Five productions have been nominated for best animated feature film at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. They are "Up", "Coraline" "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "The Princess and the Frog," and "The Secret of Kells."

Poster of animation 'Up'

"Up" is about a curmudgeonly old man who goes on a colorful adventure around the world when his house is tethered to thousands of helium balloons and flies away.

The film is directed by Pete Docter, and is up for a total of five awards including best picture. It's only the second animated feature to be nominated in that category after Disney's 1991 film "Beauty and the Beast."

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" is the first animated film by director Wes Anderson, well known for his A-list ensemble films like "The Royal Tenenbaums". "Fantastic Mr. Fox," based on the book by Roald Dahl, is about a mischievous fox who starts a war with three greedy, human farmers.

"The Princess and the Frog," a musical about a New Orleans waitress who falls in love with a foreign prince-turned-frog, is Disney's first hand-drawn animation in six years. It has made more than $100 million in the US and Canada since its November release. The Oscar nomination could help as it expands its overseas roll-out, which Disney says has already brought in more than $100 million.

"Coraline" is about a young girl who escapes from her mother and father through a magical passageway in her home, but finds things were better with her parents. The film is based on the popular 2002 novel of the same name by British author Neil Gaiman.

European production "The Secret of Kells," is a surprise choice. It has been playing in just a handful of US theaters. It's a joint production between producers from three nations, Belgium, France, and Ireland, and the story takes its inspiration from the Book of Kells, a 12th century manuscript by Celtic monks.

The winner of the best animated feature Oscar for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be announced in a live broadcast ceremony on March the 7th.