Thomas "Tomm" Moore (born 7 January 1977) is an Irish filmmaker, animator, illustrator and

comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary a ...

. He co-founded

Cartoon Saloon Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation film, short film and television studio based in Kilkenny which provides film TV and short film services. The studio is best known for its animated feature films '' The Secret of Kells'', ''Song of the Sea'', ...

with

Nora Twomey Nora Twomey (born 31 October 1971) is an Irish animator, director, screenwriter, producer and voice actress. She is best known as the co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, alongside Tomm Moore and Paul Young, an animation studio and production company, ...

and

Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. ...

, an animation studio and production company based in Kilkenny, Ireland. His first three feature films, ''

The Secret of Kells ''The Secret of Kells'' is a 2009 animated fantasy film about the making of the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the 9th Century. The film is an Irish-French-Belgian co-production animated by Cartoon Saloon, which premiered on 8 F ...

'' (2009), co-directed with

, ''

Song of the Sea The Song of the Sea ( he, שירת הים, ''Shirat HaYam'', also known as ''Az Yashir Moshe'' and Song of Moses, or ''Mi Chamocha'') is a poem that appears in the Book of Exodus of the Hebrew Bible, at . It is followed in verses 20 and 21 by a ...

'' (2014) and ''

Wolfwalkers ''Wolfwalkers'' is a 2020 animated fantasy adventure film directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. The film is the third and final installment in Moore's "Irish Folklore Trilogy", following his previous films '' The Secret of Kells'' (2009) and ...

'' (2020), co-directed with Ross Stewart, have received critical acclaim and were all nominated for the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Animated Feature.

Early life

Moore, the eldest of four children, was born in

Newry Newry (; ) is a City status in Ireland, city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Newry River, Clanrye river in counties County Armagh, Armagh and County Down, Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011. Newry ...

, County Down, Northern Ireland. At an early age, his family moved to Kilkenny in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

where his father worked as an engineer. During his early to mid-teens, he joined the Young Irish Film Makers in Kilkenny, where he grew his knowledge and passion for film and animation. After leaving

St Kieran's College St Kieran's College (Coláiste Chiaráin) is a Roman Catholic secondary school, located on College Road, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. History St Kieran's College was founded in Kilkenny, in the diocese of Ossory in 1782, after the pas ...

secondary school, he studied classical animation at

Ballyfermot College of Further Education Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE; ) is an educational institution in Ballyfermot, Dublin, Ireland, a college of further and higher education. Management Ballyfermot College of Further Education is managed by the City of Dubl ...

in Dublin.

Career

During his final year at Ballyfermot in 1999, Moore co-founded the

animation studio with Paul Young and

. Initially they set up studio alongside Moore's alma mater Young Irish Film Makers, but the studio soon outgrew the premises. The studio created the television series ''

Skunk Fu! ''Skunk Fu!'' is an Irish-British animated television series featuring the fables of anthropomorphic animals protecting their valley using martial arts. The show chronicles the adventures of young Skunk, training with his Kung Fu master, Panda, ...

''. Moore's first animated feature film, which he co-directed with

, is ''

'' (2009), written by Fabrice Ziolkowski from a story by Moore and Aidan Harte. It is a co-production by the Cartoon Saloon, Les Armateurs, Vivi Film and France 2 Cinéma. The film is a hand-drawn animation, set in 9th century Ireland, and partially based on and inspired by early Christian history and legend. It premiered on 8 February 2009, at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

. It went into wide release in Belgium and France on 11 February, and in the

on 3 March. On 2 February 2010, it was announced that the film had been nominated for an

for Best Animated Feature Film. In 2014, Moore completed his second feature film, entitled ''

'' (2014). Like ''The Secret of Kells'', it is traditionally animated and is based on Irish folklore, specifically

selkies In Celtic and Norse mythology, selkies (also spelled ', ', ') or selkie folk ( sco, selkie fowk) meaning 'seal folk' are mythological beings capable of therianthropy, changing from seal to human form by shedding their skin. They are foun ...

