Mel Brooks stars in Nigel Tierney animated short

Mel Brooks Cast as Mobile Phone in Nigel Tierney Animated Short

Mel Brooks has joined the cast of Addicted To It, a seven-minute animated short film directed by Nigel Tierney and Federico Heller, playing a mischievous phone that comes to life to keep its owner hooked. The project, which explores obsessive mobile device use through the cautionary tale of a character named Dace, has qualified for consideration in the Animated Shorts category for the upcoming Oscars ahead of the final shortlist announcement.

Production Background Across Los Angeles, Ireland, and Argentina

Tierney, an Irish director and producer originally from Kilkenny who has been based in California since 2009, co-produced the short. The film features original music and lyrics by Tony Award winner Jeff Marx, vocals by singer Dionne Warwick, and a singing role from Tierney’s eight-year-old daughter, Crystal. The project’s end credits explicitly state that the animation was created entirely with human hands and hearts without the use of AI.

Festival Screenings and Oscar Qualification Timeline

Addicted To It is currently touring international film festivals as it awaits the final shortlist determinations in the Animated Shorts category. Upcoming and recent festival screenings span multiple locations, giving the cautionary tale global exposure ahead of the industry’s awards cycle.

• BITBANG in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 27th of October
• Tampa Animation Festival in Tampa Bay, Florida, on 5th of November
• Open World Animation Festival in Pennsylvania, United States, on 5th of November
• Coronado Island Film Festival in San Diego, California, on 7th of November
• Manchester Animation Festival in Manchester, England, on 8th of November
• Anchorage International Film Festival in Anchorage, Alaska, on 4th of December

Frequently Asked Questions About Addicted To It

Who voices the phone character in the short film?

Mel Brooks voices the mischievous mobile phone character, referred to as ‘Phoney Bunny,’ who acts as an agent of chaos trying to keep the protagonist trapped in doom-scrolling.

What is the running time and format of the project?

Addicted To It is a seven-minute animated short film produced collaboratively across Argentina, Ireland, and the United States by an international team of over 200 artists.

Which music artists and Broadway figures contributed to the film?

Tony Award-winning songwriter Jeff Marx wrote the original music and lyrics, while singer Dionne Warwick and singer Dixie D’Amelio contributed vocals to the production.