\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t 7<\/span> <\/span> min read<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s that time of year again\u2014the Oscats are back! For PETA\u2019s eighth annual Oscat Awards, we\u2019re honoring the 2024 films that put kindness to animals in the spotlight with powerful performances, exceptional storylines, and impressive special effects. So, without further ado, let\u2019s roll out the red carpet and present the awards!<\/p>\n PETA\u2019s holding space\u2014and a \u201cFriendship for Good\u201d Award\u2014for Wicked<\/em> stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who show compassion to animals on and<\/em> off screen. The musical serves as an allegory for animal liberation, emphasized by green<\/em> queen Elphaba\u2019s call to action: \u201cMy heart\u2019s desire is for you to help the animals. Something bad is happening to them, and they need you.\u201d Erivo\u2019s powerful performance as Elphaba\u2014who fights for animal rights in Oz\u2014spells out a clear message: That everyone deserves to live freely, no matter their species. Plus, the real-life besties are also real-life vegans\u2014now that\u2019s<\/em> what we call leading change for good!<\/p>\n In Tim Burton\u2019s stunning return to the macabre world of\u00a0Beetlejuice<\/em>, he once again showcased his masterful filmmaking by using numerous types of humane technology\u2014like CGI, props, animatronics, figurines, and even casting his <\/em>dog Levi\u2014 to craft an imaginative portrayal of animals that respects their rights as living beings while pushing the boundaries of cinematic artistry. With other nods to animal rights \u2013 like Astrid\u2019s \u201cBoycott Animal Testing\u201d backpack<\/a> and a \u201cProtect the Animals\u201d poster hanging in her dorm (yes, we noticed!) \u2013 Burton shows us that no decision is too small when it comes to creating animal-friendly cinema.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n Julio Torres brought to screen a film only he could create. This beloved veganista<\/em> used his platform to advocate for animals stuck in the cruel dairy industry. His choice to order the goat cheese salad without <\/em>the goat cheese cleverly showed audiences that any meal can be made vegan. Ditching dairy, whether it comes from cows or goats, keeps families together, as dairy farmers regularly separate kids and calves from their mothers. If more people followed Julio\u2019s example, there would be much less suffering. By standing up for goats, Julio proved he\u2019s a G.O.A.T. for goats. He\u2019s a goat\u2019s G.O.A.T.!<\/p>\n And the award for Best Actor goes to\u2026 a CGI chimpanzee?! While 2024 featured many wonderful performances, Robbie Williams, as a CGI chimpanzee, captured our hearts and stole the show. Thanks in large part to PETA\u2019s work, the use of chimpanzees in Hollywood is a thing of the past\u2014and Robbie Williams\u2019 biopic-with-a-twist is a glorious celebration of how far we\u2019ve come. Director Chris Mindy threw down the gauntlet to other filmmakers, showing that humane technology is the only ethical way to depict primates onscreen and can be done to powerful, lifelike effect. While the chimpanzee refers to himself as \u201cunevolved,\u201d the lead performance in Better Man <\/em>is anything but that. This film is yet another reminder that real <\/em>primates aren\u2019t \u201cactors,\u201d and VFX can give filmmakers the exact performance they want without any of the cruelty.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s Best Actress Oscat goes to the legendary Cate Blanchett. Her performance as Lilith stood out in a crowded field when she rescued Tiny Tina \u2013 who fittingly wore a pair of bunny ears \u2013from a laboratory and saved her from cruel experiments. Of course, with Eli Roth in the director\u2019s chair, it\u2019s no surprise that the lead character would send an animal-friendly message to the world. With Eli\u2019s writing and Cate\u2019s brilliant performance, Borderlands <\/em>tells audiences everywhere that it\u2019s time to close the vault on deadly, painful tests on animals.<\/p>\n After a quiet opening weekend in December, the lion awoke, and audiences everywhere experienced Mufasa\u2019s<\/em> astounding artistry. We agreed wholeheartedly when Mufasa said, \u201cEvery being has a place in the circle of life.\u201d Barry Jenkins and his creative team upheld Mufasa\u2019s sage wisdom by using state-of-the-art, photorealistic animation to remind viewers of the endless possibilities for storytelling without exploiting real animals. It\u2019s no surprise that the movie roared at the worldwide box office.<\/p>\n In one of the more moving films of the year, Tuesday<\/em> gave audiences an unexpected look at the cruelty of glue traps, which cause immeasurable suffering to rats, mice, and other wildlife. The title character, Tuesday, finds our title macaw stuck in a glue trap, frees him, and washes the glue off his feet. There begins their close (we\u2019ll not say more!) relationship. It\u2019s common for these traps\u2014which are now banned in some cities and countries<\/a>, and even well-known retailers have stopped selling them \u2013 to indiscriminately trap wildlife, leaving them to suffer until they eventually die a slow, agonizing death from dehydration or starvation. Thanks to Daina O. Pusi\u0107\u2019s beautiful script and Lola Petticrew\u2019s moving performance, audiences got the clear message that a sure way to keep roaming animals safe is to scrap the trap<\/a>!<\/p>\n Audiences get a taste of pig farming reality in Apartment 7A<\/em> when Terry Gionoffrio\u2014 played by the incomparable Julia Garner \u2013 turns down bacon for breakfast, saying, \u201cI don\u2019t eat meat, but thank you.\u201d She elaborates, \u201cI grew up on a pig farm. It\u2019s kind of hard to enjoy the smell of bacon when you\u2019ve seen how it\u2019s made.\u201d Garner\u2019s compassionate quip reminds us that the real horror in the Rosemary Baby<\/em>\u2019s prequel is how pigs suffer when the meat industry raises and slaughters them for their flesh. Pigs rejoiced at the meat-free moment, and so did we!<\/p>\n Chris Sanders\u2019 phenomenal film The Wild Robot <\/em>moved and inspired audiences to respect the natural world. By dropping a robot into the forest and having him learn about Earth from wildlife, Sanders reminded audiences that animals have much to teach us. And they can teach us not under knives in a laboratory or on display at roadside zoos or marine parks, but in their natural habitat. Ahead of the film\u2019s release, doting cat mom and star Lupita N\u2019yongo took the messaging a step further by promoting vegan foods\u2014because, after all, going vegan is the most important thing anyone can do to protect the planet. Check out Lupita\u2019s PSA<\/a> and learn about the joys of vegan living here<\/a>.<\/p>\nFriendship for Good<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\nBest Director<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\nGoats\u2019 G.O.A.T.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\nBest Actor<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\nBest Actress<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\nBest Sleeper Hit<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\nStick Up for Animals<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\nPig\u2019s Pick<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\nBest Animated Feature<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\nMr. Mice Guy<\/strong>
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