Nora Twomey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nora Twomey
Twomey in 2018
Born	(1971-10-31) 31 October 1971 (age 53) Cork City, County Cork, Munster, Ireland
Alma mater	Ballyfermot College
Occupation	Producer, film director, animator
Years active	2002–present
Known for	The Secret of Kells The Breadwinner

Nora Twomey (born October 31, 1971) is an amazing Irish animator, director, and producer. She helps create incredible animated movies and shows. Nora is one of the people who started Cartoon Saloon, a famous animation studio in Kilkenny, Ireland.

She is well known for co-directing The Secret of Kells and directing The Breadwinner. Both of these films were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. This is a huge honor in the movie world!

Nora's Early Life and Dreams

Starting Young

Nora Twomey grew up in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland. She left school when she was 15 years old. After leaving school, she worked in a factory.

Finding Her Path

Even while working, Nora kept drawing. She briefly studied fine art. Her drawings helped her get into Ballyfermot College in Dublin. There, she joined their special animation program.

Factory Inspiration

At the factory, Nora operated a conveyor belt for long hours at night. She wore headphones to block out the loud machine noise. This quiet time helped her think of many ideas for her future films. She finished college in 1995.

Nora's Animation Career

Starting Her Journey

After college, Nora began working at Brown Bag Films in Dublin. In 1999, she helped create Cartoon Saloon. She started this studio with Tomm Moore, Paul Young, and Ross Murray.

Early Short Films

In 2002, Nora directed a short animated film called From Darkness. This film had no talking and was based on an Inuit folk tale. It showed a man helping a woman whose body was just a skeleton to become whole again. She also worked on the TV show Skunk Fu!.

In 2004, Nora wrote and directed another short film, Cúilín Dualach (Backwards Boy). This story was about a boy whose head was on backwards. His mother loved him just as he was, and he worked to gain acceptance from others.

Making Feature Films

Nora co-directed The Secret of Kells with Tomm Moore. She also did some voice acting for the movie. The film is set in Ireland in the 800s, when the famous Book of Kells was being made.

It tells the story of a 12-year-old orphan boy living in a monastery. His job is to help finish a beautiful book filled with amazing art. The film was shown for the first time in 2009. The Secret of Kells was nominated for an Academy Award.

Working on Song of the Sea

Nora continued working on films with Cartoon Saloon. In 2014, she was the head of story and voice director for Song of the Sea. This film was directed by Tomm Moore.

Directing The Breadwinner

Nora then directed the animated film The Breadwinner, released in 2017. This movie is based on a popular book for young adults by Deborah Ellis. It is about an 11-year-old girl named Parvana.

Parvana has to pretend to be a boy to earn money for her family. This happens after her father is wrongly arrested by the Taliban. The film first showed at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017.

This was Nora's first movie where she was the only director. She worked with actress Angelina Jolie, who helped fund the project. Nora was praised as a solo female filmmaker and a source of female empowerment. She even battled cancer during the film's production and recovered.

Nora's Unique Style and Themes

Stories for Everyone

Nora Twomey's films often feature young characters who are growing up. They explore magical worlds, the power of stories, and themes of family and acceptance. Her work also shows that life is always changing.

She uses simple but effective character designs. Her films mix traditional and digital art, but they are often hand-drawn. The visual style is inspired by the worlds of her stories.

Nora wants her films to be enjoyed by all ages. Even though her main characters are often children, the stories are deep and meaningful. She believes animation is a powerful way to tell complex stories.

Treating Young Audiences with Respect

Nora loves making films for young adults. She creates vivid stories about growing up and understanding the world. She doesn't shy away from showing the reality of her stories. For example, The Breadwinner shows the harshness of the Taliban.

She believes a young main character helps children connect with more adult themes. This allows for films with many layers of meaning.

Blending Fantasy and Reality

Nora's stories often combine fantasy with real-life issues like unfairness and oppression. In The Breadwinner, she made the real world of Afghanistan look dark and gritty. She worked with Afghan artists to make sure it was accurate.

However, half of the film takes place in the main character's imagination. For these parts, Nora used colorful, geometric art inspired by Persian art. This creates a strong contrast between reality and imagination.

Adding Human Touches

Nora also includes smaller, everyday themes in her films. These include a child's love for their parents, sibling relationships, and what it means to be a girl. These details make her characters feel more real and human.

The Hero's Journey and 2D Art

Nora is a big fan of the hero's journey story structure. She believes understanding it helps filmmakers create new and interesting stories.

She also chooses to stick with hand-drawn 2D animation. Even though 3D computer animation is often cheaper, she thinks 2D can be more artistic and lasts longer.

Awards and Recognition

Academy Award Nominations

Nora Twomey became the seventh graduate of Ballyfermot College to be nominated for an Academy Award. This was for her work on The Breadwinner, which was nominated for Best Animated Feature. She was also nominated for an award at the Golden Globes.

Annie Awards Success

The Breadwinner received 10 nominations at the 45th Annie Awards. Nora was nominated for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production. The film won the award for Best Animated Feature for an Independent Film. This was the first time a film directed solely by a woman won this award.

European Animation Awards

Nora's work also won many awards at the Emile Awards. This event celebrates European animation creators. In 2018, her film The Breadwinner won awards for Best Direction, Best Storyboarding, Best Character Animation, Best Background, and Best Character Design.

Other Awards

Nora has won several awards from the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland (SDGI). Her film From Darkness won Best New Irish Short Animation in 2002. It also won Best Short at the Boston Irish Film Festival in 2003.

Her film Cúilín Dualach (Backwards Boy) won Best Animated Short at the IFTA in 2005. It also won Best Short Film at Cartoons on the Bay in Italy in 2005. In 2018, The Breadwinner won the Cinema for Peace award for Justice.

Cartoon Saloon, the studio Nora co-founded, has been nominated for 5 Academy Awards. They have also been nominated for a BAFTA award and several Emmy awards.

Nora's Personal Life

Nora Twomey has two sons. While she was making The Breadwinner, she was diagnosed with cancer. She has since recovered from her illness.

Filmography

Film Projects

Television Projects