According to the '' New York Times '' , most professional animators considered '' The Dam Keeper '' the best of 2014 's Oscar-nominated , animated short films . Disney producer Don Hahn praised the film saying , " There is a sameness to much animation , so when a film like '' The Dam Keeper '' comes along , it reminds us that the boundaries of animation have barely been explored . " One of '' How to Train Your Dragon 2 '' 's writers and directors , Dean DeBlois , said that the animation style of '' The Dam Keeper '' resembles development artwork that has been given " life and poetry and movement . " The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film at the 87th Academy Awards , but lost to Disney 's '' Feast '' . Unable to finance an Oscar campaign , Kondo and Tsutsumi formed a grassroots strategy that relied on social media platforms . They had given little consideration to the possibility of an Oscar-nomination while making the film , and Tsutsumi called the revelation " a little bit overwhelming . " It was n't a part of Tonko House 's plan " , he said . To them , the true significance of the honor is that it shows their place within the animation community
87th Academy Awards
87th Academy Awards
The Dam Keeper