. The film was a major critical success and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Also in 2014, Moore co-directed a segment of the

Salma Hayek Salma Hayek Pinault ( , ; born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well as the ...

produced film '' The Prophet'' with Ross Stewart, adapted from

Kahlil Gibran Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...

's book of prose poetry essays of the same name. The production consisted of different directors for each of the film's collective essays, with

animation director An animation director is either the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film or television, and animated segment for a live action film or television show, or the animator in charge of co ...

Roger Allers Roger Charles Allers (born June 29, 1949) is an American film director, screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, and playwright. He is best-known for co-directing ''The Lion King'' (1994), the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of al ...

supervising and credited as screenwriter. Both of Moore's 2014 films received their world premiere at the

2014 Toronto International Film Festival The 39th annual Toronto International Film Festival, the 39th event in the Toronto International Film Festival series, was held in Canada from 4–14 September 2014. David Dobkin's film '' The Judge'', starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert D ...

. Moore's third directorial feature film (co-directed with Ross Stewart), ''

'', was released in 2020 on

Apple TV+ Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...

. The film is the final installment in Moore's "Irish Folklore trilogy", comprising ''Wolfwalkers'', ''Song of the Sea'', and ''The Secret of Kells''.

Comics

Moore has drawn two

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

graphic novels, ''An Sclábhaí'' ("the slave", 2001) and ''An Teachtaire'' ("the messenger", 2003), telling the story of St. Patrick. Both were written by Colmán Ó Raghallaigh and published in Ireland by Cló Mhaigh Eo. He has also created a two-volume graphic novel adaptation of ''The Secret of Kells'', published in French as ''Brendan et le secret de Kells''.

Personal life

Moore is a nephew of the singer/songwriter

Kieran Goss Kieran Goss is a contemporary singer-songwriter. Biography Kieran Goss was born and raised in Mayobridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. Goss recorded his first album, ''Brand New Star'', in 1989. It contained the songs "Brand New Star" and ...

. He has been in a relationship with his wife Liselott Olofsson, a

ceramicist Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is one of the visual arts. Wh ...

, since the mid-1990s, and they have an adult son, Ben (the namesake of the main character of ''Song of the Sea''). He has been a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

since childhood and is now

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and nominations

For ''

'' *2008: ''Directors Finders Award'' at the Directors Finders Series in Ireland (won) *2009: ''Audience Award'' at the

Annecy International Animated Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...

(won) *2009: ''Audience Award'' at the

Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all ti ...

(won) *2009: ''Roy E. Disney Award'' at Seattle's 2D Or Not 2D Film Festival (won) *2009: ''Kecskemét City Award'' at the 6th

Festival of European Animated Feature Films and TV Specials A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival con ...

(won) *2009: ''Grand Prix'' Award for Best Film in the

(nominated) *2009: ''Best Animated Film'' at the

European Film Awards The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the mo ...

(nominated) *2009: Annie Award for ''Best Animated Feature'' (nominated) *2010: ''Best Animation'' award at the 7th Irish Film and Television Awards (won) *2010: ''Rising Star Award, sponsored by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the

Irish Film Board Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, formerly known as Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board, is the Republic of Ireland's state development agency for the Irish film, television and animation industry. It provides funds for the developm ...

'' at the 7th Irish Film and Television Awards (won) *2010: ''European Animated Feature Award'' at the British Animation Awards (won) *2010:

Irish Film and Television Awards Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

for ''Best Film'' (nominated) *2010:

for Best Animated Feature Film (nominated) *2010: National Cartoonist Society

Reuben Award The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

for Feature Animation (nominated) For ''

'' *2014: ''Prix Spécial du Jury'' at Festival International des Voix du Cinéma d'Animation,

Port Leucate Leucate (; oc, Leucata) is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. It lies between the Mediterranean Sea and the lagoon Étang de Leucate. Geography Leucate is on the Mediterranean coast of France. It is part of the eastern Cor ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

