: Beautiful Men (short film) - director, writer, editor, line producer, production designer.
Contemporary Art
editRecognition
editKeppens' short films have received multiple awards at international film festivals, including the Award for Best Narrative Film at the 2024 Ottawa International Animation Festival,[14] the Best Belgian Short Film Award at the 2024 Anima Brussels Animation Festival[15] and the Alexeïeff - Parker Award at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival for the short film Beautiful Men (2023).[16]
With his short Easter Eggs (2021), Keppens won the Grand Prix at the 2021 Cinanima Festival[17] and the Jury Award at the 2021 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.[18]
His short film Wildebeest (2018), which he co-wrote and co-directed with Matthias Phlips, won the Best Film Award at the 2018 Fantoche International Animation Film Festival and was nominated for a European Film Award.[4]
On January 23rd, 2025, Keppens received his first Academy Award nomination with the film Beautiful Men (2023).[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "The 97th Academy Awards | 2025". www.oscars.org. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ^ "97TH OSCARS® SHORTLISTS IN 10 AWARD CATEGORIES ANNOUNCED". press.oscars.org. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
- ^ critic, Jackson MurphyJackson Murphy is a movie; Lights-Camera-Jackson.com, entertainment columnist He is the creator of the website; Television, Has Made Numerous Appearances on; radio. (2025-01-07). "INTERVIEW: Taking A Trip With "Beautiful Men"". Animation Scoop. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ a b "Nicolas Keppens on "Easter Eggs" / interview". Berlinale Shorts (in German). 2021-03-03. Archived from the original on 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Giraud, Kévin (2025-01-08). "Oscar Shortlist Interviews: Director Nicolas Keppens Shares His Favorite Shot From 'Beautiful Men' (Exclusive)". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ a b "Festival Scope Pro". pro.festivalscope.com. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ "Nicolas Keppens". KASK & Conservatorium. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ a b "Nicolas Keppens". IFFR EN. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
- ^ "Wildebeest - Kurzfilm Verleih". verleih.shortfilm.com. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
- ^ "MAT". MAT (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-28.
- ^ "MAT". MAT (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-28.
- ^ Lievens, Rutger (2024-09-22). "Goederenlift van CC De Werf is nu eyecatcher dankzij wolharige neushoorn: "Zo zag Aalst er 250.000 jaar geleden uit"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-01-13.
- ^ "Nieuwe streetart aan CC De Werf: De Wolharige Neushoorn | Stad Aalst". aalst.be (in Dutch). 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
- ^ Zahed, Ramin (2024-09-28). "'Flow' and 'La Voix des Sirènes' Swim Home with Ottawa Intl. Animation Festival's Top Prizes". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ Festival, Anima (2024-03-03). "Anima Festival - Awards 2024". Anima Festival – 28 February - 09 March 2025. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ "Awards | CITIA". www.annecyfestival.com. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ "Easter Eggs de Nicolas Keppens (2021) - Unifrance". en.unifrance.org. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ^ "Annecy 2021, Official Prize Winners". www.annecyfestival.com. Retrieved 2025-01-14.