'Cars' moves into the driver's seat

So even though the Academy Award nominations don't arrive until Jan. 23, a possible preview came Monday with the International Animated Film Society's nominations for best animated feature of 2006.

Leading the pack for the Annie Awards for film, television and home video animation was DreamWorks Animation SKG, with 17 nods for two features, "Flushed Away" and "Over the Hedge."

But Disney-Pixar's "Cars" was the biggest film nominee. The sentimental story of a cocky race car who winds up stuck in a Route 66 town filled with eccentric individuals garnered nine nominations, including best animated feature and best director for John Lasseter, who helped put Pixar on the map when he directed "Toy Story."

"Flushed Away," the story of an uptown rat who gets flushed down the toilet from his penthouse apartment, ending in the sewers of London, earned eight film nominations, including voice acting for Ian McKellen. It also got a nomination as best animated video game, a category unrelated to the movie.

Also nominated for the top animated feature were "Monster House" and "Open Season" from Sony Pictures, "Happy Feet" from Warner Bros., and "Over the Hedge," the animated version of the comic strip.

"Over the Hedge" earned eight nominations, including best animated feature and voice acting for Wanda Sykes.

The winner of the best feature Annie has claimed the Oscar for animated feature every year since the Academy Award for animation was created in 2002.

The society will present the 34th annual awards on Feb. 11 in Glendale.

The nominees:

Animated feature: "Cars," "Happy Feet," "Monster House," "Open Season," "Over the Hedge."

Home entertainment production: "Bambi II" (DisneyToon Studios); "The Adventures of Brer Rabbit" (Universal Animation Studios); "Winnie the Pooh: Shapes & Sizes" (DisneyToon Studios).

Animated short subject: "Adventure Time" (Nickelodeon); "Fumi and the Bad Luck Foot" (Thunderbean Animation); "No Time for Nuts" (Blue Sky Studios); "Weird Al Yankovic: 'Don't Download This Song' " (Acme Filmworks).

Animated television commercial: "Candy Factory" (Kachen/Screen Novelties); "ESPN 'Believe' " (Laika/house); "Hilton 'Dancing Couple' " (Acme Filmworks); "St. Louis Zoo 'Giraffe' " (Z Animation); "United Airlines 'Dragon' " (DUCK Studios).