Lachlan Pendragon dreams of Hollywood feature animation

Despite missing out on an Oscar, a young Brisbane stop-motion animator has been hailed by a former Aussie winner for continuing to fly the nation’s flag in the genre.

Doors have opened internationally for a Brisbane student after he was nominated for an Oscar for best animated short film, with studios already approaching him.

Lachlan Pendragon, 26, was nominated for best animated short film for his Griffith Film School doctorate film An Ostrich Told Me The World Was Fake And I Think I Believe It, which he spent 10 months filming and creating in his mother’s living room during Covid lockdown.

On Monday, he walked the ”champagne” carpet in Los Angeles alongside his mother Melinda.

Pendragon missed out on the win, with the award going to BBC frontrunner The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, which features the voices of well known actors Idris Elba, Gabriel Byrne and Tom Hollander – though in 2022 he won a student Academy Award for the same film.

Lachlan Pendragon and his mum Melinda at the 95th Annual Academy Awards. Picture: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

After receiving the nomination – which followed other festival wins that made him eligible for an Academy Award – the offers began flooding in for the filmmaker, who hoped to meet industry heavyweights while visiting Los Angeles.

“It’s quite a long process,” Pendragon said.

“I finished the film thinking I was going to have to hunt for some really niche festivals, not knowing it was about to snowball into this whole other thing.

“A dream for me is to get into feature animations.

“I didn’t think I’d have to think about that this soon.

“Now I’m thinking about those bigger projects and how to make that happen sooner than I thought I would.”

Griffith Film School director of animation program Dr Peter Moyes taught Pendragon and said he was proud of what he had achieved.

Lachlan Pendragon with characters from his film An Ostrich Told Me The World Was Fake And I Think I Believe It. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“He’s already had approaches; even since winning the student Oscar, there has been interest both in terms of getting behind him financially and studios that have invited him to knock on their door and have a chat,” Dr Moyes said.

“Internationally, they’ve approached him.

“Also, I imagine he would be in a good position to pick up funding for the next project.”

Dr Moyes said Pendragon had wisely put the offers on hold until the craziness of the Oscars was over.

“He hasn’t had that brain space to think or decide – this is the time he can capitalise and jump on opportunities,” he said.

Lachlan Pendragon with Screen Australia chief executive Courtney Gibson.

But what Dr Moyes was not sure of was whether Pendragon would stay in Brisbane or travel away for the opportunities.

“I will be keen to see what happens with him, whether he stays around home or if he goes down south to Melbourne or Sydney or whether he goes overseas,” he said.

Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot, a former Oscar winner with Harvie Krumpet for the same category in 2004, contacted Pendragon in the wake of the nomination to offer his mentorship and advice.

“So many doors will open for him now – the trick will be to choose the right ones,” Elliot said.

“He is incredibly talented and I’m so proud to have another Australian fly for the flag for stop-motion animation.”