(won) *2014: Annie Award for Directing in an Animated Feature Production (nominated) *2014: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (nominated) *2014: Annie Award for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production with Marie Thorhauge, Sandra Anderson and Rosa Ballester Cabo (nominated) *2015:

for Best Animated Feature Film with

(nominated) *2015: César Award for Best Animated Feature Film (nominated) *2015:

Satellite Award The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

for Best Animated Feature Film (won) *2015:

for ''Best Film'' (won) *2015: National Cartoonists Society

for Feature Animation (won) For ''

'' *2020: AFI Festival for ''Narrative Feature'' with Ross Stewart (won) *2020:

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is an association of professional film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film critics Sharon LeM ...

for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart,

and

(won) *2020: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart (''runner-up'') *2020: Florida Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart (nominated) *2020:

Gotham Awards The Gotham Awards () are American film awards, presented annually to the makers of independent films at a ceremony in New York City, the city first nicknamed "Gotham" by native son Washington Irving, in an issue of ''Salmagundi'', published o ...

for Best International Feature with Ross Stewart (nominated) *2020: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart (won) *2020: Music City Film Critics Association Awards for ''Best Animated Film'' with Ross Stewart,

and Stéphan Roelants (nominated) *2020:

New York Film Critics Circle Awards The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic organization founded in 1935 by Wanda Hale from the New York ''Daily News''. Its membership includes over 30 film critics from New York-based daily and weekly newspapers, magaz ...

for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart (won) *2020:

Online Film Critics Society Awards The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) is an international professional association of online film journalists, historians and scholars who publish their work on the World Wide Web. The organization was founded in January 1997 by Harvey S. Karten ...

for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart (nominated) *2020: San Diego Film Critics Society Awards for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart (won) *2020: San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Animated Feature with Ross Stewart (nominated) *2020: Seattle Film Critics Society Awards for Best Animated Feature with Ross Stewart (won) *2020: St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart (nominated) *2020: Toronto Film Critics Association Awards for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart (won) *2020: Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards for Best Animated Feature with Ross Stewart (nominated) *2020: London Film Critics Circle Awards for Technical Achievement of the Year with Ross Stewart (nominated) *2021:

for Best Animated Feature Film with Ross Stewart (won) *2021: Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film with Ross Stewart (nominated) *2021:

Hollywood Critics Association The Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) is a film critic organization in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 2016 as the Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society and renamed in 2019. History In 2016, Scott Menzel, Scott Mantz, and Ashley ...

for ''Best Animated Film'' with Ross Stewart (won) *2021:

Producers Guild Award The Producers Guild of America Awards were originally established in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America as the Golden Laurel Awards, created by PGA Treasurer Joel Freeman with the support of Guild President Leonard Stern, in order to honor ...

for Best Animated Motion Picture with

and Stéphan Roelants (nominated) *2021: Art Directors Guild Award for Production Design in an Animated Film with Ross Stewart and María Pareja (nominated) *2021:

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

for Best Animated Film with Ross Stewart and

(nominated) *2021: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature — Independent (won) *2021: Annie Award for Directing in an Animated Feature Production with Ross Stewart (won) *2021: Annie Award for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production with Ross Stewart and María Pareja (won) *2021:

for Best Animated Feature Film with Ross Stewart,

and Stéphan Roelants (nominated) For '' Belle'' *2022: Annie Award for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production with Ross Stewart, Alice Dieudonné, Almu Redondo and Maria Pareja (nominated)

References

External links

Cartoon Saloon

The Blog of Kells
– ''The Secret of Kells'' production blog
The Blog of the Sea
– ''The Song of the Sea'' production blog * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Tomm 1977 births 20th-century Irish people 21st-century Irish people Annie Award winners Cartoon Saloon people Irish animators Irish animated film directors Irish film directors Irish comics artists European Film Awards winners (people) Living people People from Newry People from Kilkenny (city) Television directors from Northern Ireland