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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, February 26, 2015 | 28 Canadians with Oakville ties snag big Oscar wins T wo Canadians with ties to Oakville won Oscars at Sunday's 87th Academy Awards. Former Sheridan College Oakville animation student Chris Williams picked up an Oscar for Animated Feature Film for Big Hero 6, which he co-directed with Don Hall and Roy Conli. Oakville native Craig Mann won an Oscar for sound mixing, along with Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley, for their work on Whiplash, which tells the story of a 19-year-old music conservatory student who is determined to become a great jazz drummer. While this was Mann's first Oscar nomination and win, it marked Williams' second Oscar nomination in the best-animated feature category and his first win. The televised Academy Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, were held in Hollywood, Calif. Williams, who enrolled in Sheridan's animation program after graduating from the University of Waterloo's fine arts program, was hired to work at Disney -- before completing his Sheridan program -- when studio recruiters visited Sheridan. Still, Williams credits the college with launching his animation career. "My respect and love for animation took root at Sheridan. It was an amazing learning experience," he said. Craig Mann | photo by Brian To Artscene "Connected to your Community" Chris Williams | photo courtesy Sheridan While at Disney, Williams contributed to films, including Mulan, The Emperor's New Groove, and Chicken Little. Big Hero 6 centres on the special bond that develops between Baymax, a plus-sized inflatable robot, and prodigy Hiro Hamada. Williams joined forces with director Don Hall on the film, which was adapted from a Marvel comic title. Williams was nominated for Bolt in 2008, but said this latest Oscar nod has special significance. "It meant that much more because of how impressive the other nominated films are. They are all made by very talented people who have taken on challenging material," said Williams, who grew up in Waterloo, Ont. "I am also very excited that two other nominees are from Sheridan. There's a lot of camara- Big Hero 6, co-directed by former Sheridan Oakville animation student Chris Williams, won the Oscar for Animated Feature Film during last night's televised 87th Academy Awards. | photo courtesy Disney derie and respect among us." Two of the remaining nominees in the Animated Feature Film category were How to Train Your Dragon 2, written and directed by Dean DeBlois, and The Boxtrolls, co-directed by Graham Annable -- both graduates of Sheridan Oakville's animation program. Sheridan held an Oscar-viewing party Sun- day night at its Marquee Pub to honour its alumni. "We are immensely proud to learn that Chris has won this year's Oscar for Best Animated Feature," said Jeff Zabudsky, president and CEO of Sheridan. "His dedication to excellence in his craft is at the heart of Sheridan's renowned animation program." Great Lake Swimmers bringing the folk to the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts Juno-nominated Great Lake Swimmers are bringing their timeless folk melodies to the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts (OCPA) tomorrow (Friday). Great Lake Swimmers consists of Tony Dekker on lead vocals and guitar; guitarist and banjo player Erik Arnesen; Miranda Mulholland on violin and backing vocals; Bret Higgins on upright bass; and Joshua Van Tassel on drums. "Tony Dekker has spent the last decade entrancing listeners with his unforgettable voice and compelling song-writing," stated a release issued by the OCPA. "Great Lake Swimmers have long been a word-of-mouth favourite in their home country of Canada for whom critical mass was inevitable. They've been regarded as a national treasure by the CBC, with Lost Channels (2009) topping the charts at CBC Radio 3 and on the iTunes Singer/ Songwriter Chart." In the U.S., Lost Channels -- the group's fourth album -- debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and was "a favourite among influential bloggers and NPR staff." The band has received public endorsements by Feist, Robert Plant, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams and cyclist Lance Armstrong. Josh Groban has been known to open his show with a Great Lake Swimmers cover, according to the release. The band has also shared the stage with such artists as Calexico, Sarah Harmer, Bela Fleck & The Sparrow Quartet, Hayden, Sloan, Goldfrapp, and Bill Callahan of Smog. The concert starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are available online at www.oakvillecentre.ca, or by calling 905-815-2021 or toll-free at 1-888-4897784. The OCPA is located at 130 Navy St. 2 for $20 Please fill in this survey to redeem coupon · Is this your first visit plus HST Yes No · When was you last visit?__________________________ Email address: ______________________________________ (to receive coupons and weekly movie listings) COUPON INCLUDES · Admission for 2 · 1 medium popcorn · 2 medium soft drinks Coupon expires March 12th, 2015 Voted Oakville's Best Movie Theatre since 2008 DIAM OND 171 Speers Road (at Kerr) Oakville 905-338-Mews (6397) www.film.ca facebook.com/filmca @FilmCaCinemas BIG MOVIES, SMALL PRICES